We sat on the bench outside the oncology ward. The sun was bright and the sky clear. Roses were blooming in the prayer garden. We laughed and talked as if we were carefree. You got up to go; left me behind with a hug goodbye. I waited until you were in your car before I said what I wanted to. “I love you,” I said and rubbed at the bruise the IV left on my chest.

This story first appeared on Paragraph Planet on 10 October 2019.