Love is something more than what can be expressed with a few deep words written on paper. It is more than an anniversary card’s written tale and can be expressed in many ways; even if they are as simple as being by their side. With that, I ask you not to judge my story, but to embrace the love Daniel and I shared.

You see he was twenty-two and I was merely a sophomore in high school at the soon to be age, seventeen. We met at a party my cousin, Ann, was throwing. Her best friend, Tessa whom I am good friends with as well, brought her cousin along, Daniel. They lived in the cities while I lived down south in a small village with a population of 167. Automatically the odds were not in our favor.

I remember the day like it was just yesterday. I got there and Ann had already ditched me to entertain her overbearing boyfriend, Jack. Suddenly, Tessa had walked in the front door. Thank God, I thought, someone that I actually know, but a boy had been walking next to her. Is that her boyfriend? I don’t remember her posting that on Facebook.

“Hey Jamie!” Tessa said embracing me with a big hug. I hugged her back.

“Hey Tessa, is this your new boyfriend? I don’t ever.” I said getting cut off.

“Ha! No, this is my cousin, Daniel.” I looked at him up and down, checking him out of course, and I realized he was quite skinny and had brown blots on his skin and over his arms and up his neck. He had brown short hair and was about as tall as me. I looked away flushed without his acknowledgment.

“Hey, my name is Jamie.” I said blushing.

“Hey, I’m Derek.” He relied and there was a bit of a pause and then he asked, “Would you like to go somewhere to talk that is quitter?”

I tried to hold back my excitement with, “Sure!” We sat on the couch in the office room, listening to the music that surrounded us. “So, what are you into?” I said.

“Well, I love math and I and I am actually an A.I.D. at this town’s school. I love playing ultimate Frisbee, video games, and I like to watch superhero movies.” He replied.

“No way, I’m actually terrible at math, but ultimate Frisbee is pretty great, and I am so excited for The Avengers to come out to theaters. The Green Lantern is my favorite.”

“Mine is Iron Man.”
“Yeah, that’s the name of my car since its red and is a Dodge Avenger.”
“Oh that’s awesome; I actually do not know many girls that are into that stuff.”
“I’m not like many girls.” I said smiling at him.
Just then I had one of those glistening moments where time becomes endless and only one thought could be processed and that thought was; this man is without a doubt is my soul mate. He quickly turned around and gave me a kiss. “I’ve wanted to do that for a while now.” He said looking away with a smile.
My breath was taken away and I could not believe what had just happened. He then sneezed and instead of saying, “Bless you” I had the nerve to say, “Whoa, don’t get me sick.” in a joking way.
He then said, “No worries, I’m incommunicable.”
Right then and there, of all times to have a moment, it was then. “Huh?”
“I have had cancer before when I was six-teen and it just went completely away a few months ago. That’s why you see these blotches on my skin and why I’m so skinny.”
I was in awe, “Oh I see. . .”
“Yeah, but I hate sympathy. I am twenty-two, an adult, and just because I have had cancer does not mean I should be treated differently.”
“I know and I see where you are coming from. I was not trying to give you sympathy . . . just shocked that you are that strong.” To what I thought had ruined the night had actually brought us closer; even our age difference. For a while it was hard to have a romantic relationship, but finally it had gotten to the point here it was just a number. We had acted like soul mates with lost time. One day, Daniel had been ignoring my texts and soon my calls. Then, I received a call from Tessa. Daniel was in the hospital for his lungs and it was fatal.
I dropped the phone and grabbed my keys, running to my car, I had to see him. Even now I barely remember the trip to the hospital. All I could think of was what happened and if I would be too late. The last thing that he said to me was, “I love you” for the first time on our last night call. When I arrived at the hospital, Ann, Tessa, and Daniel’s family had already been there, waiting. I looked at them and I busted out crying, it had been his lungs. I knew he was weak, but I did not know how much.
The doctor came walking down the hall which seemed like a mile, he had a glum expression and I knew. My legs gave out and I fell to the floor. The doctor said, “I’m sorry, Daniel’s lungs crashed last night and he was not rushed in time, nor did he have enough strength to-” No, I will not feel sympathy, but I will mourn my loss forever more. “-But his heart did not stop pumping.”