Tears slid down his face as he watched each breath pass through her lips.

“Tell me,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

“Tell you what?” He choked out.

“Tell me all your regrets, your darkest secret, the reason you’re here with tears in your eyes,” she sighed. “Please.”

“I wish we had more time,” he began, tearing his eyes away from her. “I wasted every second I could have had with you. The first time I saw you, I knew I would never be the same. I shouldn’t have pushed you away. I was stupid.”

She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling before speaking. “You weren’t stupid. Just scared.”

“No, I was stupid. You were the one for me and I just kept pushing you away. And now…” The tears stopped his words.

She took one more breath, then all was silent.

He looked at her once more, saw the peace on her face. Was it just enough that he had been there? Did she now know his darkest secret? He could only hope.

“I should have told you a long time ago,” he whispered. “And now I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”