Page 24
Story: The Day Love Died
Lena looked to her right as she heard a lengthy snore. She grinned when she saw it.
Damien had offered to be her guardian angel while she took all of her medicines for an hour. He looked fatigued after a long day at work, so Lena told him to lie down on the couch and converse from there. That way, he may also catch some sleep.
Damien’s heavy eyelids lost the struggle to stay open immediately in front of Lena’s gaze. Since then, his slurred speech has turned into quiet snores.
Lena was happy that he was finally getting some sleep and not fretting about her like a crazy mother hen.
But after a while, it was tiresome to see Damien sleeping with the IV in her hand. There wasn’t much furniture in the room either, and branches of trees with flowering leaves covered the view from the open window to her left.
Lena was about to put on the TV and watch anything at a low volume when the door to her room creaked open a bit, which scared her. She believed the nurse had come back, but it was only a little girl’s head, maybe four or five years old, that peeked in. Lena was glared at by two round eyes that seemed like they were up to no good. The girl’s little hands kept the door open. The girl’s little hospital gown and scarf over her head showed that she had already had a lot of chemotherapy sessions at such a young age.
Lena remembered seeing other kids who were getting cancer treatment walking around or sitting in the corridor. There were people of all ages fighting in the oncology section.
Lena smiled a little, and the little girl at the door smiled back after a second.
Lena waved her free hand to tell the girl to come in. The tiny girl walked right in, and the door closed behind her.
The girl said, “My name is Dala. What is your name?” and put her hands on the side of Lena’s bed.
Lena couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed like this tiny kid spoke “R” instead of “L,” and Lena had found a new companion to hang out with for the next hour.
“Lena, which room are you…”
But Damien snored loudly again, making a sound like a lion’s roar. Of course, the other individuals in the room who were awake laughed out loud.
And since then, a sweet new friendship has grown. Dana, or Dala as she liked to be called, was well knowledgeable about all the negative effects of Chemotherapy.
“When it comes out again, my hail will be blue.”
Lena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when she saw Dana’s very serious look. “How can you be so sure?”
“Every morning, they give me these blue pills. Now my nails are a little blue because of them, and my hair will be too.”
Kids’ thinking is strange for practically everything, and that’s because they are so innocent.
Lena smiled and said, “I guess my hair will be blue too in the future.” She helped Dana onto the bed and snuggled next to her. “But it’s not a bad thing,”
Dana looked like she had hope.
“Why don’t you just stay at my place again, Lena?” Damien’s face showed anxiety and dread, and creases appeared on his forehead. “The doctor clearly said that the side effects of Chemotherapy will show up. What if you get sick? You won’t even stay at Lola’s house or let one of us stay at yours.”
Lena moved up to smooth out the creases on his brow. “I still have some time to enjoy my freedom before the side effects get bad. The doctor said the first Cycle of Chemos is lighter, remember?”
Also, she didn’t want to be a bigger burden on Damien and Lola. They were already doing so much for her, and she didn’t think she would ever be able to pay them back.
Damien grumbled back and then let out a long breath. He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her head quickly. “Keep the phone close by, and my number is on your speed dial, right? And don’t forget to eat only foods that are easy to digest. That means no fast food, spice, or…”
Lena nodded and rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, captain, I get it all. Now, don’t have a heart attack!”
Damien grinned, and his eyes crinkled at the corners with joy. He told her firmly, “You feel a little sick, and you’ll call me,” and then he hugged her tightly. “And don’t forget to call Lola when you get home. She’s mad that you asked me to go with you instead of her.”
“I will,” Lena said with a smile as she watched Damien get into his car.
Lena walked inside the building a little slower than usual since the medicines she had just taken an hour before made her feel a little sleepy without knowing that a pair of hostile eyes were watching from a distance. She didn’t even notice the footsteps behind her.
She didn’t know someone was behind her until she got to her apartment door and was tiredly looking for her keys in her purse.
Lena turned around because she felt tired without thinking about it. She frowned when she saw that it was the last person she expected to see in front of her flat, with the ugliest scowl on his face.
Lena thought he had seen her with Damien because he looked like he was about to kill someone. She had seen enough of Kellen’s behavior to come to that one conclusion, so it wasn’t hard for her to guess that he was probably calling her a lot of names in his head.
It was clear that his dirty ideas had taken over his head again. And that made Lena take a step back because she didn’t want to be what Kellen had become. She wouldn’t listen to any more of his stupid complaints.
Nor now, nor ever again.
“What brought you here?” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
Kellen gritted his teeth. He pulled his lips together into a narrow line. “I didn’t know that only Damien could come here. Does Ryan come by, too?”
The dirty sign made her stomach flip. It was horrible that this man, who had previously said he loved her with all his heart, should think such horrible things about her.
“No,” she was able to say calmly. “These days, it’s only Damien because he cares about me so much, and I really enjoy being with him. Just like you enjoy being with Selene.”
The insinuation worked as planned.
Kellen’s face got angrier if it was possible. “Selene and I are serious. We’re getting married soon…”
This news was becoming very old.
“Who said Damien and I aren’t serious?” Lena said, tilting her head to the side. She was happy to see Kellen’s anger slowly fade as what she had said sank into his foolish brain.
If it’s going to burn no matter what, then adding some patrol shouldn’t be that bad of a sin. I’d rather have one big explosion that ends it all than go through the horrible process of having my skin, flesh, and bones burn to ashes.
His shoulders became tight, and it seemed like he had stopped breathing. He felt furious, angry, and scared, but the pain in his eyes was so great that it drowned out all of those other feelings. It took her by surprise, and she wanted to take what his eyes were saying without saying a word and turn it into words that she wanted to hear.
Instead, she turned away.
Listening to her heart would be a bad idea.
Kellen replied in a chilly, scary voice, “At last, that illegitimate child of yours will get a name, huh?” to illustrate his point.
It was funny how he always went over that line and got to the point where it hurt the most.
She was shocked by what he said. It hurt like a slap. The pain was, in some ways, worse than any physical attack could possibly cause. Lena was so tired that she didn’t even flinch. It was a scary, burned-out condition.
“Hart, if the only reason you came here is to annoy me with your stupid gibbering, then know that I don’t have time for it.” Lena groaned and turned to the side a bit to open the door.
“I’m here to give you these—”
Lena stared back at his outstretched hand, which had two envelopes in it that had come from inside his coat. Lena received the envelopes with considerable reluctance, giving them a dubious glance.
Kellen responded, “It’s the invitation card for Selene and my engagement party next week.” “Sign the other one as soon as you can. It’s the divorce papers.”
Lena stood there frozen.
Kellen stormed out without looking back.
A tear that didn’t listen dropped and soaked into one of the envelopes. She looked blankly at the moist circle the warm liquid made for a bit before ultimately going into her flat and shutting the door behind her.
She walked slowly to her bed. She was so tired that she felt it all over her body. She couldn’t say if the pain in her stomach was because of her first chemotherapy session or because her marriage was already over.
That night, she lay down with the envelopes in her hands. She was so tired that she had no choice but to give in to it, even though she knew that tears were streaming down her face and the pillow was wet and chilly.
Damien had offered to be her guardian angel while she took all of her medicines for an hour. He looked fatigued after a long day at work, so Lena told him to lie down on the couch and converse from there. That way, he may also catch some sleep.
Damien’s heavy eyelids lost the struggle to stay open immediately in front of Lena’s gaze. Since then, his slurred speech has turned into quiet snores.
Lena was happy that he was finally getting some sleep and not fretting about her like a crazy mother hen.
But after a while, it was tiresome to see Damien sleeping with the IV in her hand. There wasn’t much furniture in the room either, and branches of trees with flowering leaves covered the view from the open window to her left.
Lena was about to put on the TV and watch anything at a low volume when the door to her room creaked open a bit, which scared her. She believed the nurse had come back, but it was only a little girl’s head, maybe four or five years old, that peeked in. Lena was glared at by two round eyes that seemed like they were up to no good. The girl’s little hands kept the door open. The girl’s little hospital gown and scarf over her head showed that she had already had a lot of chemotherapy sessions at such a young age.
Lena remembered seeing other kids who were getting cancer treatment walking around or sitting in the corridor. There were people of all ages fighting in the oncology section.
Lena smiled a little, and the little girl at the door smiled back after a second.
Lena waved her free hand to tell the girl to come in. The tiny girl walked right in, and the door closed behind her.
The girl said, “My name is Dala. What is your name?” and put her hands on the side of Lena’s bed.
Lena couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed like this tiny kid spoke “R” instead of “L,” and Lena had found a new companion to hang out with for the next hour.
“Lena, which room are you…”
But Damien snored loudly again, making a sound like a lion’s roar. Of course, the other individuals in the room who were awake laughed out loud.
And since then, a sweet new friendship has grown. Dana, or Dala as she liked to be called, was well knowledgeable about all the negative effects of Chemotherapy.
“When it comes out again, my hail will be blue.”
Lena had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when she saw Dana’s very serious look. “How can you be so sure?”
“Every morning, they give me these blue pills. Now my nails are a little blue because of them, and my hair will be too.”
Kids’ thinking is strange for practically everything, and that’s because they are so innocent.
Lena smiled and said, “I guess my hair will be blue too in the future.” She helped Dana onto the bed and snuggled next to her. “But it’s not a bad thing,”
Dana looked like she had hope.
“Why don’t you just stay at my place again, Lena?” Damien’s face showed anxiety and dread, and creases appeared on his forehead. “The doctor clearly said that the side effects of Chemotherapy will show up. What if you get sick? You won’t even stay at Lola’s house or let one of us stay at yours.”
Lena moved up to smooth out the creases on his brow. “I still have some time to enjoy my freedom before the side effects get bad. The doctor said the first Cycle of Chemos is lighter, remember?”
Also, she didn’t want to be a bigger burden on Damien and Lola. They were already doing so much for her, and she didn’t think she would ever be able to pay them back.
Damien grumbled back and then let out a long breath. He put his hand on her cheek and kissed her head quickly. “Keep the phone close by, and my number is on your speed dial, right? And don’t forget to eat only foods that are easy to digest. That means no fast food, spice, or…”
Lena nodded and rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, captain, I get it all. Now, don’t have a heart attack!”
Damien grinned, and his eyes crinkled at the corners with joy. He told her firmly, “You feel a little sick, and you’ll call me,” and then he hugged her tightly. “And don’t forget to call Lola when you get home. She’s mad that you asked me to go with you instead of her.”
“I will,” Lena said with a smile as she watched Damien get into his car.
Lena walked inside the building a little slower than usual since the medicines she had just taken an hour before made her feel a little sleepy without knowing that a pair of hostile eyes were watching from a distance. She didn’t even notice the footsteps behind her.
She didn’t know someone was behind her until she got to her apartment door and was tiredly looking for her keys in her purse.
Lena turned around because she felt tired without thinking about it. She frowned when she saw that it was the last person she expected to see in front of her flat, with the ugliest scowl on his face.
Lena thought he had seen her with Damien because he looked like he was about to kill someone. She had seen enough of Kellen’s behavior to come to that one conclusion, so it wasn’t hard for her to guess that he was probably calling her a lot of names in his head.
It was clear that his dirty ideas had taken over his head again. And that made Lena take a step back because she didn’t want to be what Kellen had become. She wouldn’t listen to any more of his stupid complaints.
Nor now, nor ever again.
“What brought you here?” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.
Kellen gritted his teeth. He pulled his lips together into a narrow line. “I didn’t know that only Damien could come here. Does Ryan come by, too?”
The dirty sign made her stomach flip. It was horrible that this man, who had previously said he loved her with all his heart, should think such horrible things about her.
“No,” she was able to say calmly. “These days, it’s only Damien because he cares about me so much, and I really enjoy being with him. Just like you enjoy being with Selene.”
The insinuation worked as planned.
Kellen’s face got angrier if it was possible. “Selene and I are serious. We’re getting married soon…”
This news was becoming very old.
“Who said Damien and I aren’t serious?” Lena said, tilting her head to the side. She was happy to see Kellen’s anger slowly fade as what she had said sank into his foolish brain.
If it’s going to burn no matter what, then adding some patrol shouldn’t be that bad of a sin. I’d rather have one big explosion that ends it all than go through the horrible process of having my skin, flesh, and bones burn to ashes.
His shoulders became tight, and it seemed like he had stopped breathing. He felt furious, angry, and scared, but the pain in his eyes was so great that it drowned out all of those other feelings. It took her by surprise, and she wanted to take what his eyes were saying without saying a word and turn it into words that she wanted to hear.
Instead, she turned away.
Listening to her heart would be a bad idea.
Kellen replied in a chilly, scary voice, “At last, that illegitimate child of yours will get a name, huh?” to illustrate his point.
It was funny how he always went over that line and got to the point where it hurt the most.
She was shocked by what he said. It hurt like a slap. The pain was, in some ways, worse than any physical attack could possibly cause. Lena was so tired that she didn’t even flinch. It was a scary, burned-out condition.
“Hart, if the only reason you came here is to annoy me with your stupid gibbering, then know that I don’t have time for it.” Lena groaned and turned to the side a bit to open the door.
“I’m here to give you these—”
Lena stared back at his outstretched hand, which had two envelopes in it that had come from inside his coat. Lena received the envelopes with considerable reluctance, giving them a dubious glance.
Kellen responded, “It’s the invitation card for Selene and my engagement party next week.” “Sign the other one as soon as you can. It’s the divorce papers.”
Lena stood there frozen.
Kellen stormed out without looking back.
A tear that didn’t listen dropped and soaked into one of the envelopes. She looked blankly at the moist circle the warm liquid made for a bit before ultimately going into her flat and shutting the door behind her.
She walked slowly to her bed. She was so tired that she felt it all over her body. She couldn’t say if the pain in her stomach was because of her first chemotherapy session or because her marriage was already over.
That night, she lay down with the envelopes in her hands. She was so tired that she had no choice but to give in to it, even though she knew that tears were streaming down her face and the pillow was wet and chilly.
Table of Contents
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