Leave Before You Love Me

HEART

A year later...

Ann is sitting on the grass with a bouquet of fresh flowers in her hand.

"Just like I promised, I brought another set of fresh and beautiful flowers. You know what I think? Maybe I can just plant some flowers around here, so I won't have to buy every time I visit you here." She chuckled while talking to the headstone in front of her.

She sighs and closes her eyes, feeling the gust of wind like it's trying to embrace her. "Are you behaving there?" She asks no one, cleaning up the dried weeds and flowers. "You better be– oh, and I have something for you. I know I'm gonna get in trouble, but I got us some drinks." The doctor whispers as if someone would hear her being mischievous, taking out a bottle of alcohol and two shot glasses on her backpack.

Ann poured the clear drink on the two glasses, the other one, she put beside the headstone. She chugs the drink, almost grimacing at the taste. "Maxine is going to scold me for drinking here with you in the middle of the day, but what she doesn't know won't kill her."

The doctor comes to visit once or twice a week, whenever she's free, this is the other place where she finds solace. It's almost like a routine now, adding this to the list of things that she had to do, not taking it as an obligation to do so but it was something she loves doing and knowing that she's fulfilling a promise, it's all that matters.

"Hmmm.. where were we about my story last time? Was it about Chatnalin getting married out of nowhere? She just came to work one morning and then she announced to everyone who's working with us she just got hitched and she was tipsy." She giggles, while shaking her head.

"I know what you're going to say, maybe it's time for me to, you know... but I'm not rushing. I still have so many things planned, and I want to enjoy life. Not that being married is going to be a burden, and I'm not scared- it's just when the right time comes, it will and maybe I will be more than ready to do it."

A lot has happened within the year, a mix of elation and love, heartbreaks, lots of heartbreaks that she thought she wouldn't be able to survive. Life must go on, it should always go on even when there were times that she thought she couldn't bear all of it once.

Seeing the love of her life suffering, for witnessing her pain as she fights to be alive. "It's all good now, you don't have to worry anymore." She muttered through the wind quietly. The doctor checked the time on her wristwatch and slowly stood up. "I have to go, don't worry, I will be back and next time I'll bring the entire gang with me. I love you."

—

A year ago...

Anntonia has always been stubborn. All her life, from her parents, to her brother, to everyone that even tries to stop her from being one; they won't win. Not because she wanted to prove to everyone that what she wants for herself will never cause her harm, but solely because it's what she thinks will make her happy.

Well, not until she found her match. One that is pretty determined on pushing her away, because the said match is sick and they just don't want to see her suffer and see what they're going through.

It hurt when she was asked to walk away, it's a very crucial decision for her to make on whether she's going to abide by what was asked of her, "a dying girl's wish". There's a part of her that knows Michelle will use that card to make her go away, but every ounce of her is screaming to not fulfil that.

She knows this now, Michelle loves her. It never wavered nor changed, if anything, it became stronger than before. Ann can feel that love through the bones, not because Michelle kisses her, part of it, could be. It's the way she thinks of Anntonia's betterment more than hers, and Ann will not let her decide for them. She will be by her side no matter how many times Michelle will try to turn her away. She'll give it a day though, as much as she wanted to see her face at this very minute, her body needed to rest.