• She hesitated, not wanting to write at first for fear of the contents coming true. She put her face in her hands and looked up at the computer screen, hoping to see a sign from a higher power. She didn't anything except the occasional shudder. She sighed. Then she picked up the keyboard and got comfortable, a look of serious determination in her eyes, ready to take on the possible consequences.

    Fifteen Minutes to Live, An Eternity to Love
    Breathing as evenly as she could manage in her weakened condition, she smiled as wide as she could for the man she loved. Tears lined her eyes as she spoke to him, stroking his hand in an attempt to comfort him.
    "I have a CD for you in my drawer; you can ask the nurse for it. I sure can't reach it right now." She tried to sound a little funny to lighten the mood, but guessed it wasn't working very well. He bowed his head down, hiding any emotions on his face from her. Kaena leaned forward as far as she could and tilted his chin up with one pale, weak finger. She could almost see her face mirrored in his eyes, and it wasn't a pretty sight. She was ghostly pale and she looked as though a lifetime of sleep could not rest her well enough. She cringed, hoping he didn't see what she did.
    "You can't leave me here." She heard him mumble through tears. "I just found you and I thought I was gonna die first from lung cancer or something!" He started crying furiously, not caring there were also two of their friends in the room. Marie walked over and hugged her lightly, trying not to hurt her and Jack did the same.
    "We have to get going.. There's a- erm-" Kaena nodded gently, understanding they didn't want to intrude on the moment. They wiped tears from their eyes and left the room, quietly closing the door behind them. Michael looked at Kaena for a long moment, finally taking a deep breath and letting it out so he could talk.
    "There's so much I want to say to you, so much I want to ask. I'm not ready for this!" He said helplessly. His shoulders fell a bit more and he crouched with posture that any fine British woman would fall on the floor and cry over, smearing their makeup on their carefully pressed clothes. She smiled a very understanding smile that made her look a little less tired for a short moment, made her look like a caring, nurturing mother.
    "I know, baby boo." She faintly giggled at the old nickname. "I love you, and I'll always be with you, no matter what happens." He looked down for a moment in sadness then looked up again. She was covered in tubes and such things to keep her alive. They were going to take them out, one by one, in less than thirty minutes. They said it was a miracle she was even conscious with her white cell count and some other doctor garbage. He couldn't decide what to do. He wanted to hold her, to kiss her, to take her out to dinner one more time, to tickle her one more time, to see her smile that endless grin that always made him happy he was alive, to fall asleep holding her tight and listen to her breathing and see the pure look on her face. He couldn't imagine life without her. He laid down on her stomach for a few minutes, letting tears slide from his eyes and soak her hospital gown in pained silence.
    Finally he sat up, took another deep breath and gulped, trying in vain to swallow enough of his tears to speak. He stood up on the side of the bed and bent down on one knee. Kaena's heartbeat stopped for a few beats and it scared the both of them. He gulped again, trying to dry up the tears threatening to spill over, and looked at her.
    "Kaena, will you marry me?" He asked, holding out a black velvet box. His hand shook as he held it open.
    "Michael, I only have about fifteen minutes to live! Now you want me to marry you?" He nodded. She held out her hand and allowed him to put the ring on it. Three months ago, it would have fit her perfectly, but her fingers were so shrunken, she looked anorexic and almost on Death's doorstep. She looked at the ring quietly and finally held out her arms for a hug. She whispered into his ear as they hugged.
    "How did you know I was going to ask you?" She breathed almost inaudibly.
    "I found the ring last month in your jewelry box when you asked me to bring you that necklace your mom gave you. You bought it two days before I picked up yours." He confessed.
    "Oh, I left the receipt in there, didn't I? That was months ago, Michael. Why did it take you so long?" He shrugged.
    "All I know is that I want to be married to you before the line between life and death separates us." She smiled again at him, hugging him closer and giving him a long kiss on the cheek. A priest came through the door. Marie and Jack joined him, wearing their wedding day best. Michael was already wearing a plain white shirt and some jeans. Kaena looked down and saw this and laughed.
    "You always said you were going to get married in jeans." She spit out just before she started coughing. The priest stood at the end of the bed, expectantly and Michael waved a hand for all three to join them. Marie and Jack stood on the right side of the bed and the priest and Michael stood on her left side. The wedding vows they had written years ago were suddenly sitting on Kaena's lap and in a blur, they were both swiftly read aloud. Rings were exchanged and the kiss, then they signed the document. The priest chuckled and looked at the best man and maid of honor.
    "I now present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Michael." Everyone giggled and he pulled out a cake. Congratulations, Kaena and Michael was written on it in icing. Kaena smiled and ate one bite, the one the groom traditionally gives the bride, and vice versa.

    There was a brisk knock on the door and the doctor unceremoniously entered, looking flushed and anxiously checking his gold watch every few seconds. Everyone froze and looked up at the clock. He was ten minutes late. Michael dropped his fork and flung himself on Kaena, bawling.
    "No!! She's all I have in this world! I can't let you do it, I just can't, I love her too much!" He babbled between tears. The doctor tried to have two nurses lead him away but Kaena stopped him gently with a wave of her hand.
    "Certainly, I'd love for my husband to be the last person I see in this life, but it is his choice and if you don't mind too much, I'd like him to make it, no one else." She said quietly. The doctor nodded and the nurses let Michael go. He returned to Kaena's side instantly. The doctor set to work, turning off all the machines and Kaena could feel Michael's heart working harder and harder. Just as they turned off the last machine, Wink burst through the door with his uncle, aunt and cousin. Marie and Jack jumped, trying to hold them back but Wink dragged a chair to Kaena's bed and offered her an infant.
    "Since you're dying, we thought you should see Michael and your baby before you go." He said in his quaint eight year old voice. Daena was peering gravely over the bars of the bed, looking at Kaena. Everyone excused themselves from the room, except the doctor and Michael. Kaena held her baby close, tears starting up again. Michael crawled up on the bed and held them both for a long time while Kaena's strength slowly faded to nothing. She pulled off her necklace and put her wedding ring on it, wrapping it around the baby's neck twice before it fit him. She kissed his forehead tenderly and told him not to forget his mommy. The only machine still hooked up to her was the one measuring her heartbeat and it flat lined in ten minutes. Michael slept there for a few hours with the baby, even after Kaena had gone cold before he finally allowed his friends to take him home.

    ONE YEAR LATER:
    Michael's baby was walking everywhere, giggling endlessly and babbling away to his heart's content. He ran up to his daddy and played with the ring on his finger for the billionth time. He still wore the necklace his mommy had given him in her last moments. Michael was astounded it hadn't broken yet.
    "Boo! Come to daddy!" He held out his arms and little Boo came running, almost tripping over his own feet.
    "DADADADADADADA!!" He nearly screamed in joy. He picked up his little boy and hugged him close, mouth crinkling up at the corners when he felt Boo pressing his head into the little nook his shoulder and neck made. Lately, he had been sleeping a little better, but refused to let Boo sleep anywhere else except in the big bed with him. He had kept all the nice sheets out on the bed, the soft midnight blue ones that Kaena loved to lounge on with her little family in her penguin pajamas. That bedroom was his one safe haven that he could be with Kaena for eight hours a night and not feel like he had lost her for a little bit.
    That night, Michael and Boo fell asleep on the bed and just as Michael got up to turn off the lights and get a glass of water, Boo rolled over, sat up, and looked him right in the eyes. Michael's heart stopped; he swore his son sounded just like his wife.
    "Take good care of Boo, Michael. He loves you as much as you loved me. I'm still here, as I promised. I love you." Boo fell over and started snoring again, like nothing had happened. Michael sat down on the edge of the bed, stunned. A breeze blew through the window, ruffling his blonde hair and sweeping Boo's hair across his forehead to hide his face. He was starting to look just like his mother, with those almond eyes and the brunette head covered in natural auburn streaks. Michael closed his eyes and enjoyed the breeze, letting himself fall back onto the bed, forgetting about the lights and water. He held his son and fell asleep. Within moments, he felt someone holding him tightly, like the thin arms of his wife when they first met. That unforgettable hug always got him crazy about her all over again. It never grew old. He smiled in his sleep when he heard Boo's first sentence: "I love you, mommy and daddy."


    Kaena set the short story in her desk drawer, underneath the board, hoping the sad story wouldn't come true. Michael brought the baby into the study with a bright smile in his eyes.
    "Watch this." He said to her, delight in his voice. "Peek a boo.." He babbled to his son.
    "BOO!" The baby said. Kaena grinned.
    "You know, he's only four months old... He shouldn't be able to talk yet."
    "Aww, it's just a noise. Besides, I was thinking I could call him Boo.. Seems to be his new favorite word." He chuckled. Kaena reached over and ruffled the baby's hair.
    "Boo it is." She said and kissed him on the chubby little hand. "You're mommy's little boy, huh, baby Boo?" She looked up at Michael and laughed when he raised his eyebrow at her.
    "Heyy now.." He said defensively. She stood up and kissed him on the cheek.
    "But I thought you didn't like that nickname, baby." She said, teasing him. He shrugged and let his eyes wander. She grinned again. "Oh, I love both my babies so much!"

    The next day, Kaena went in for a routine checkup, one for her and one for Boo. That was the day she became very acquainted with the last doctor she would ever know, as well as the day fate's wheels started turning much too quickly. She was told had malignant cancer that had already spread too much and was quickly making her body surrender. The doctor gave her ten to twelve weeks.
    One month later, she put the story in her suitcase, knowing the end was close. As soon as she got to the room, it went in her drawer with a DVD she made of all the pictures and video she had of her little family.