It's Christmas Eve.
She's laying on the hospital bed and she has been there for 7 weeks. Cancer, the doctor said to her husband. A poor 78-year-old woman who was once an active smoker before she met her 2 years older husband.
Annaliese -or Annie, the name that her husband always calls her. She has been married to her husband, Carlos for too long. As long as they can remember.
They have 2 kids together. And their kids have 2 kids each too. A quiet big family for a small town living family.
A knock on the door.
Carlos walks in with another bouquet of flowers to replace the old ones and a backpack.
"Hello, sweetheart." says Carlos with a big smile on his face.
"We're too old for the sweetheart thingy, Carlos." Annie replies and she seems happy that her favorite person is there.
Carlos giggles and he walks to the side of the bed and replaces the old flowers with the new ones.
"You know you don't have to buy me flowers, right?" she tries to complain but Carlos just shakes his head.
"You said that you always wanted a home with a bunch of flowers. Remember that? The first time we met?" Carlos grabs a chair and sits next to her bed.
"Yes, I do. But it's not home, Carlos. Do you even know that we're in a hospital?"
he grabs her hand.
"What are you talking about? Home is where your heart is. So, anywhere besides you is my home." Annie only replies with a smile on her face while trying her best not to cry.
"Oh, wait. I brought you something." Carlos grabs his backpack and he reaches inside it. Annie looks confused.
"What is it, Carlos?" She's trying to lift her head to see what it is that he brings to her but she's too weak.
Carlos sees her trying to move but it only makes her pain even worse. She touches her own head. She feels slightly dizzy and he looks worried.
"It's okay, I'm fine." Says Annie with a smile, trying to calm her husband a little bit.
"Are you sure, Annie?" asks Carlos worried while hiding something on his back.
"Yes, Carlos. I'm fine. What are you hiding back there?" Annie looks curious.
Carlos sits on a chair next to her bed again. He opens a photo album full of old photos in it. He looks at her and he smiles.
He opens the first page of the album and shows a photo of her in her early 20s, a black and white photo.
"Do you remember this?" asks Carlos.
"Of course. You borrowed your dad's camera just to take a picture of me and you said that you wanted your whole family to know me." She giggles.
"Borrowed? Well. I kind of stole it from my dad. But he never asked for it anyway." She hits his chest.
"Carlos! So you lied? Did you really show the picture to your family?" Carlos tries to impersonate his brother
"You lucky bastard. Marry her!" only to see her looks confused.
"I'm sorry? What?"
"That's what Hernie told me when I showed him your photo. And my mom said that you were fatter than she thought, but who cares, right? You're still the most beautiful white woman I've ever seen." explains Carlos while he's still holding her hand.
"White woman? Really, Carlos?" She gives him 'the look'.
"Well, Latinas are a different kind of beauty." of course, he's joking. "Oh, and the kids and their kids are coming too tonight." He adds.
YOU ARE READING
Never Let Me Go
Short StoryA 78-year-old woman named Annaliese has been in and out of a hospital for the last couple of years. Her husband, Carlos is a country music fan who came from Mexico with his family since he was young. For the last 7 weeks, Annie has been in a hospit...
