The night before, he already knew she was dying.

Even from the start, everybody knew that it would happen, one day or another. Such was the fate of a girl born sick. Still, he thought, what a cruel fate it was, for such a warm and bright soul to die in this cold.

He sat on the bench right across the hospital, looking up at the lit windows of the hospital, ignoring the snow gracing his cheeks with cold.

Sooner or later, one of those lights will flicker out. Along with it, the life of the girl he loved.

No, he thought, squirming in his seat as he stared at the woman before him. Not today.

"Are you sure about this, boy?" the woman asked, studying him as if he were more interesting than the fine, sparkling powder that swirled around the large, thick jar she was holding. "This kind of magic comes with very tragic prices, you know,"

"What's the price?" even as he asked, he already knew how tragic the goddess meant.

The woman smiled. "A star from this world, for each day she lives,"

He wasn't even surprised. "You consider that ample payment?"

"Oh, child, that is far from ample. But you are a boy, and I think I can make adjustments for you and your love."

A lapse of silence. He thought he could hear someone whispering into his ear, but no, it was only the wind.

"Deal," he said, sealing the faith of his loved one.

The goddess, the Wish-Granter, smiled, and handed over the jar to him. Once his fingers had touched the smooth, glass surface of the fishbowl-like jar, the shimmering powder from inside dispersed, leaving him with an ordinary-looking jar.

"I hope you find worth in what you've wished for,"

He looked up, but the Wish-Granter was gone.

.....

That night, he watched the first marble appear.

When he got back home, he sneaked back upstairs to his room, careful not to wake everyone else. He laid the jar on his bedside table, right next to his lamp, and stood there. Watching expectantly.

There. The jar started glowing, started filling with the fine, blue powder, swirling, swirling, swirling around, until it had settled into forming a solid, circular object. The powder disappeared, and the glass marble fell down to the bottom of the jar with a thunk.

The next day, the doctors were saying that it was a miracle. The hole in her heart-gone. Completely filled with tissues and cells and blood and veins. "It's like a curse was lifted," he heard one of the doctors say from the door. "By a true love's kiss,"

It's a miracle, all right, he thought when he saw her being helped out of the van by her family. Into her house. Back home. It's a divine intervention.

.....

He saw her back at school a few days later. A few marbles later. She was so alive, so glowing with health. But of course, her beauty stayed all the same.

Same short, curly hair, easily reflecting in the sunlight, and eyes behind glasses so catlike and kind, with an intensity that spoke volumes. She was still absolutely gorgeous.

"Glad to see you back," he said to her in the hallways, trying to hide his happiness. It was pouring out too much, even he was somewhat estranged.

At first she was surprised to see him there, standing beside her while she pulled out books from her locker. For a moment he panicked-maybe she knew, maybe she wasn't happy that he'd technically sacrificed the universe for her life...

But then she smiled, and he knew everything was going to be alright.