The End

July 13, 2024

I’d spent the morning in her recovery room. After two weeks she was finally moved out of the ICU and into a regular room. The rarity of Americans contracting malaria had thrown the hospital for a massive loop. The relief at her being moved out of the ICU set me floating all the way to the hospital. She was fine aside from a light cough.

I was covetous of every second I got to spend with her alone that morning. I breathed her in… she smelled of sterile hospital and Jen. I kissed her, I made her laugh, I talked about what comes next for us. She listened. She smiled a lot. She said not much. She took the back of my head into her hand every time I kissed her, her fingers dancing with my hair. As I pulled away her hand would slide across the side of my face.

Her family showed up. Her best friend, Eve showed up. Everyone wanted their time with her. I thought the best thing, the only fair thing, was to leave her so they could each get alone time with their child and best friend. Our fingers w…