The hospital room was still and quiet, except for the soft beeping of the heart monitor. David sat beside Maylie's bed, his eyes heavy with sleeplessness, but more than that grief. Tears clung to his lashes like fragile glass, waiting to fall. His hands trembled as he reached out and gently took hers into his palms.
Maylie opened her tired eyes, instantly sensing something was wrong.
"David…" she whispered. "What's going on? Why do you look like that? Did the doctor say something?"
He couldn't speak. His gaze dropped to the floor.
"Hey… look at me," she said, softly but firmly. "Don't do this. Talk to me."
David slowly raised his eyes to meet hers—and the tears finally broke loose.
"David… you're scaring me," she said, worry blooming in her chest. "Please. Say something."
He collapsed into her arms, burying his face into her shoulder, gripping her as if she'd vanish. His voice cracked.
"The doctor… he said… you have cancer."
Maylie froze. "What?"
He nodded, unable to breathe properly.
"Cancer?" she repeated, barely audible. "There… there must be treatment, right? Right? Don't cry like this."
David clutched her waist tighter, shaking. "There is no treatment… not anymore."
Her lips trembled. "W-What do you mean… not anymore?"
"You've been suffering from this for more than four years. It… it went undetected. It's in the final stage now."
A silence fell between them a silence heavy with despair. Maylie's breath caught in her throat. For a moment, she was hollow.
"How long?" she asked at last, her voice barely a whisper.
David looked away. "Four… maybe five months."
Maylie wiped her tears slowly, inhaling sharply. "That's enough," she whispered. "Enough to celebrate Harry's first birthday. Enough to be here for our ninth anniversary. Enough… to love you while I still can."
David broke. He held her again, this time without words. They stayed like that tangled in each other, drowning in the kind of grief only true love understands.
After they were discharged, David tucked her into bed with tender care.
"Just rest, love. I'll handle everything," he whispered, brushing her hair away from her forehead.
"Welcome back," Lara greeted with a small smile.
"Thanks, Lara. Where's Harry?"
"He just fell asleep."
Maylie nodded. "Can you bring some food? I'm starving."
"No need to set the table," David added. "Just bring it here, please."
"Of course, sir."
Later that night, they shared a quiet dinner in their room. David requested Lara to stay with Harry that night. The rest of their evening passed in silence and soft touches, each one more sacred than the last.
The Days That Followed
The days blurred into each other. Maylie spent most of her time with Harry and Miss Dora. Her bond with them only grew deeper. She smiled for their sake, laughed even, but the tiredness beneath her eyes told another story. David, who had always been strong, was now a man walking on glass, each moment fearing the crack.
Miss Dora treated Maylie like the daughter she never had always by her side, combing her hair, feeding her fruits, or helping her read stories to Harry. Even Lara became more than a servant she was family now.
But time… time doesn't wait for healing hearts.
The Birthday Whisper
It was the 15th of the month the beginning of Maylie's fourth and final month.
As they sat at the breakfast table, Maylie looked up, her eyes bright despite the weight in her chest.
"Only five days left till Harry's birthday," she said softly. "I want his first birthday to be magical."
David looked at her, then nodded with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "We'll make it perfect."
Miss Dora beamed. "Of course we will. After all, our baby deserves it."
Preparations began. The house filled with the sound of balloons being blown up, laughter echoing from the living room, and the smell of cake and warm spices. It was a house trying its best to outrun sorrow.
The Gift of Goodbye
On the morning of Harry's birthday, David awoke to find the bed empty again. He rushed outside, heart racing, and found Maylie sitting in the backyard, holding Harry in her lap, her eyes distant.
He stopped at the door and listened.
"My little love," she whispered to Harry, "I'm so sorry… Mommy has to leave soon. But your dad and grandma will take care of you. You're so lucky to have them."
Tears fell down her cheeks as she kissed his forehead. "I'm here with you for your first birthday… and I won't be here for the next. But I'll watch you from above. Grow into a man like your father, okay? Kind. Brave. Loving. Just like him."
David turned away, tears blinding him, and quietly walked back inside. When Maylie entered the room, she found him sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to hold himself together.
Without a word, she dropped Harry into the cot and wrapped her arms around him.
"Don't cry today," she said, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "Not today. It's our baby's day."
The Celebration
The house was full of guests and color. Laughter filled every corner, but David's eyes never left Maylie. She was glowing, dressed in soft lavender, her hair braided by Miss Dora.
After the cake was cut and the candles were blown, Maylie knelt beside Harry and took out a small velvet box. Inside was a locket—heart-shaped—with a tiny photograph of the three of them tucked inside.
She placed it around Harry's neck. "This is my heart, Harry," she whispered. "Carry it with you always."
David watched her, eyes glistening. He knew this would be the last time they celebrated as a whole family.
A Promise for Tomorrow
Later that night, they returned to their room. Maylie cradled Harry as he fell asleep.
"David," she said, "promise me something."
"Anything."
"Raise him with love. With gentleness. Make him kind like you. Strong like you. Let him know how much I loved him… how much I loved you."
David kissed Harry's forehead, then leaned over and kissed hers.
"I'll tell him everything," he whispered. "That his mother was the strongest woman I ever knew. That she taught me what love truly means. That her smile made the darkest days shine. I'll never let him forget you."
They both smiled through tears.
"I want him to be your copy, David. A man who loves with his whole soul."
David wrapped his arms around her. "Then we'll raise him… with all the love you've given me."
They stayed like that for a long time, in a quiet embrace two hearts counting borrowed time, and a love that would last far beyond the final good bye.