text: There he laid, his hands by his side. As she visited with great fear and worry. His life hanging by the balance of whether or not he should let go or continue. Tears fell from her cheek, confusion and regret filled her. She remembered all the times they shared together, even if there weren’t many. She remembered. He slowly opened his eyes, and suddenly the heart rate monitor raced with a progression of beeps. As their eyes met, the world around them stood still, and for a moment it was as if they were back on that swing set. Looking at each other, with admiration and curiosity. Trying to understand these emotions that flooded in like a river with an endless stream. They were young, they were lost, and the world was just a cruel place. But for some reason with each other, they were home. “It’s so cold.” She said, as she was trying to keep warm by rubbing her hands together. He peered at her hands and reached out taking both of them in his. The spiraling warmth enveloped between their hands connected and a warm hugging like sensation filled both of them. He smiled, and said, “Me too.” It’s been three years, and for both of them. They had their own experiences of other individuals coming and going in their life. But it was never the same. They both knew that it wasn’t ever going to be the same. The “swing set memory” they called it. A moment in their life that they knew they were each other’s flame. Each other’s, fire. The burning love of a passion that could never be extinguished or matched. They would always reminisce on that one moment. Even if the world divided them, and kept them apart. They always felt like they could always feel each other. Could always feel so close. She was finally following the dream she had always wanted, and for once no one could stop her in her tracks. He had understood what he wanted to do, and continuously strived to be the best person he could be. Yet in this very moment. He lays upon a warm bed, with a frozen cold body, and a crying heart. Paralyzed both by the accident, and by her beautiful eyes. She remembered that her entire journey, and the drive that kept her going, was in hopes of seeing him again. But, not like this. He cried and cried, thinking this moment could never in a million years happen. To think, that she would visit him. Yet no tears flowed. All he could do was just stare as his eyes would water. He wanted to embrace her, love her, and tell her that the world he created and the life he lived was all for her. She sobbed, as she knelt next to his bedside. In shock, she couldn’t open her eyes and she hung her head down trying to hide her sadness from him. He didn’t like it when she cried, because he wanted to always make her smile, and she knew that. He urged and urged with all his might to move just one finger, but couldn’t. Desperately screaming and crying for help, he repeated in his head, “Please, for just this one time, give me a chance to make things right.” She lifted her face, flushed red, wanting to tell him she loved him. But she just couldn’t stop crying. All she could do was apologize. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I just-, I-,” He wanted to shake his head and comfort her like he always did. He wanted to remind her that it was going to be okay, that they were going to be okay. His fingers twitched, and she noticed. She smiled with joy, and with both of her hands took his hand. She held it tightly, and held it like it was the long lost teddy bear that she’d been looking for. The warmth and burning passion flowed through the both of them, and it was as if they had never left that swing set. That they never went to different schools. That she didn’t leave for Paris, and he didn’t leave for New York. That she never said she wanted to prove the world wrong, and that he never said he was going to make everyone proud. She looked at him, smiling with tears rolling down her face and said, “It’s so cold.” Wondering if he would remember that moment. He held back with as much love as he did back at the swing set, and with his last remaining drip of life in him smiled and slowly muttered, “Me too.” And suddenly, the fire that had burned for so long, went out.