The old man was happy to receive a visitor. He didn't know her, but she was kind. She listened to his stories. How many had he told already? He could not remember. "You know, I used to play in the woods all the time. There was often a girl there as well. Rose, was her name. I was shy and I never dared to speak to her. What if she didn't like me?"
The woman smiled softly.
"Well, I thought: if I pick a rose for Rose, she's bound to like me. So, that's what I did."
"And? Did she like it?"
"That's the thing. She didn't. Rose wasn't happy with my rose at all. She got angry because I shouldn't have plucked it. Can you imagine?"
"I think I can."
"She wasn't angry for very long," the man continued, "and we became friends. There was a place in the woods where I would wait for her. It was quite pretty. There were so many rose bushes. Have you been there?"
The woman nodded.
"We had whole adventures in those woods. We had to escape from all kinds of dangers. And of course, we always did."
One of the nurses entered the room. "Would you like something to drink?"
"A glass of water, please," the woman said.
"I'm telling her about Rose," the man said to the nurse. "Rose, from the woods."
"Oh, yes, you told me about her. I'll be right back."
The woman looked out the window. The rain tapped against the glass. There was a rose in a vase on the windowsill.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The nurse returned with a cup of water and she helped the man take his medicine before leaving again. The woman clasped her hands around her drink.
"Say, what's your name again?" the man asked.
"Rose."
"How funny, a good friend of mine is called that too. I'm sure you'd like her." He pointed at the rose. "She gave that to me. How sweet, don't you think?" His face fell. "I haven't seen her in a long time. Do you think she's angry that I haven't been coming to the woods? Maybe her parents don't want her to go anymore."
The woman put her hand on his. She gently squeezed it. "Something like that."
"If you see her, can you ask her to stop by?"
"I will." She looked at the rose. It had begun to wilt. She had to bring a new one soon.
The nurse appeared in the doorway. "Ma'am, visiting hours are over."
The woman nodded and got up. "Bye," she said, "I'll see you again in the woods."
"The woods..." the man mused. "Maybe Rose will come again today..."
She left with a certain consolation: although he did not know her anymore, she was etched in his memory forever.
