"Bother! Doctor, why can't I move my legs?"
"You’ve undergone a delicate intervention. In the next few days, we’ll see if the intervention was successful."
"Will I be able to walk?"
"I won't be able to tell you until we do some checks, but I'm confident."
The panic begins to take over, and I move, waking Isabel.
"Nate, thank heaven." Her eyes are shiny, puffy, and tired. Seeing her like this makes me feel even worse. "How do you feel, love?"
"Still stoned."
"Chris, what's going on?" she asks the doctor.
"He's all right for now. They'll come to get him checked. You were right. He's a strong one." He closes the folder and leaves.
Not walking, not being self-sufficient anymore, would mean making life a nightmare for Isabel. I can’t. I can't be a burden to her. She’d be with me only out of pity, and seeing her every day would be even worse.
"What are you still doing here? I told you to leave!"
"Nate...” She starts to cry, and I can't, I can't be selfish enough to weigh on her for the rest of my life.
"Isabel, go away!"
"In health and sickness, remember? We’ll get through it together, love."
"That vow was bogus, just like our wedding! I'm home, so I want to call off the wedding." I snap, angry. At my words, so many emotions and fears pass over her face that it breaks my heart.
You don't even believe the nonsense you're saying.
"Nate, you can’t be serious." Her voice is just a whisper.
"I'm serious, Isabel. I should never have asked you for this crazy deal!"
"Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me."
I can't do it because I love you more than my life, but I won't be able to walk anymore, and I’d just be a burden to you."I'm tired of these games, Isabel. Go away and never come back."
I feel my heart breaking, and seeing her cry tears my soul apart, but I have to be strong and let her have a happy life even if I won't be with her.
She walks out the door crying as I see Alice looking at us with disapproval.
"Nathan Weister, you’re such an idiot!" she snaps, angry.
"Alice, as much as I respect you, that's not your business!"
"It concerns me because you two are like my children!"
"Alice, I want to be alone." I can hardly hold back the tears. For the first time in my life, I felt complete, loved. From now on, my life will be empty. What Izy gave me, our good memories … I’ll keep them for life.
"Are you sure, Nathan? Sure you want to be alone like when you were little? Are you sure you want to destroy a love? Because once you lose her, Isabel will never come back. Remember when you said you’d do what you could to have a family and be surrounded by love? Now you're ruining everything."
She’ll never come back, and I’ll be alone.But I have to let her go because she deserves someone who can make her truly happy and not just be a burden to her.
"Our love is just an illusion. We got married just to keep our parents' covenant."
"This is bullshit, and you know it, Nathan. That girl loves you, and you love her. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me! She hasn't left this room except to go and have tea. Six days, Nathan, and she has always been here! If you still haven't figured out how much Isabel loves you, you're dumber than I thought."
