Short Romance Stories

He's gone

       Samantha sat nervously in the waiting room of the hospital. It had been hours since she had seen her boyfriend, Jake, being wheeled into the operating room for his surgery. The love of her life had been battling a serious heart condition for a while, and this surgery was supposed to be the answer to all their prayers.

As she fidgeted with her hands, she couldn't help but replay the last few moments she had spent with Jake before he went into surgery. They had shared a laugh, promised each other that everything was going to be okay, and exchanged "I love you's" before the doctors whisked him away. Samantha couldn't wait for the surgery to be over so that she could see her boyfriend again, hold his hand and tell him how much she missed him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out and gave her the good news. Jake had made it through the surgery and was in recovery. Tears of relief and joy streamed down Samantha's face as she thanked the doctor. A nurse came and guided Samantha to Jake's room on the third floor.

As she entered the room, she saw Jake lying in bed, his chest still slightly moving up and down from the anesthesia. She couldn't believe that the man she loved was finally okay. After all the sleepless nights and worry, she could finally see him smile again.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Samantha teased as she approached Jake's bedside.

Jake's eyes fluttered open and a smile spread across his face. "Hey, beautiful," he murmured, his voice still groggy from the anesthesia.

Samantha took a seat next to Jake's bed and held his hand. They talked for hours, catching up on everything they had missed out on during the past few weeks. They laughed and joked with each other, grateful to be together again. As the afternoon sun started to set, Samantha knew that she had to leave soon. Visiting hours would be over and Jake needed his rest.

"I hate to leave you, but I'll be back tomorrow, I promise," Samantha said, giving Jake's hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'll be waiting," Jake replied with a wink.

Samantha reluctantly got up and planted a kiss on Jake's forehead. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," Jake replied, his eyes closing as he drifted off to sleep.

Once Samantha left the hospital, she could barely contain her excitement. She called Jake's parents, her parents, and all their friends to share the good news. She couldn't wait for Jake to come home and for them to start their life together again.

That night, as Samantha lay in bed, she couldn't help but think about all the plans they had for their future. She was awoken out of her sleep by her phone ringing. It was the hospital. Her heart started racing as she answered the call, thinking that something had gone wrong with Jake.

But what the doctor on the other end of the line told her was something she could have never prepared herself for. Jake had passed away due to complications from the surgery.

Samantha couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was in shock. Just a few hours ago, she had been laughing and joking with the man she loved, and now he was gone. She felt her world collapsing around her.

She couldn't even bring herself to go to the hospital. She couldn't face the reality of Jake's death. Instead, she curled up in bed and cried until she had no tears left. She couldn't believe that he was gone, that she would never see him again, never hold him again.

Days turned into weeks and Samantha could barely function. She had lost the love of her life, her best friend, her everything. She couldn't imagine a life without Jake. Everything reminded her of him – the park where they had their first date, the café where they used to spend hours talking, the pillows they snuggled under on cold nights.

But as the weeks went by, Samantha realized that Jake wouldn't want her to fall apart. He would want her to be strong and carry on with their dreams and plans. She remembered their conversations in the hospital, where Jake had told her to be strong for him, to never give up.

With a determination she didn't know she had, Samantha started to pick up the pieces of her life. She went back to work, started exercising again, and started smiling more. She knew that she would never truly heal from the loss of Jake, but she could honor his memory by living the life they had always dreamed of.

So as she sat in the park on a bench that held so many memories for her and Jake, she smiled through her tears and whispered, "Thank you, Jake, for every moment we shared." And she knew that in some way, Jake was still with her, guiding her and loving her from above.