Love of my Life

"I love you," she said in a broken whisper.
"As I love you, my dear." He smiled and closed his eyes again.
He looked so peaceful, yet Mary could see how laboured his breathing was. She knew that the sand in the hourglass was going to run out soon, so she silently bent down and kissed him on his forehead.

***DISCLAIMER***
This is a fictional story based on the lives of real people who I admire to the moon and back, Freddie Mercury and his forever love Mary Austin, and will include the band members of Queen and a few other people related to them. As Freddie's lifelong home, Garden Lodge, finally goes on auction this year, I was reminded of this story I wrote close to a decade ago when I first got familiar with this pair's eternal love for each other. This is, of course, a highly idealized and fictionalized version of events, but it also contains some facts that I gleaned from feverishly watching countless hours of interviews of the band members and Mary.

It is not my intent in any way shape or form to cause hurt, slander, malign the image or damage the reputation of any real life person, living or deceased, mentioned in this story. This was supposed to be an ideal world where friends met, had fun, lived life and faced challenges together. But reality always hits like a freight train in full throttle.

***DISCLAIMER***
The story has been written with the lyrics of Leonard Cohen's love ballad "So Long Marianne" because I think the lyrics fit so many event in the lives of Freddie and Mary. Also, because Marianne kind of resembles both Mary and Marlena, Freddie's drag queen name.

***WARNING***
Mature themes and content. Mentions of passing of a person, cheating, coming out story, Freddie's illness and HIV may be distressing to certain readers. Please exercise caution while reading. Not suitable for younger audiences.