"What are you doing?" She asked him, later as they were lying in bed.

She was contemplating, how to tell him about the conversation she had earlier with Dr Taylor. The words didn't come easy, and she felt like she needed an opening.

He was taking a class in English Lit. Something he never thought he would do, but Skylar inspired him to do that. He was reading through one of the classics, but he flipped to the last page, a habit he wasn't able to shake, he did it ever since he was a little kid. He always wanted to know the ending. After starting a book, he would get halfway through it, and feel this incontrolable urge to peek.

"Don't cheat and read the last page before you get there!" She said, laughing.

"I can't help it, I have to...now I know why I hated reading! I didn't have the patience to wait for the ending..." he said, closing the book, lying down next to her. He took a look at baby Hope, she was sound asleep in her crib by Skylar's side of the bed.

"You're a weirdo" she said, kissing him gently.

"I know...that's why we're perfect for each other" he kissed her back, and she gave him a light push, which made him fall onto his back, she caught him staring at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" She asked him, wondering where his bleakness came from all of a sudden.

"I could ask you the same question" he said, still staring at the ceiling.

"What do you mean by that?" She felt uneasy somehow.

"I don't know...I just feel like you are hiding something from me...are you?" He said, now he turned to look her straight in the eye.

It made her heart sink.

"I went to see Dr Taylor today...I have been feeling a little off lately. Initially I just figured it was because of Hope, her keeping me up at night, I didn't get my rest, and then later I assumed it was the stress about moving, but it's more than that - I think" she stopped.

"More?" He repeated.

"Yes...I just feel exhausted, I have trouble breathing sometimes, Dr Taylor suggested I start getting some oxygen, during the day, and also when I sleep. She insists it will help me, but I just don't know" she paused again. Looking at him, she could see the disappointment painted all over his face.

"Why didn't you tell me, I would have gone with you...I wanted to" he said, a little louder than he meant to, and baby Hope made a cute squeaky noise, which silenced him for a few seconds.

"I needed to go by myself, I didn't mean to hurt you Ryder...I just had to ask her something, and I needed to hear her answer alone...with no one there, but me...I hope you understand" she really wanted his sympathy just now.

Of course he wasn't going to deny her that.

"What question did you ask her?" He said, hesitantly...as if he wasn't sure, he wanted to know the answer to that particular question?

He didn't.

"I wanted to know if this is it...I kind of feel like it is...I am not trying to hurt you by saying this now, but something feels different, and I can't ignore the fact that I am dying...I just don't know when, and of course she couldn't tell me, but I feel like it's coming. I feel like my body is giving me a warning.

He started crying, much to her surprise - and his too. The time after Hope was born had been so beautiful. Almost too good to be true? Sometimes he actually forgot how sick Skylar really was. He allowed himself to forget, he almost wanted to fool himself into believing it wasn't true, but he knew it was.

The thought of Hope not getting to know her mother broke his heart. Skylar meant the world to him, she changed his life around, she made it better. She made him better.

"It's okay" she said, hugging him tightly, letting him cry, seeing him cry like that made her strong somehow. She wanted to be, for him.

"We can do this...you and I, we'll get through it! Just promise me you won't live your life alone, you have to find love again, for your sake and for Hope...she needs a mother" she said.

"She already has a mother!" He said defiantely.

"I know...I trust you won't ever forget me, and I know you'll tell Hope about me" she said, trying not to cry, but she failed.

"I promise...I will tell her about her amazing mother, the love of my life...my soulmate. That will always be you" he said, kissing her tears away.

"You are my best friend; my lover; my soulmate; my true love...you made my life...a life! Before you came into my world, I was just killing time, waiting to die...you made me live; and feel; and see things - I never thought, I would...I love you Ryder" she said, the words sounded so cliche, but it was the truth. Sometimes the words you need to say, have been said before, other people felt them too.

"This is so unfair" he said. To him it really was...he finally met this amazing girl, he fell in love with her, and now she was dying...leaving him behind, leaving their daugther behind, it really didn't seem fair.

"Life isn't fair...LIFE is just LIFE, it doesn't cater to anyone unfortunately. I stopped hating life; and God; and circumstances, years ago! So should you my love. I love my life, you came into my life, so did Hope...I want more time, but that's not for me to decide. Or you. I want to be grateful for what I got, instead of using the time I have left, to feel hate; or anger; or sadness" she said, hoping her words made an impact, giving him something to pass on to Hope?

"You are really smart, you know that?" He said, and just like that they shared an understanding smile.

"I know..." she said.

"It must be all those books you read...I'll make sure to teach Hope about all the classics" he said, remembering those books, which led him towards Skylar in the beginning. Of course he would tell Hope about the books her mother read.

How could he not, they were part of them...the beginning of their story!

The ending? He didn't want to read the ending just yet, this was one ending he wished, he could avoid reading through...or in this case live through.