She shook her head. “No, dear. We just said that. Waverly is a small town and people talk. We didn’t want them talking about Zach once the word got out that he had cancer, too. It would have been hard for him to deal with it, alongside mourning the death of his grandfather. Those two were so close.”
“Was his death the reason why you closed down the ice cream parlor?” I asked, finally understanding.
“Yes, dear. I couldn’t bear to keep it up any longer… that had always been George’s dream, God rest his soul…”
After a few moments, a nurse walked into the waiting area. She led both of us to his room. At first, they didn’t want to let me go in, but Mrs. Neverly told them that it was all right. I was so thankful that she let me visit Zach along with her.
Zach was awake and he gave us both a small smile, his eyes barely open.
“Zach…” I mumbled, almost inaudibly.
But he had heard me.
“Pretty… gir…” he choked out.
“Shush! Hush now! You need to get some rest,” Mrs. Neverly ordered, going up to Zach and making sure he was comfortable.
After we had been with him for about an hour, and after he’d drifted off to sleep, Mrs. Neverly said she was going to grab some coffee from the cafeteria. She asked if I wouldn’t mind continuing to keep Zach company and I told her there was nowhere else I’d rather be.
Suddenly, I saw Zach stirring, finally opening his eyes a bit.
“Zach,” I called out softly, rising from my seat to get closer to him.
“Rae, come here… pretty girl,” he said more audibly this time. He still looked like crap. He no longer looked like the same guy I had first seen that day while I was sitting on the bleachers, that strong, lively hunk, who looked unbeatable. How could things change for the worse in a matter of just a few minutes at the party?
“Zach… I’m so sorry,” I began crying, unable to hide my tears.
“Pretty girl, this is not your fault. I’m damaged, Rae. You have nothing to be sorry for, don’t apologize,” he choked out.
“So, now I know why I’ve never seen you around here before… and why you didn’t want to promise me anything for the future. Now it makes sense.” I whispered, with a sob.
“Grandma told you, huh?” he asked, causally chuckling. Then he grabbed his ribs as a look of pain darted across his eyes.
“Please don’t overexert yourself! Yes, she told me…”
“So, my family kept me sheltered pretty much all my life, ever since I was diagnosed. A few months back when the doctors confirmed I would not have long to live, my family decided to let me live, so to speak.”
His words were going to be the death of me.
“Wait… what? What do you mean ‘not long to live’? Mrs. Neverly told me what happened to you wasn’t related to the cancer you have. Zach, what’s going on?” I didn’t want to hear anything else but knew that now was the time that he would be telling me everything he had kept from me for so long.
“She said that, did she?” he chuckled, but I wasn’t finding any of this funny.
“That’s something she wants to believe, but it is related. It’s always about my sickness.”
Brutal tears threatened to spill from my eyes. I didn’t know what to say and I was sure he saw and recognized the expression on my face.
“My family decided to let me enjoy this summer, knowing it would be my last one, and that no matter the amount of protection they would provide, this is something that none of us can run from. So, they let me live. And through you, I have. Through you I’ve lived the most fulfilling life I could have ever possibly imagined. Like a ray of sunshine, you are my light… Rae. That’s why that nickname was perfect, Braelynn, my pretty girl. You are my ray of light, my world… my life. You are the reason I was able to live this summer. You brought so much joy to me my last few months that I wouldn’t trade any of it for anything in this world.”
“So, when you’d leave everyday–”
“I’d go home to rest for a bit…” he added.
“And this is also why you never mentioned college…”
“I never got to go because, well, it would be pointless to start something I won’t be able to finish.”
I didn’t want to believe what he was telling me. Not long to live? He was dying? No. No. I couldn’t take that.
“It can’t be…” I whispered, shaking my head.
He just nodded for a moment.
“Grandma always tries to protect me and those she loves. I guess she didn’t want to hurt you. But it’s true. I’m dying, pretty girl, but I have lived a life so fulfilling that it’s the perfect way to go out.”
He was remaining calm, but still I could see the tears beginning to form in his eyes. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it so tightly, praying to God that this was just a brutal nightmare.
“No, Zach! No! Please… tell me this isn’t true! Tell me you’re staying with me! I can’t lose you!” I shouted, throwing my head onto his shoulder, bawling my eyes out.
“Shhh, it’s okay, pretty girl. Don’t cry, beautiful.”
He placed a soft hand on my head and began caressing me.
And from the corner of my eye, I saw Mrs. Neverly standing in the doorway with her head hanging low, crying right along with me.
10
The next day passed like a blur.
Around seven in the morning, as Mrs. Neverly and I were consoling one another while Zach slept, we saw him take his last breath. He flatlined.
The doctors began throwing a bunch of terms our way that I just didn’t understand and couldn’t bring myself to figure out what they were trying to say. All I knew was that my dear, sweet Zach was gone and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to bring him back.
I felt my heart literally stop beating, my lungs stop breathing, and my brain stop functioning when I realized he was gone.
I don’t know how much time passed by or how long it took me to get home, but somehow, I managed to get there.
My parents had no idea about the summer romance that had blossomed between Zach and I, but when they saw me at the house as devastated as I was, I broke down on my mother’s lap, and let her know everything. My father watched from the doorway, heartbroken for his daughter’s very first heartbreak and loss of someone that was so special to her. Molly walked over and placed a hand on my back as I was still sobbing into my mother’s lap. She had no idea, nor could she understand what was going on, but her words meant so much to me.
“Sorry, Rae, Rae.”
The following Wednesday was Zach’s funeral.
I sat in the front row next to Mrs. Neverly, while Misty and my parents stood behind us to pay their respects. Everything since Zach’s death had been a blur. Minor details here and there completely skipped my mind. Saying goodbye that day was the hardest thing I had ever had to do.
The Friday after the funeral, I spent the whole day sitting in the sand, watching the waves. Memories of the summer I had just spent with Zach flowed through my mind; the tears were inevitable.
Around three that afternoon, Misty finally caught up with me.