How we met

The whole room was white: the walls, the blankets and my coat. I feel, in my right arm, the needle embedded in my skin, connected to a thin tube that ended in a bag attached to a metal with wheels. There was silence, only the sound of the machine checking my heart beat. I was laying on the bed in room 17B on the fourth floor. I had just finished my breakfast when a young woman enters carefully dressed completely in white, to pick up my breakfast.

—Good morning, Mr. Black! Can I pick up your breakfast? — I sat down, and she gently picked up the tray from a small table beside me. She smiles at me and leaves.

Next to me was a great photo album. The colorful cover was called 'Our Adventure Book'. I watched the cover for a few seconds: this book brings me so many memories. All my life, our whole life is in there. The door opens again, revealing the beautiful girl from before, with an orange container full of pills.

—Here, I bring your morning pills, Mr. Black.

—Lenna, I told you not to call me that, just call me Mason.

—Okay, Mr. Black... I mean, Mason. — she said smiling and with embarrassment in his eyes because of her mistake, and looked at the album next to me, leaving the pills on a bedside table. —Excuse my intrusion, but what is that book that you see every day without exception?

I looked at her and smiled.

—As you know, I have little life left. I had 3 heart attacks and they enrolled me in this hospital until the day comes. One day, I started thinking about my whole life. I looked back and saw how problematic, difficult, challenging but, at the same time, joyful and passionate life I had. You have seen that no one has come to visit me. Well, is because my only daughter is taking her training to be a US Army soldier. My mother and father are dead, just like my older brother. My dear wife passed away a year ago and that album contains the important events of my life with her.

I took the book and passed the cover as she looked carefully at me with a slightly curious look.

—Amelia, my wife; you remind me of her. Amelia used to have big green eyes that caught everyone's attention, along with their long black lashes; as well as your eyes.

Lenna smiled and gave me a compassionate look.

—What happened to your wife, Mason? — she asked curiously.

—No, I'll tell you first how I met her.

I watched the book's first page, it's a photo of Amelia and me at the observatory. Some telescopes and computers were seen in the background and we were smiling at the camera.

—That observatory is very special.

—First date?

—That's where we met

—Oh — she said with a bit of surprise.

—Yeah, I still remember it: I was 16 years old; my parents wanted to go, learn new things, and to spend time with the family. I didn't want to go, but they dragged me and, to be honest, I'm grateful they did. — Lenna lets out a small laugh —I was bored, so I moved away from my parents, I went to see other things. I entered a room that caught my attention: it was dark and there was a big globe in the center. On the ceiling were digital stars and different types of galaxies; you felt in the outer space. I looked at the globe with amazement and then I saw a silhouette of a woman behind it. The shadow came closer to the globe and I could see her face: her beautiful green eyes, her dark skin and black hair. She was beautiful; even in the coffin she was beautiful. I liked seeing her when she was desperate and frustrated, her drastic mood swings and her face of pride as she managed to surprise me. When she cried she was beautiful, and when she was angry for my goddam guilt she looked even more beautiful. I loved to see how her eyes shone when she laughed and how her lips took the form of a smile. I loved to see how beautiful Amelia was when she was happy. I wasn't the perfect husband, but I tried to always make her happy. However, I fail in some things. — Lenna has her comprehensive gaze set on me. —We introduced ourselves, exchanged numbers, and became friends. We hanged out from time to time, and it turned out that our houses were 5 blocks away.