I was perplexed as I looked down at my lap and wondered what the devil all this garbage was. Movie ticket stubs, a quarter, a couple of buttons, and an old shirt of mine were among the items found. A ring box, some postcards, a small stuffed dog, and a flattened helium balloon with the words "happy birthday" printed on the side all make up the contents of this present.
There were photographs of the two of us together, birthday cards, Christmas cards, and a couple of folded up pieces of paper, in addition to a multitude of other trinkets and trinkets of a similar nature. When I picked up the papers and opened them, I saw some drawings that I'd done when I was a kid, as well as letters that I'd written to her inviting her to come and play. I asked her to come and play with me. There were a few brief notes that I'd recently penned for her, telling her that I loved her and that I'd recently written them.
I looked at her in confusion, wondering why on earth she had kept all of this stuff. It was all just crap that should have been tossed in the trash years ago. “What’s all this?” I questioned, my voice slightly trembling as I tried to hold back the tears that were welling up in my eyes. I wasn't going to let her see me cry in front of her; she hadn't seen me cry since I was nine years old, and I wasn't going to let her see it now either. I refused to cry in front of her.
"That, Henry Williams, is everything significant that has happened to me in my life up to this point," he said. "It's been a long and eventful journey." Everything in there had something to do with you, and I made sure to keep everything there since it holds a lot of significance for me. She said this while her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, indicating that her entire existence up to this moment was contained within the box. "And this," she said, raising her left hand and pointing to the wedding band she was wearing on that finger. "From the moment I was born till the moment I die, this has been my entire life."
Oh my gosh, she's driving me crazy! How might I make it clear to her that by releasing her from our agreement I am acting in her best interest? "Samantha, I…" I was getting started when she interrupted me.
"If you look me square in the eye and tell me that you don't love me, then I will leave this house and never come back. However, you had better make it convincing, Henry, because I always know when you're lying to me," she snarled while challengingly gazing at me.
I took a deep breath and realised that there was no way I could speak those words to her; in fact, there was no way I would ever be able to utter those words to her. "Please, Samantha," I pleaded with her.
"Henry, tell me the truth: do you love me?" She asked me while staring me dead in the eye, and as a tear rolled down her cheek, I felt an overwhelming need to kiss it away.
I was aware that I was unable to deceive her, that I could never force those words out of my mouth, and even if I were able to do so, she knew me much too well and would be able to see through the deception right away.
I told Samantha bear "I will always love you," and I meant every word of it.
She dried her eyes by dabbing the back of her hand against her cheeks, wiping away her tears. She growled angrily through her teeth, "Then don't you dare insult me again by telling me that I don't love you enough for this!" It would be cruel of me to let on that I could tell.
"I am looking out for your best interests. I mumbled to myself, "I'm thinking of you."
She shook her head and asked, "You think that making me miserable and live without my other half is the greatest thing for me? Henry, from whence do you get all of this nonsense? You were always the best thing for me to come along, always! She remarked while smelling very loudly.
It's possible that no longer.
She moved closer to the bed and looked directly into my eyes, which caused my heart rate to quicken. I was relieved that I wasn't connected to the monitor any longer so that she wouldn't be able to tell what was going on. "Will you just quit acting like such a friggin hero? I adore you, and I long to be in your company. If you don't want me, then that's a different problem, but that's not the issue, is it? She inquired while looking at me with anticipation. "You are the meaning of my life, Henry. You have always been, and you will continue to always be."
I took a deep breath as I realised that she was telling the truth; she had always been damn obstinate, and that was one of the qualities that I admired most about her. "You are my life too," I confessed to you in a hushed voice.
When I realised that she would be happy without me, it made me feel like such a selfish person to keep her around. I felt like such a coward for doing this. I should have had the courage to let her live a full life with someone who could give her everything, but I didn't. I allowed my fear keep me from doing the right thing. I was unable to utter those words once again, and I certainly did not have the strength to remove my own heart a second time.
I couldn't help but shut my eyes and savour the feel of her skin against mine as she smiled at me and touched the side of my face. An hour ago, I never imagined I would get the chance to touch her again, so I was making the most of it now. She stroked the side of my face as she smiled. "Stop with all of this nonsense about me abandoning you. Put an end to this conversation over whether or not you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. She scolded him and told him to stop talking about what was best for her.
I hushed to Samantha while staring at her in a begging manner and said, "I don't want this for you."
"I want this for myself," she said as she cupped her palm over the side of my face and gazed directly into my eyes. I want you. That is the pledge that we made to one other: for better or for worse, until death do us part. And as far as I can tell, you are still among us."
“Barely.”
She gave me a pleasant smile and said, "Barely is enough for me, Henry," as she gently brushed her thumb over my lower lip.
"However, I would like to be the one to look after your needs. Samantha, you have earned the right to have someone look out for you; it should not be the other way around. It has always been my responsibility to look after you, as it is the role of a husband.
She gave me a grin and shook her head at me while saying, "Henry, I love you more than anything else in the world." She murmured, "I'll love you until the end of time, and as a pair, it's our responsibility to look out for one another." I could see that she truly didn't want to leave by the look in her eyes; they were blazing into mine, which made me feel a flutter of hope in my breast. She wanted me regardless of whether or not I used a wheelchair.
I was at a loss for words because I truly did have the most incredible girl in the world, and I cherished her with every fibre of my being. I only prayed that the modified version of myself would be enough to satisfy her, and that I would be enough to make her happy.
I pushed her hand away from my face and intertwined our fingers while simultaneously searching for the wedding band that I had placed there earlier. I was at a complete loss for what to say to her, I had nothing, and not even a single thought was passing through my head. I was speechless. My thoughts kept going back to her, how stunning her face was, and how much I cherished and required her presence.
Henry, I need you to repeat after me those five words exactly. She spoke to me in an imploring tone while staring at me intently and said, "I need to hear it right now."
Wow, my girl was being rather demanding; wasn't it typically the case that a girl only needed to hear three words? I gave her a mocking smile and asked, "Five words? Oh, I see, so you're saying, "Go get me some sweets," right?" I laughed, returning to the lighthearted tone that characterised our connection.
She smiled, shook her head, and bit her lip as she climbed onto the bed next to me, crushing the most of the garbage that she had hurled at me when she first entered the room.
I widened my grin and said, "Jelly doughnuts are the best, so there?" I made the offer.
She laughed and gazed directly into my eyes as she did so. She teased me by raising one eyebrow and saying, "If you don't get it right this time, I'm never kissing you again," as she threatened me.
I gave her a playful grin and put one hand behind her head, pulling her closer to me until our lips were on the verge of making contact. My lungs were flooded with her aroma, which caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand on end with excitement. I uttered the words "I love you, Samantha bear" in a hushed tone.
It appeared as though she was releasing a sigh of relief. "I love you as well, Henry," she said.
I clenched my hand around the nape of her neck and pulled her mouth roughly toward mine as I brought it closer. I was almost desperate for reassurance, so I kissed her so hard that it was probably painful for her lips, but I couldn't help it. She did not protest or pull away, but rather did the opposite: she pressed her body against my side and kissed me with the same level of intensity as before.
I didn't let go of her hair; I just held her close to me like she was the only thing holding me to this earth. She pulled her mouth slightly away from mine and pressed her forehead to mine as we both gasped for air. I didn't let go of her hair; I just held her close to me like she was the only thing holding me to this earth. In point of fact, she has always given me the impression that she is in that position, as though she is the very centre of my world and the reason I am here.
I leaned down close to Samantha Williams and murmured, "I love you."
She made a very tiny retreat and shook her head as she addressed Samantha Thomas. She winked at me while making a teasing face and said, "If you want me to be Mrs. Williams, then you'll have to marry me again."
I let out a soft laugh as I thought about how much I would love to marry her again. There were parts of our wedding in Las Vegas that were a little hazy because of the alcohol, and I would love to have another shot at it so that I could memorise every detail of the day I became the luckiest man in the world. I would love to have another shot at it because there were parts of our wedding in Las Vegas that were a little hazy because of the alcohol.