Choices

The day is done. The sun is setting. She sinks into the couch with exhaustion written on her face. Her entire body sags with the burden she's borne for all these months. She sighs, then picks up her phone, makes the call. She knows that after this night, nothing will ever be the same.

Half an hour later, he arrives at her door. He can see how tired she is, and he doesn't understand why. She's the strongest woman he knows, and it kills him to see her strength slowly fading away. She has him sit down next to her on the couch, then she prepares herself to tell him the truth. She knows that he's been wondering what's going on with her these past few months. She knows that he desperately wants to help her. But she also knows that he can't save her from this. If anything, she wishes she could save him. But she can't. And she knows that the longer she puts this off, the harder it will be. For both of them.

He sits there, stunned into disbelief. A million things are racing through his mind: how? Why? He now knows why she's seemed so weighed down lately, why she's been so tired, and why she doesn't even have the strength to keep this from him any longer. As he sits there, his mind finally finishes processing what's happening. He stands up slowly, and gets the wine. They both need something in their hands, something to do other than just sit there in silence.

She can see it written all over his face. He's completely shell-shocked. She knows that now she'll have to live with her choices. Now she will have to face the facts: she made her choices a long time ago and they're finally catching up with her.

After just sitting there for awhile, he looks into her hazel eyes. He can see that whatever he says or does will affect her forever. A deep breath, to steady himself for a fight. This will be the fight of her life, for her life. And as he looks into her eyes, he knows that he'll be there with her, every step of the way.

She can see the determination shining in his eyes. She smiles, knowing that he's going to be there through all the pain, that he won't ever leave her. And she doesn't know how she could have ever doubted his reaction. Suddenly, all the worries she had about his reaction disappear. Her smile becomes radiant, full of confidence that together, they'll get through this. Together, they'll beat this. And all of a sudden, everything will be ok. No matter what choices she's made in the past, now she'll have him to help her make the most important choices she's ever had to make.