The rain outside had softened into a gentle drizzle, leaving droplets clinging to the window like tiny memories. Violet rested her head against the cool glass, tracing a finger along the streaks as if she could follow each one back to a happier time.
Ethan sat beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. His hand found hers again, intertwining their fingers.
"Do you remember that picnic by the lake?" he asked softly, a small, wistful smile tugging at his lips.
Violet's lips curved upward, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "How could I forget? You tried to cook, and almost burned the sandwiches." She chuckled quietly, the sound fragile but real.
"I did not almost burn them," Ethan protested lightly, though the corners of his mouth betrayed him. "They were… slightly charred. But it was the thought that counted, right?"
She laughed again, the sound mingling with the soft patter of rain. "The thought counted. And you… you always made it special, even when everything went wrong."
Ethan brushed a damp strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "Violet… I wish we could go back to those days. When life was simple, and we didn't have to worry about… all of this." His voice cracked slightly on the last word.
She looked at him, the vulnerability in his gray eyes mirrored her own. "I wish that too. I wish we could laugh without a clock ticking over our heads, without the hospital keeping time for us."
He squeezed her hand. "Then let's make a new memory right now. Here. Us. Just… this moment."
Violet leaned into him, letting herself feel the warmth of his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "Sometimes… I'm scared, Ethan," she admitted in a whisper. "Scared that one day I'll… disappear, and you'll be left here…"
"You're not going anywhere," he said firmly, though his own voice wavered. "I don't care what the world says. I'm here. I'm not going to leave you. Not ever."
Tears welled in Violet's eyes, but she smiled through them, a fragile, trembling thing. "It's just… unfair. Life can be so cruel. But when I'm with you, I forget… even for a moment… that anything else exists."
Ethan pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "And that's enough. That has to be enough. Every moment with you… it's a lifetime to me."
They sat like that for a long while, speaking in whispers, sharing memories, small hopes, dreams they had never said aloud. A melody from an old song, the scent of rain, the memory of a summer sunset—all became threads weaving their hearts closer together.
Violet sighed softly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Promise me something," she murmured. "Promise me we won't let fear steal our moments. Even when the days feel endless… even when it hurts… we'll still hold on."
Ethan held her tighter, voice thick with emotion. "I promise. Every day. Through every storm, through every tear… I'll be here. Always."
Outside, the drizzle lightened into mist, and pale sunlight broke through the gray clouds. The world seemed softer, quieter, as if it were giving them this fragile, fleeting peace. Inside the hospital room, Violet and Ethan clung to each other, knowing that while time was uncertain, love—real, unyielding love—was theirs.