The long June twilight faded into the night. The park lay enveloped in darkness but for the dim light of the moon the shone through the fleecy clouds, casting a pale light as of the slow approaching of dawn over the sideways and the dark water of the pond. On the bench near by, Alex sits there silently, as if he’s part of this peacefulness before dawn.
He’s been sitting there for hours; he neither moved nor spoke. A few word flows out of his mouth from time to time but it made no sense to others. “I miss you so much Jenny, if you can only hear me...” Alex’s voice became cracked and painful. “So much...” A small drop of tear falls down his face as he reaches in his shirt and feels the ring attached to his silver necklace. Slowly, he drags his fingers through the words engraved inside the ring, “Love Always”. While holding the ring with one hand, Alex reaches into his jacket pocket and takes out a neatly folded note; the note is tearstained but it seems like it’s in good shape. Alex read the note over and over again until the first ray of the sunrise shines on his face. “I love you...” Alex muttered to himself or to some invisible forces around as he left the park.
Above the still pond, an angel was hovering over. “I miss you too... my love...” Jenny whispered as she watched the figure of Alex as he walked out the park.
Soon, Alex reaches his destination, the cemetery. Putting the white roses in his hands down gently on the grass, Alex knelt down next to the tombstone. Running his fingers through the words, ‘Jennifer McLean 1979-1999. She’ll always be in our heart.’, he lets out a heavy sigh as he feels tears begin to form at the corner of his eyes.
“Hi, Jenny, I’m here now, at last. I didn’t get a chance to visit you; the guys won’t let me...” Alex chuckled as he continued on, “it hard to imagine you down there, all alone and scared; it’s how I feel ever since I lost you. Alone and scare of the world without you by my side, it has only been a month since you went away but somehow it seems like forever. Remember I told you that every second I spend with you can mean forever? Now a second without you in his life seems like forever too.” Alex stopped at he takes out the letter Jenny left him; reading it over again, he realized that there will always be something missing, no matter how hard he tries. It’s like an empty black hole that can never be filled.
“I know that you want me to get on with my life, and that’s why I’m here today, to say good-bye. But don’t worry, good-bye doesn’t mean forever. I’ll always remember that I was born when you kissed me, then died when you left me, but I get to live the two months I was with you. And I know that no matter when, where you’ll be there with me, right by my side as I will always have you in my heart.” Alex leans against the cold, hard stone as he lets the tears run down his face freely.
“Hey, you okay?” Alex jumped as a hand tapped his shoulder it was Brian.
“Yeah, I’m fine. What are you doing here?” wiping the tears off his face, Alex stands up and puts the letter back into his pocket.
“I was worried. Wondering if you’re going to do anything you might later regret.” Brian grinned at his good friend. He has been there for a while now, he heard the whole conversion of Alex and Jenny.
“You know me, never defy a lady’s order.” Alex smiled. The two men chatted for a while, then left the cemetery separately.
Alex never did get married nor fall in love; he filled his life with work and even more work. Even though his friend tried to set him up many times, but it seems like he heart is replaced with stone, yes, stone. Hard and stubborn, he refuses to go on any dates; he was faithful to Jenny, just like he said ‘she’ll always be in his heart’.
“I’m sorry, we’re did the best we can. But the X-ray shows that the patient’s cell system has a disorder causing by the stress.” The doctor apologized to the anxious couple in the waiting room, Brian and Cathy. Brian and Cathy met at Jenny’s funeral, ironic, but that’s how life is.
“In other words, he has cancer. Can’t you use chemicals?” Cathy asked, hanging on the slight hope she has in her heart.
“No, he’s too old to go under chemical treatments.”
“Is he able to talk?” Brian finally asked.
“I don’t know.” With this short answer, the doctor left the waiting room.
“Alex?” Brian whispered as if this is some sort of sacred ceremony.
“I don’t think he can hear you.” Cathy’s voice cracked. Alex has always been like a big brother to her.
“It’s okay, honey. He’ll be okay. Why don’t you do home to get some rest?” Brian kissed her on the forehead.
“If anything happens, call my cell phone.” Cathy looks at Alex on last time before she exits the room.
“I brought something for you.” Brian takes out the wedding photo of Alex and Jenny. “I figure you might want to see her one last time.” Brian sets the picture on the table nearby. “Alex? Can you hear me?” Brian asked again, not willing to give up the hope that his friend could be alive.
“Hey.” Alex said weakly as he opens his eyes.
“How are you feeling?” a big, relieved smile appeared on Brian’s face.
“Sick.” Alex replied quietly.
“How did this happen?”
“I don’t know, the last thing I remember was making dinner.” A wave of stinging pain strikes through Alex’s body as he grits his teeth in pain.
“What’s wrong?” Brian pushed the help button on the headboard, as he saw the look on his friend’s face.
“Can someone help?” Brian yelled as he walks down the empty hallway.
“Alex? It’s me, I’m here.” A small, female voice said. Although Alex’s vision begins to grow blurry, he could see Jenny clearly on the edge of the bed, staring at him with sorrow in her eyes.
“Jenny? Is that really you?” Alex whispered as he reaches out his hand to touch her, but feel nothing but air.
“Yes, it is me. I’m here to take you to somewhere special, just for the two of us...” she was interrupted by Brian and the doctors that rushes into the room.
“Alex? Stay with us!” Brian yelled as Alex closes his eyes peacefully. Knowing that he will be together with his love again and this time they’ll stay together... together forever...