Liam was about to say something, but I cut him
off and went into the operating room with a patient who was on a stretcher.
When I came out five hours later, I thought he
would have left.
But Liam was still standing there, waiting for
- me.
His expression was hard to read.
I didn’t understand him, and I didn’t know what
he wanted.
Then he followed me to my dorm, and said, “It
must have hurt a lot when they broke your
fingers.”
I stopped, and instinctively, my fingers.
<
12:45
100
He looked at my back, and his voice wavered slightly.
“I knew it. Why would my Amelia suddenly stop loving me?”
“I’m sorry, Amelia, I was wrong. I thought I didn’t love you, but I…”
He choked up, couldn’t finish his sentence.
He covered his eyes, tears spilling from his fingers. His shoulders were shaking.
He looked like he was in too much pain.
“I was just so afraid. Afraid that we’d start something that wouldn’t have a happy ending.”
“Afraid that we would end up with nothing. I
thought that Claire would end my feelings for you.”
<
12:45
“I didn’t think it would turn out this way. I’m
sorry. I’m so sorry…”
“For making you suffer so much and making
you face so much alone.”
100
He was in so much pain. He came closer to me,
and when he tried to take my hand.
I moved away and looked at Liam.
“There’s no need to dwell on the past, is there?”
I have a new life, and Liam will too, but we’ll
never cross paths again.
“Uncle, you have to move forward.”
When I said that, all the light that was left in his
eyes went out.
66 A
6619
<
15
12:45
After I said my last word, I turned to leave
without looking back.
Liam automatically reached for his cigarettes,
but his hands were shaking so badly that he
couldn’t light it.
100
The wind was howling and the dust was getting
into his eyes. It hurt so bad that he couldn’t
stop the tears from falling.
If only he had been brave and tried to follow his
heart and not care about the consequences.
Maybe we wouldn’t be like this.
At least he would have had the memories.
And if we didn’t work out, then we were just not
meant to be. But he couldn’t even take the risk
of trying.
<
12:45
100
When I got back to my dorm room, I went to the balcony. He looked up and I could feel his gaze.
I looked down and our eyes met.
I smiled at him, then took my clothes inside and
shut the door to the balcony.
Everything was smooth and calm, no lingering
whatsoever.
At that moment, he finally realized that he had
been completely blacklisted.
I would never have feelings for him again.
When he realized that.
He vomited blood and passed out in front of
the dorm.
16
<
12:45
Later, the next time I heard anything about
Liam was three years later.
He had lung cancer, stage four.
100
On his deathbed, he wanted me to see him one
last time.
Looking at my full schedule of surgeries, I had
to decline.
My friend said, “Liam had all his assets
notarized and put in your name.”
“He really loved you, and that’s the truth.”
“How did you two end up like this?”
I didn’t hesitate to re–apply for Doctors Without
Borders.
Back then I wondered the same thing, how did
we end up this way?
But now that I know,
It doesn’t matter.
Everyone has their own destiny, whether they
live or die.
(The End)
