Zayden
I watched her sleep, the soft rise and fall of her chest, her fingers curled slightly against mine. The IV still ran into her arm, a cold reminder that this wasn't just a bad dream.
Elena had one year.
One year to live.
And I would make sure it was a year full of every single dream she ever whispered when she thought no one was listening.
As soon as she was stable, I made the first call.
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The bucket list was simple at first. Things I remembered from her stories—
✓ Swim in the sea under starlight
✓ Watch the northern lights
✓ Get lost in a bookstore with no clock
✓ Dance in the rain without music
✓ Visit the lake house again
✓ Kiss in every country we travel to
✓ Learn to cook something together that ends in disaster
✓ Watch the sunrise from the top of a mountain
✓ Fall in love all over again every single day
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A few days later…
I picked her up from the hospital. She was weak, but her spirit hadn't dimmed. Her smile was soft, and she leaned into me as we drove.
"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice still fragile.
"You'll see."
We pulled up to the lake house—her favorite place. The windows were glowing with fairy lights, soft music played inside. Candles flickered. Her sketchbook waited on the table beside a cup of cocoa.
"Zayden…" she whispered.
I didn't let her finish.
I kissed her forehead. "Welcome home, baby."
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That night, we lay on the old couch, tangled under blankets, the fireplace crackling.
We didn't need words.
I read to her from a book she loved.
She laughed when I gave voices to the characters.
We cooked together in the morning. It was chaos—flour everywhere, pancakes too burnt to save, but we didn't care. She wore one of my shirts and danced around barefoot, singing off-key.
Every second was sacred.
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Later, on the porch…
She sat on my lap, legs over mine, her head on my shoulder.
"I've never felt this alive," she whispered.
"Good," I murmured against her hair. "That's the plan."
She turned to look at me.
"I love you, Zayden. Even if I have a year… or a day."
My throat tightened. I kissed her like it was the last kiss on Earth.
But inside, I was building a silent war.
Because no matter what the doctors said…
I wasn't going to lose her.
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