It was so fast…
The man's consciousness seemed to fade with each passing second. Blood flowed from the many wounds on his skin, his broken bones preventing movement and causing unbearable pain. This was without a doubt the most agonizing moment he had ever endured—but not as much as the feeling of death closing in.
Is human life really this fragile? Just a few seconds are enough to erase someone's story?
A simple mistake would cost a person's life. It was so fast… so brutal… but it was reality. But what hurt the most was the state the woman in front of him was. Tears… so many of them, but even as the suffering could be seen in her face, she never looked away from him.
A tear seemed to fall from the man's eyes as he spoke to the young woman. Holding her hand was all he could do; he no longer had the strength to hold on.
"I-I-I… wasn't the best person, but I hope that at least I could make you truly smile…"
His wounds hurt terribly, he was on the verge of collapsing, both physically and mentally. The voices of the people who had seen everything, the sound of the ambulance approaching, the snow covering his belongings scattered on the asphalt, the cold of that December night—all of it only wore him down further. All he wanted was silence, all he wanted was to keep holding her hand, the only source of comfort he had left.
"I-I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
That was all she kept saying to him. He knew this was his last moment with her, the woman who had changed who he was, who had turned him into someone better. It was his last moment with her, and in a way, he knew how much that moment would stay in her mind. It was supposed to be a happy time, finally they had both taken a vacation and decided to travel to another country. Traveling, enjoying, seeing snow... be happy.
But then something had to happen... A drunk driver or maybe he was just distracted... Honestly... It doesn't matter. When he realized that she was going to be hit, he didn't hesitate. He pushed her with everything he had and... and... What happened next? Oh yes, he was run over.
Sometimes I'm amazed at her ability to think that everything is her fault…
He loved her, they had been together since they were teenagers and had been through everything together. Losses, achievements, tears and laughter, first times. It was with him that she learned to love herself, it was with her that he understood that he wanted a family.
It was with him that she had her first time, and with her that he had his first kiss. It was with him that she hugged when she lost her uncle. It was with her that he cried when he lost his father. He was the one she searched for when she had difficulty playing video-games, And she was the one he showed the new songs he liked.. She was the first person he told when he got into the university he wanted to go to and he was the one who supported her when she didn't get into law on the first try.
And now... All that would become just memories... And he wanted it to be like that. He wanted, with all his heart, for her to get back on her feet. He knew it would be painful for her at first and that it might take a while, but he wanted her to continue life. Maybe find a new love... Have children... Grow old together... Yes, he was definitely jealous of the lucky bastard, but to love is also to know that sometimes you have to let go. Even if he just became a background memory for her, he would be happy.
All in all, it was a good life.
His consciousness was fading, everything was getting dark. He was about to faint from the pain when he heard:
"I-It's all right…"
She held his hand tightly.
"You tried your best. I couldn't be more proud of you."
A smile formed on his face.
"That's… it…"
She spoke one last thing before everything ended, before his eyelids closed, before his senses shut down, before he fell into the world of darkness—the last words she spoke to him:
"I love you…"