It was meant to be a happy day, in a happy neighbourhood where the annual celebrations were approaching. A time of music, laughter and fun.

In the Mead household, there was no fun. No laughter to hear throughout the house. Instead, there were hushed whispers and tears of worry and sadness.

Through desperation, Elena Mead sat by the side of the double bed in the master bedroom, looking down on her husband George. He was gravely ill and had been for a while. The news that the doctors and the hospital couldn't do anything to help him made the situation unsettling. She was trying desperately to save her husband. Deep down in her heart, Elena would think of a number of ways to help and commit to them. At the end of the day, she was not a trained doctor or an expert on anything medical at all. This was the nightmare that she hoped wouldn't engulf her so soon. But it was and all attempts were in vain.  

"Stay..." whispered Elena, "Just stay with me."

Elena's heartbeat raced as she gently stroked her husband's hand. George was dying right before her very eyes and she couldn't bear it at all, not for one minute and certainly not for a single second.

George moaned in pain as he tried to cling onto her hand. His fight was coming to an end.

"Don't you remember when you saved me from that hell?" whispered Elena, "The hell which was trying to drag me down."

George didn't reply, his bald head caked in sweat and his eyes red like blood.

Elena gently stroked George's hand. Tears were forming beyond her control but was trying to not to unleash an outburst.

"Elena..." wailed George, "I have let you down so much."

"No," replied Elena, "No you haven't."

George stared at his wife, "Forget me."

"Never," whispered Elena, "We have been married ten long years. I will never let go of you."

"You are so beautiful," wheezed George, "Your long black hair like a cat..."

Elena stared at George. He was taking nonsense but she didn't want to upset him when they were both on the verge of collapse.

The clock ticked as George slipped from sleep into death. His last breath was the end of a happy time for them both.

Elena knew that it was all over when her husband's mouth stopped moving. Her head rested on his chest, the tears spilled out from her brown eyes.

George was dead. Elena was a widow at thirty-two.

The nurse gently took Elena's hand, "I am so sorry. We tried everything we could."

"But you didn't try hard enough," thought Elena, "My husband is gone."

The nurse opened the window to let in some fresh air which filled the room quickly. Elena stared at her unresponsive husband who was looking towards the ceiling with his eyes closed, looking towards heaven, his final destination.

Elena paced the bedroom, her head started to full up with flashbacks. From the day they got married to when they went away together on their first ever holiday, they came back like bullets striking her brain.

"Oh George..." Elena wailed as her knees gave away. She fell to the floor with her mouth wide open in shock, her face a pale shade, "My love."

The nurse ran over and tried to pick up Elena but it was no use. She started sobbing uncontrollably on the bedroom floor.

"NOOOOOOOOO......" she screamed, "He's gone!"

Suddenly, the room was filled with family members as they gently led Elena out of the room.

"My George dead!" screamed Elena, "Never to hold me again!"

As the big group of family members tried to console Elena, her mind was in another world.

"All I need," thought Elena as she trembled continually, "Is a shoulder to cry on..."