It felt as if I was in a dream. There was a glowing light and many faces came into view. They all had on surgical masks and caps. Suddenly pain shot up my left leg and I closed my eyes in anguish. I opened my mouth as if to scream and thrash about but nothing came out. A sharp tugging began on my leg and I kept my eyes closed, terrified of what I would see. Then there was a hushed silence.

“We did it,” someone whispered approvingly. Some others murmured in agreement. “The anesthetic is wearing off. He should wake up in a few moments. Let’s get him to another room.” I opened my eyes hoping to see everything but it was still fuzzy. I knew I was moving down a hallway, then being pushed into a room. Everyone left and I lifted my hand to rub my eyes. My arm weighed a hundred pounds as I lifted it up. After rubbing my eyes, everything became clear. I blinked as a figure came into view. She had patches of brown hair on her hand and a small figure of a dancer’s that looked as if I could snap it in two.

“Mark?” She said my name as a question to make sure it was really me. I couldn’t remember who it was. She looked familiar in a way but unfamiliar in others. Her skin had a sickly glow to it and her cheeks were sunken in. She raised a hand and stroked my hair with her cold, boney fingers. “It’s me, Alex.”

“Who?” I asked. The name was not registering with me. Tears clung to her eyelashes as she took hold of my hand. My mind scrambled backwards trying to remember. Suddenly a picture of a girl hesitated in my mind. In the picture the girl was laughing and she had long brown hair, past her shoulders. Her eyes were a lovely shade of blue with violet tinting the edges. Alex was so beautiful. I froze and looked at the girl in front of me. Her eyes were the same color of the girl’s in my memory. Tears were flowing freely down her face and she held on tighter. I could feel the IV needle in her translucent skin and risked a peek at her monitor. Her heart rate was slowing; she was losing the battle.

“Please remember,” she sobbed letting her head fall down.

“Alex, please don’t cry,” I reassured her. She looked up; a smiled was painted across her face. It just wasn’t fair to see her so happy when she was going to die soon. “How much longer?”

“Five hours.” Her face faltered just a bit and her smile was less natural. “It’s okay though.”

I squeezed her hand and said, “I love you Alex.” She looked at me with such adoration that tears formed in my eyes. I wiped them away and looked back at her. “You need to go back to your room.

“Let me stay with you,” she pleaded. I hesitated before nodding. Grinning she scrambled onto my bed and curled up beside me. “Oh, and I love you too.”

I fell asleep with her in my arms. I awoke to the sound of hushed voices in my room. I kept my eyes closed and breathing even to eavesdrop on them.

“I can’t believe it,” the first person said. “That girl is still alive. Her heart rate is speeding up by the hour and look at her skin color.”

“How could that happen?” the second person asked. “The doctor was so sure she was going to die last night.” There was some sounds of furniture being moved and then footsteps were heading towards the door.

“They must really love each other. Look at the way he has his arm around her. It looks like he is protecting her from something.” The voices faded away and I lifted my eyelids. Sunlight was streaming through the curtains and it fell on the person next to me. Alex’s skin had a more natural look and she was breathing more evenly. Her dark hair was still in patches but I knew it was going to grow back. I could hear her heart beat in sync to mine. She was going to live.

I looked down at my leg. It had taken some work but the prosthetic leg was nicely attached. I tried moved it; it worked. I couldn’t help but smile as I sat up in the bed. Alex inhaled beside me and her eyes fluttered open. I marveled at the beauty of them before speaking.

“Just letting you know, I love you,” I said before leaning down and kissing her upturned lips. She kissed me back in earnest then pulled away. I frowned and she laughed lightly.

“Are you dead too?” she inquired. I chuckled and shook my head.

“No, we are both very much alive,” I replied. She grinned wider and paused before asking me her next question.

“Then, do I get another kiss?” I rolled my eyes but leaned down once more to press my lips to hers. Our second kiss wasn’t like our first. It was better, much better.

4 years later
I took one more glance at my prosthetic leg before gathering my stuff and heading down the corridor. I saw Coach Cummers and paused as he shook my hand.
“Great game Waters,” he congratulated me with a firm hand shake.
“Thanks coach,” I answered before leaving him in the hallway. I opened the doors to the parking lot and glanced around for my ride. My dark green eyes paused on words etched into the sidewalk: MW+AD 4EVA. I grinned at the memory and hitched my bag higher on my shoulder. A car horn jolted me out of my daydream. A red Eclipse was waiting a few feet away and the person laid on the horn again. I ran to the passenger’s side and hopped in.
“How was the game?” she asked quietly.
“We won. What’s wrong? What happened at the doctor’s?” my voice rose with hysteria. She put a small hand on my arm.
“It’s gone.” She smiled up at me and looked at me with those blue-violet eyes of hers. I smiled.
“Forever?” I asked.
“Forever,” she repeated and gave my arm a squeeze. Cancer free for 2 years and now for the rest of my life.”
“That’s amazing,” I said gazing into her eyes. She blushed but her eyes didn’t stray from mine.
“I love you,” she murmured.
“I love you,” I quoted her. Alex, my wife, my best friend, and love of my life leaned in to give me a kiss.
“Just don’t forget it,” she teased before pressing her lips to mine