"I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU"

ARA forced a laugh then stared into Daniel's dark eyes. They stared at each other for a moment.

Her deep blue eyes against his dark eyes. After a while of silence she then just saw herself run to her boyfriend and hugged him tightly.

Life is really not fair as what others say and she has proved it right. For now that she has found the true happiness and the true meaning of her life something as tragic as this happened.

"I don't know why I had to cross paths if this will also end like this. But Ara, don't leave me, give me a reason to still force myself to fight. I will force myself to fight for my life, for you, because I love you so much, I don't want to leave you," Daniel, who is like her, crying as he hugs her tightly.

Ara cannot think of anything to say at that very moment. She could feel too much pain and that’s what she sees as the reason why her brain isn’t working.

"Listen," Daniel let go of her from his tight embrace and then cupped her face using his both hands. "Look at me," he pleaded as she felt the intense resentment from what he said no matter how brief it was that no words could explain or even describe.

It was then that Ara did not hesitate to obey Daniel's request. And after doing so, it was also then that she saw in his eyes the intense pain that she knew no one but she could understand.

Daniel needs her and this is not the right time for any negative emotions between the two of them. It is not right to blame the young man either. 

She needs to understand his side so that she can fully see what is really going on with the person who gave meaning to her life and was the first to make her feel true love.

"Forgive me if I kept the truth from you, but I hope what I did will not be the reason for you to leave me," she felt in his tone is the intense fear for what he said and Ara quickly felt the feeling of wanting to erase that from the young man.

Despite the pain that Ara is feeling at the moment, her hands gently reached for the young man's perfectly handsome face and then lovingly caressed it. She dried the seemingly endless tears which continue to flow there.

She didn't want to see Daniel like that. It was as if in an instant the cheerful young man she had known before disappeared. And that maybe is the reason why she feels this way. As if she is going to die too.

"I-I won't leave you, no matter what happens I'm here next to you. I love you so much Daniel, and only to you will I be willing to marry. Nothing has changed okay? If there is any that is my promise to you that in everything you have to go through this test you will not be alone because I am with you. I will be with you, until the end."

All that Ara said was true in her heart. And she has no plans to let go of even one of them. Because for her, even though they were not yet formally married, Daniel was her husband and that happened the very day she accepted his love, just as the young man had told her earlier.

When she said that, Ara saw happiness in the young man's eyes. Then he opened his mouth again to speak.

"Let's continue the wedding? Nothing has changed in the plan?" Daniel asked her.

Although the mixture of pain and suffering is obvious on his face, there was still a strange glimmer of joy in his eyes, that is despite everything that had happened and she secretly admired Daniel because of that.

Ara nodded consecutively. "Yes, as soon as possible. I want to take care of you, I won't leave you."

Ara then saw the astonishment draw on Daniel's face because of what she said.

"Will you tell your parents about our wedding?" he asked her.

Ara then shook her head. "If I do that I'm sure they won't allow it. Everything will be easier if we stick to our previous plan. But I'll talk to them if I can be here with you for the meantime so that I can take better care of you."

All that Ara said was true deep inside her, she just hopes that her parents would understand her in every favor that she will ask from them. Because this is what she sees to comfort Daniel in everything that is happening and what he is going through.

*****

"I'M sorry I don't know how to cook. I just help my mother with such tasks. It is because when I was little I have poor health and I often get sick so she didn't let me get too tired," she said that same night while watching Daniel prepare a simple dinner that the two of them will share.

From putting Chicken Afritada in the bowl Daniel just smiled at her.

Ara took it from her boyfriend's hand to put it on the table but she was stopped from doing so when she felt Daniel's warm hand on her arm.

"Why?" she wondered as she looked up at her boyfriend's handsome face.

Even though she is hurting at that moment she still didn't want Daniel to see it.

His illness is not simple, so even though she really wanted to convince herself that Daniel would be cured and live a normal life as he used to, she is really having a hard time doing it.

But as days pass she will be able to do that too, maybe somehow the fear and anxiety in her chest would disappear and it would be replaced by hope similar to all their plans. They will grow old together and have a happy family.

At the last thought, it was as if a sharp dagger had pierced Ara's chest so suddenly that it bled. At the same time, she felt like she wanted to cry again.

But she restrained her own emotions and instead smiled sweetly at the young man despite what seemed to be a big thorn that at that moment was stuck in her throat.

"T-Thank you," Daniel's voice cracked and once again Ara saw the tears welling up at the corner of his eyes.

She was about to give up her emotions, but she knew it will not be right so she continued to hold back and she succeeded. Then in a more lively tone, she tried to speak and secretly congratulated herself for doing so.

The young man would draw strength from her so she had to be strong and she would do it. She will try to be firm and not to show how she really feels.

This time if she had to pretend she wouldn’t hesitate to do that. No matter what, for Daniel, because she loves him so much.

She will pretend to be happy and not scared like everything will be okay in the end. She will try to be brave and courageous even if the truth is, deep inside, she is already crushed.

"I'm always here, for you," she said in a reassuring tone.

The young man smiled and again she saw the charisma that captivated her heart deeply. "After dinner, I'll give you a ride home," he told her then he bowed and kissed her on her forehead tenderly.

Ara shook her head the opened her mouth to speak. "I will be staying here with you tonight since I don't have anyone at home also. You need someone to accompany you," she said in a dignified tone.

When she said that, the young man's thick eyebrows rose quickly. Then Ara shrugged her shoulders and then placed the dish on the table.

She had just lowered the bowl when she felt the young man grabbed her waist which also resulted in a tight hug from behind her.

"You know what? I think I just met a different version of the woman I love, a while ago," Daniel whispered to her.

The young lady quickly felt the hot sensation like a flow of electricity immediately spread throughout her when the young man's warm breath crossed her ear.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked without hiding the tremor in her voice.

The young man then turned her towards him, then bowed to her, and kissed her firmly on the lips. "I also can't say how but what I do know is that the love I feel for you has intensified because of what happened to us earlier."

Daniel's tone shows the sincerity of what he said and it seems that that gave Ara the courage to pull the young man's neck and be the one to kiss him first this time.