I was born colorblind. My world was literally devoid of colors...until you came.

The first color I recognized was blue, the color of your eyes. Recalling this memory is like travelling back in time to the late 20th century when moving pictures were all shades of grey. The scene was in a small coffee shop, unusually teemed with people at the time. There was a seat opposite mine, and you kindly asked for it. I nodded, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall.

As you opened a book, you noticed me crying. I felt awkward, but then you talked to me. I barely replied in a muffled voice, but you were patient. Somehow, that soothed me. You finally inquired what went wrong; I mumbled detailed lies of how someone broke my heart. You held my hand comfortingly, our eyes interlocking for the first time. I don't know how long it took for the difference to register in my brain, perhaps, in a blink of an eye, your stare suddenly glowed a distinct color that was neither white nor black. To conceal the incessant pounding of my heart, I smiled. And you did too.

The second color you showed me was red, the color of the rose you gave me the second time we met. It was Valentine's Day, and four days ago in the coffee shop you convinced me into going out with you to forget the guy who broke my heart. When night came you drove me home, and at the front door I confessed the lie I told you. Instead of being angry you seemed to be happy that you had no one to contend with for my feelings. At that moment I felt like kissing you goodnight, but then I realized that you were not worth it. I simply thanked you for everything and immediately closed the door. You didn't even bother to ask the real reason why I was crying the day we met.

The next day I faced the reason. I told my doctor what you still didn't know, about the astounding changes that were happening with my eyesight, that I was able to recognize two colors. A moment of gladness radiated from her, but she told me not to keep my hopes up. In a few weeks I will inevitably be completely blind, research doesn't lie.

And yet, I lied to her too. I kept my hopes up; I was ready to disprove her and the long years of study concerning my condition. This lingering hope grew while I was holding your hand while we were passing by a tree and I was finally able to perceive the color of nature. We laid in the grasses beneath the apple tree and unbeknownst to you, I was amazed by the colorful scenery- red apples, green leaves, and the vast blue sky- every color I've ever known right in front of my eyes.

Time flew by. Soon, I was able to recognize all the colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet- in all their forms and hues. It was hard to believe, but they appeared to me in times when I'm with you. In my genuine appreciation of life, I've entirely forgotten about my doctor's diagnosis. I became in touch with photography and arts, things that didn't make sense to me before. Most especially, I became in touch with you. You brought color into my life, be it figuratively or literally. Unfortunately, these colors did not last.

Spring was ending when the colors began to fade. The world's beauty was taken away from me one by one, in a backward manner from the way it was given to me. I froze in front of the mirror; now almost everything else had the same color as my eyes again, a dull combination of grey and white. I braced myself for the undeniable truth, that days from now, I will completely lose my eyesight.

When the only color left that I could see was blue, I told you to meet me at the coffee shop, the place where we first met. I was already crying when you came, and you didn't have to ask. I immediately told you it was the same reason why I was crying the day we met. I told you everything, from the fact that I was born colorblind, to the first time I saw color in your eyes, and the impending darkness that was about to occur in my life. I could tell from your expression that you were both concerned and angry, although you try to hide the latter one.

Then I asked the one question that was begging to be answered.

"Do you still love me?"
You were taken aback.

"I love you." You paused, understanding my dilemma. You held my hand, leaned, kissed me in the forehead and spoke reassuringly.

"Don't worry. The colors may have faded, but my feelings for you did not."

Your gaze concentrated at me, and I drowned in the blueness of your eyes. It was the first and last color I saw.

-06.24.16

Author's note: This is definitely not more or less than 500 words. It's freaking 800+. Maybe I have to think of another title for this collection of short stories.

Btw, I inserted Halsey's "Colors" in the media section. The story was NOT inspired by it in any way; I just love the song and the music video. I've once thought of turning the MV into a short story but that's plagiarism lol.