Harry's POV:

Her words echoed in my head as I just stood there, frozen. One more year? And that's only if Anne's lucky...

I glanced back up at Anne's mum, the tears blurring my vision. She was holding back tears, too, as if just talking about Anne's illness was killing her inside. Just like it was killing me. I clutched my abdomen, like it would heal my pain, Anne's pain. Mrs. Rose blinked back a wave of tears. "Oh, Harry," she said softly, reaching out her open arms. I went into them immediately, and we held each other, our tears that we were unable to hold back rolling down our cheeks.

I swiped at my cheeks, attempting to clear my vision but only sobbing harder. "Why her?" I choked out, my legs buckling. "She was so sweet and innocent..." I rocked on the floor, hugging my knees. Reminding myself that Anne wouldn't want me to cry, yet I still did.

Mrs. Rose just stood there, her hands shaking. "It was my husband first..." she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "Now Anne! Why? Why?" She closed her eyes, fighting the invisible but strong sadness.

"Harry..." A voice mumbled. I knew that voice. The voice that I was scared would never speak to me ever again. The voice that would haunt me forever if Anne left me. And, it suddenly occurred to me, the voice that I wanted to be for the one to say the three words. Anne's hand reached out into the air, as if searching for something in the seemingly everlasting darkness. I quickly stood up and grabbed her hand tightly, like it was me who was dying, not Anne.

Anne's eyelids fluttered open, and I stared into her magical green orbs. Mrs. Rose wept at Anne's side, and as Anne used her other hand to wipe Mrs. Rose's tears away, she kept staring into my eyes. And I could keep staring at Anne's forever.

"I feel like I know you," Anne murmured, her gentle hand comfortable against mine. "Somehow, I know your name is Harry. I'm sorry, that's all I know."

I nodded, surprised that Anne actually knew my name at all. I raised her hand to my lips and against her skin I said, "You do know me. And I know you." And I kept holding her gaze, intertwining our fingers.

I noticed the airplane necklace I gave her a few years ago. "You still have this?"

Anne froze when she saw the necklace. She stopped wiping away her mom's continuous tears and held it in her palm. I hoped it triggered a memory, and for a second I saw a flash of remembrance on Anne's face, but then it all washed away, like it didn't happen at all. Anne dropped the necklace and it hung there, still around her neck. "I feel so tired," she said, her hands trembling with exhaustion. Was my best friend really so weak? She laid down from her sitting position and smiled at me. And when her eyes were shut and her breathing slow I wanted to scream out for her to wake up, for fear that she'd never see light again.

I knelt down next to Anne, tucking in a stray hair. I leaned in, my lips so close to her ear and I whispered, "I love you." And for some reason I can't explain, I think Anne heard me.

Notes

I hope you like this chapter! My first one for this fanfiction. Please Vote - Comment - Subscribe! <3
-JJ