Right Choice?

Hans 3

Carmen turned towards the door as she heard the sound of a key in the lock. 

'Oh Hans' she called out, 'I'm just making some lunch for myself, do you want anything?'

'No, I'm fine' came the reply. He sounded a little subdued. Since they agreed to split up almost three weeks ago now, he had tried to avoid her by being out around meal times and meeting up with his friends in the evening. But today he walked in and sat by the kitchen table.

'What's wrong?' Carmen asked sensing something had happened.

He slowly looked up, his eyes were sad, no more than that, they seemed somehow hollow, empty.

'Carmen, come and sit down with me'

Carmen slowly waked towards the table and sat in the chair opposite him, 'I'm in the middle of preparing lunch', she said, 'what is it?'

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Doctors, they ran some tests and today I went back for the results. It appears I have cancer. It has spread over most of my body, the doctor reckons I have may six months, maybe longer, to live.  There is no cure, it is just a matter of time'

Carmen remembered the silence that filled the little kitchen as if it were yesterday.  She remembered being at a loss for words. She had agreed that their relationship was over, but she still had feelings for him and she knew he still had feelings for her. No way was she about to let him go through this on his own.

She remembered how the had hugged each other then, and they had both started crying. That was the start of eight months of hell.

Hans tried everything, but just got weaker and weaker and eventually, with Carmen holding his hand by the hospital bed, he passed away.

Carmen remembered the acute feeling of loss and loneliness she felt at the moment. During thos awful eight months they had once again fallen in love, or was it compassion, she didn't know, what she did know was that she was going to miss him for the rest of her life.