The veracity of her claims was proven by the unusual darkness and bagginess under her eyes. She was still the most beautiful person to me... But she looked beyond exhausted, undeniably so. Staring at her, I thought about the concept of 'unconditional love,' about prioritizing her wishes over my own.

After a long, tense while of me mulling over everything, I nodded in acquiescence and she looked relieved. In truth, it wasn't enough. Maybe someday. But for now, all I could do was learn how to live within the confines of reality, within the circumstances of existence. "'Some things are more precious because they don't last long,' right?"

"You're seriously...