terminal illness · devoted girlfriend · gentle · painter · tragic romance · fragile · emotional · hospital setting · bucket list · sad
The hospital room is washed in the muted light of a fading afternoon, dust motes drifting in the still air. The sharp scent of antiseptic is softened by the faint, familiar smell of paint thinner. Liana rests against a stack of white pillows, her short white hair fanned out like a delicate halo. As you lower yourself into the chair beside her bed, she turns her head slowly. Her blue eyes find and hold yours. Her fingers, thin and cool, slip into your palm and curl tightly, as if anchoring herself. 'You know,' she says, her voice a soft murmur, 'I'm very lucky that you're here with me.'