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Reba was about to call 911 when Nichs suddenly opened his eyes<b>. </b>
“Nic? What happened to you?” she asked, worried. Nichs could be annoying sometimes, but she cared about him nheless. At least he was the only one who believed in her when no one else did.
“My head feels like it’s splitting in two,” Nichs said, grimacing as he closed his eyes.
Reba winced. “Come on, I’ll help you up. We’ll call the doctor,” she said, extending her hand to help Nichs get up.
“I already have painkillers. No need to <b>call </b>the doctor,” Nichs replied, still closing his
eyes.
“Are you sure?”
Nichs nodded. “Come here, lie down next to me. My head hurts too much to stand up.” he muttered, patting the empty floor beside him.
Reba scratched the back of her neck hesitantly, but seeing Nichs’s pleading look, she finallyy down on the warm carpeted floor.
“I’ve decided not to undergo any treatment and to live my life as usual,” Nichs said. suddenly, causing Reba to turn in surprise
“What? Nic, that’s not something you can joke about!”
“I’m dead serious! My doctor said I have about a year left with my current condition, so I’m just going to make the most of the time I have left doing what I want. I don’t want to spend my remaining time forcing my body to endure harsh and painful treatments,” Nichs exined confidently, with no hint of doubt in his eyes.
Reba frowned.
<i>“</i>But how will you deal with the pain? At least chemotherapy could extend your life
reconsider?” expectancy. Shouldn’t you
Nichs shook his head.
<i>“</i><i>I’ll </i>just rely on high–dose painkillers, and I think that’s enough for me. I’ve read many storics where chemo sess for cases like mine is very insignificant. <i>So </i>instead of
Wed, <b>Au </b>
seeing myself deteriorate <b>because </b>of chemo, I’d rather be the best version of myself before I die,” Nichs said, staring at the ceiling with a faint smile <b>on </b>his face.
Reba opened her mouth and then closed it again, lost for words. She took a deep breath and stared at the ceiling in silence as if there had never been any conflict. between them before.
Suddenly, Nichs grasped her hand.
“I know this is a lot to ask, but can you stay with me for the rest of my short life? I just want to feel happy once before I say goodbye to this world.”
Reba turned to see tears falling from Nichs’s eyes, soaking the carpet. She took a deep breath. Although Nichs’s words during their argument earlier had hurt her, she was not a robot immune to emotion when hearing such words from someone who was dying.
“Okay…”
Nichs turned in surprise, “Okay?”
Reba nodded, “Yeah, okay,” she replied. She didn’t know how she would manage this new phase of her life, but it was the wisest decision she could make at that moment.
“Do you believe in the old saying that lovees from familiarity?” Nichs asked, unwilling to let go of her hand.
The question brought Reba back to her three–year marriage with Harvey, which had ended in disaster. If love came from familiarity, why could Harvey never love her despite spending so much time together?
“Becky?”
Reba snapped back to reality. “I don’t know, I’ve never proven it,” she replied, grimacing.
“I’ll prove it to you,” Nichs said, smiling faintly. Reba knew she should feel ttered, but instead, she felt a shiver when she heard those words.
That night, they didn’t discuss their previous argument. Reba ordered healthy takeout, and they ate in Nichs’s room while watching a documentary about a football yer as if nothing had happened between them.
Chapter <b>30 </b>
“I’m very sleepy, Reba murmured after finishing a ss of water.
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“Make yourselffortable. I’ll wake you if you suddenly fall asleep,” Nichs said, without taking <b>his </b>eyes off the TV. Reba nodded and rested her head on a pillow she had arranged to be slightly elevated. As the film yed minute by minute, Reba fell asleep next to Nichs, who kept staring at her face without blinking, as if she were the most beautiful goddess descended from heaven.
“I’ll do anything to keep you by my side, Nichs whispered, gently touching Reba’s head.
The next morning.
Reba woke up to the bright light streaming through the window curtains. “Shit!” she eximed, sitting up straight. She looked around and realized she was in Nichs’s room. She pulled back the nket covering her and sighed in relief when she found she was still fully dressed.
“Where’s Nichs?” she murmured, puzzled.
She dragged her feet out of the room, and the aroma of waffles hit her nose. “Nic?” she called, half–running to the kitchen.
“Morning, Becky!” Nichs said cheerfully, pouring waffle batter into the waffle maker. Reba frowned. “What are you doing? Shouldn’t you be resting?” she scolded, surprised not only because Nichs was making breakfast for them but also because he was already dressed for work.
“I feel energized this morning, so I decided to go to work. There’s a client I need to handle,” he replied cheerfully.
“Are you sure? Nic, did you forget you fainted from the painst night? Don’t take your illness lightly, okay?” Reba scolded, folding her arms across her chest.
Nichs smiled. He stacked the cooked waffles on a te and set it on the table in front of Reba. “Don’t worry<b>, </b>I’ll be home early and I won’t do anything strenuous. Do you have any ns today?” he asked casually as if he were not a stage three–brain cancer patient.
Reba sighed deeply.
“Yeah, a product catalog photoshoot,” she replied, reluctant to argue with Nichs because it made her ufortable to act like a real couple.
茶<b>+</b><b>80</b><b>% </b>
Nichs nodded. “What time will you finish? I’ll pick you up, and we can go to the hotel. to get your stuff and bring them here,” he said casually<i>, </i>but it made Reba feel queasy.
Reba slightly regretted her decision, but she knew she couldn’t take back her words. “Um, I don’t know yet. I’ll let you knowter,” she said, cutting arge piece of waffle and stuffing it into her mouth.
at
“Okay, just please let me know,” Nichs said, looking intently.
Reba nodded hesitantly. While she scrolled through her social media suddenly her phone buzzed, an email from Lucy. Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.
‘Ma’am, I’ll be shopping at Morton Williams 57th Street at 11 today. Can we meet there?”