Like a whisper in the shadows, a gentle touch in a time of sorrow, the wind blew softly against my exposed cheeks. The tears had long since fallen down the slippery planes of my face, leaving a crisp feel against the cooling breeze. I peered across the shopping district, hands in my pockets as my eyes wandered through all the shimmering glass and excited crowds. It had been a while since I'd been in a place that contained such a large capacity of people and the slight shiver of anxiety reminded me of that fact.

Anything for him.

I walked through the throng of giggling girls, all encircling windows encasing glittering goods. Bouquets and chocolates were all my eyes could find to my great astonishment. Perhaps it was foolish of me to assume I'd find anything less on a day like this.

I took a deep breath as I ran a shaking hand through my hair.

What was I going to get him in this seemingly land of flowers and wrapped chocolates?

I awoke this morning to my love sleeping soundly, a calm awakening until I had seen a nurse passing by the door with a box of chocolates and the concept of Valentine's day's arrival hit me square in the face. After spending as long as we had in the hospital, I had long since lost track of the days, each day seemed to flow into the next like an endless cycle of doctor's visits and tears.

The doctors had long since debriefed me through the forbidden things I were to bring into his room. Plants and flowers can harbor fungal spores that place him at risk for an infection; a chance I wasn't willing to take. And chocolate was in comparison to spoiled milk in my love's eyes, making Valentine's day but a mind-spinning day finding the perfect gift for my beautiful love.

I passed a jewelry shop and was tempted to walk in and buy him something sparkly just to get this over with and return to his side. Being so far from his warmth was practically painful. I had left my heart with him and it was beginning to get hard to breathe, but I knew if I were to return with something expensive and shimmering, he would grab the nearest object and hit me upside the head with it. He was never one for gems and diamonds, rather things that actually held meaning. Something that alluded to more than my bottomless bank account.

I was never one for the romantics. Though, if I were to be fair, I was never one for relationships. After the nasty divorce, my parents had gone through, I had decided to write off love. I believed love was but a fairy tale, a hoax marketers sold to the romantic, teenage population to bigger their bank accounts. I guess one could say, after seeing the first loving relationship I had ever been exposed to crash and burn, I believed love was but a one-way ticket to hell. Love destroyed people. It was but the persuasive mother of the devil himself. She would capture her victims, stick an arrow of love straight through their hearts, and leave them broken, mattered messes with scars that could never heal.

I had made a promise to myself, a childish contract of a sort, to never fall in love, to never fully give myself to anyone. I had fooled myself with thoughts of independence and self-importance. That I didn't need another's love to prove I meant something. That I needed no one but myself.

I was wrong, horribly wrong. He taught me that. He taught me that love was not the kiss of death, but rather the kiss of happiness. That love could change people for the better, to become the person they never thought they could be. He was my rock, my only love, my angel. That was until the cells that made up who he was decided to destroy him from the inside out. Taking with them his physical strength and ability to fight all that floated through the air around him. Though, through it all, he never lost his true strength. He remained the same strong, caring soul he was the day I had met him. Even when his treatment had wiped him of his very breath he had, he used all the strength he had left to spend time with me.

There were days where I would lay, watching him sleep soundly in his hospital bed with tears flowing down my face like a grieving waterfall. I was afraid, reverted to the childish, fearful being I tried so long to mute. But suddenly, the idea of losing him had caused that deadened part of me to break itself from its chained cage in the back of my heart and sing a somber melody, to remind me of everything I was about to lose.

I couldn't lose him.

The idea was so sickly, so frightening that I spent the rest of the night as a shaking shell of myself, watching as my angel slept with an air of serenity. It was almost as if he laid, angel-like, unaware of the dark, looming form hovering above him and the idea had chilled me to the bone.

A shivering stream of wind pulled me from my solemn thoughts as my eyes locked on a small teddy bear.

My eyes widened.

It was the perfect gift. Why I hadn't thought of it earlier was but a mystery to me. A teddy bear for Teddy. In the white paws of the fluffy bear was a single, pink rose. My love's favorite flower. Along with a pink ribbon wrapped around its fluffy neck. It was perfect.

My love loved flowers more than a classy woman loved heels. But after he had been diagnosed, flowers were but a drifting memory in his sterile hospital room.

It may not be a real flower just as the teddy bear was not my Teddy, but what it symbolized meant more than what a bouquet could ever.

I walked into the small, pink fluorescent-lit store, peering across the patterned heart pillows and scented candles for the bear I had spotted in the front window, but it didn't seem to be on any of the displays. With confusion plaguing my mind and a nervous smile spread across my face, I approached the front table, covered in cards and heart shaped assortments. The woman looked up from her computer with a smile.

"Is there something I could help you with, sir?"

"Umm yes, actually," I took a breath, "I saw a white teddy bear by the front window but I can't seem to find it in your store."

"Oh that," she typed at her computer before turning the screen towards me, "do you mean this?"

I peered at the white bear on the screen with a nod.

"I'm afraid a young man had just come in and took the last one just moments ago," she said, her mouth overturned in an apologetic smile, "If there's anything else-"

"No, that'd be all," I interrupted, "thank you."

I brushed my fingers through my hair as I pivoted on my heels out the small, pink store.

God, and to think it was perfect.

I let out a sigh as I pulled a cigarette from my pocket and sat down on the nearest bench.

Sticking the cigarette in my mouth, I slowly felt myself relax back into my seat. Though, I wouldn't dare light it in fear of what my love would do, if he were to find out I had dared returned back to my 'cancer stick days' as he called it. I laughed at the irony. God was an ironic being. If I could call him even that. To think my love, a health maniac who would rather cut his own limb off than harm another, would get cancer rather than me, a recent cigarette addict who had backstabbed more people than he could count.

It wasn't fair, but then again when has life ever been fair?

Life was but a backstabbing, son of a bitch who found more joy in bringing grief to its inhabitants than happiness.

"Hard day?"

I turned to a smiling brunet.

"Hard would be an understatement," I sighed as my cigarette dangled from my mouth like a calming foe.

He laughed, "I can relate."

"Oh really?"

He smirked, "my boyfriend is on tour across the country while I stay home like a bored housewife, shopping away my loneliness."

"Wow," I laughed, "that sounds horrid."'

"Tell me about it," he sighed, "So tell me, what's your story?" he eyed the unlit cigarette sitting in my mouth.

"A recovering smoker."

"Then why do you have one in your mouth?" He raised a brow.

"Temptation, though I could never gain the guts to actually light it. My boyfriend would neuter me," I scoffed.

"Is that why you're upset?" He raised a brow.

"No," I sighed as my mouth trailed off into the story, watching as his eyes widened and body leaned back into the bench as he listened to my attempt to buy my boyfriend a gift.

"Wow," he sighed as I ended, "I think you win."

"Over a bored housewife?" I quirked a brow.

He smacked me lightly on the arm, "jerk."

"Though," he continued, "I think I have just the thing to cheer you up."

He reached into one of his bags beside the bench with determined eyes and a quirked brow.

Is he about to hand me a cookie to cheer me up?

"Ah hah!" He announced as he pulled a white box from beneath heaps of chocolate hearts.

I quirked a brow at all the chocolates.

"Don't ask," he laughed before placing the box in my lap.

"You're very kind but-"

"Open it," he interrupted with a bright smile.

I sighed as I pulled the red ribbon off the box and slowly opened it, revealing a plush, white teddy bear. My eyes widened as I looked up at the man.

"It's-"

"The bear," he laughed, "I know."

"I can't take it," I shook my head.

"Yes, you will."

I could tell from his eyes that he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Thank you," I breathed out.

He smiled, "you're very welcome."

I felt my phone vibrate as I peered down at the screen.

Teddy.

"I have to go. Thank you so much," I reached out a hand, "My name's Eric."

"You're very welcome, Eric," He took my hand in a friendly shake, "You can call me, Chris."

"Thank you again, Chris," I smiled as I answered the call and began walking.

"Hey, baby."

"Eric?" He sounded nervous.

"What's wrong?"

"I woke up and you weren't here," he whimpered.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I sighed, "I went out for a bit. I'll be right back."

"Okay..."

"I love you," I whispered into the phone.

I heard a sniffle, "I love you, too."

With that, I hung up and quickly hailed a taxi. I twiddled with my thumbs impatiently until the hospital came into view. I tipped the taxi driver before stepping out and running into the building.

I didn't mean for him to wake up alone. I meant for it to be a quick trip.

God...

I played with the ribbon around the bear as I watched the numbers on the elevator move oh so slowly until finally, opening on the third floor. I ran towards the familiar door before slowly opening it.

"Teddy?" I called quietly.

His head turned in my direction, eyes red as he sniffled.

"I'm so sorry, baby," I cooed as I reached his bed and pulled him into my arms.

His arms wrapped around my waist as he sniffled against my shoulder, in short, little sounds that chipped away at my heart.

"Shhh," I cooed as I kissed along his neck in light butterfly kisses.

"I got you something," I coaxed as he regained his voice.

"You did?" He wiped at his eyes as he eagerly searched my body for the mystery gift.

His eyes widened as they connected with the plush teddy. A wide smile graced his lips as I handed it into his small, fragile hands, fingers brushing across the white fluff and playing with the pink rose.

"A rose," he smiled as he looked up at me.

"A rose, for the most beautiful flower," I said softly as I connected my lips with his.

What did the teddy bear symbolize? What end is there for the fated couple? Is it to end in trajedy or recovery? Well, I guess that's for all of you to decide.