Marissa closed her eyes, she leaned against the wall. 'How does love just fade away.'

Two lovers run in the meadow, the girl got down and rolled. He laughed, happiness being the only emotion in his eyes.

"Love left without warning." she said.

'I need to see him.' Marissa grabbed her dark gray coat, hanging on the door. She pulled up her boots and went out the door.

She started up her car. It was only a few minutes, but it lasted forever. She stared at the steps that lead to his door. The steps that used to be so familiar now so foreign. She held onto the rail that lead up to his door.

The cool wind blew against her face, her light brown hair rested in her eyes once it stopped. She thought for a minute, then knocked gently on the door.

She knocked again, harder. "Hi, Mrs. Anya."

"Come on in. Marissa" Anya closed the door after Marissa. "Assuming you're here because of Aiden. There's something I must tell you."

Marissa stared at Anya. "Okay."

"Aiden loved you. You were all he talked about even after he broke up with you. He did it because he was... dying." the last word was barely audible.

All the walls around seemed to tumble down. "No, that can't. It can't be true." Tears streamed down Marissa's cheeks.

"I wish it wasn't."

"He broke up with me because he was dying. Why didn't he let me know? I could've helped him. I could..."

"Wouldn't be able to save him."

"I think I need to go." Marissa ran to her car. Tears streamed down her cheeks, everything was blurry. She knew she shouldn't drive in this condition, but she also knew she couldn't stay in that house.

'Twenty-three is too young.' She pulled into the driveway, unlocked the door and fell against the wall. She sunk to the ground and let the tears flow freely.'Why did this have to happen?' Her eyes swelled, and her throat hurt. She leaned against the wall for support. She fumbled with her butterfly necklace.

"Here I want you to have this." He handed her a necklace. She studied it. "It's beautiful thank you." He hesitated. "It's beautiful like you."

It became hard for her to breathe. She closed her eyes, in hopes of forgetting. But the memories kept playing through her mind.

***

She looked at the clock when she woke up. 12:30am. She slammed her head back down on her pillow. She groaned as his face played in her mind. "Why won't you leave me alone."

She got up, turned on the radio and laid back down. Tears ran down her face as she silently sobbed into her pillow.

***

The moon hid as the sun came. Like every normal day, the birds still chirped, and Marissa woke up. But unlike every normal day, she didn't want to wake up.

She flung herself back down. Part of her wanted to get up, pretend nothing happened. But she couldn't. Not knowing that she lost him.

The sound of his name brought tears to her eyes. Everything she did reminded her of him.

"Marissa, why the sad face? Turn around."

Marissa turned suddenly and was met with the wall. "Why did he leave me? He should've told me."

She slid to the ground, screams filled her room.

She got up, tears still rolling down her cheeks. She washed off an apple, and put it in her mouth. She took big bites to stop herself from crying.

She walked out the door, in the condition she was in she knew she shouldn't, but she felt that she needed to go. Instead of driving, she walked.

She got on the path and walked. She seen the big dip. 'Maybe I should.'

"No!" the person walking next to her gave her a look.

"I'm not insane."

The person nodded slowly and walked than before. She walked on and found herself near the river. She dived off the land, coldness took over. She tried to swim against the currents. She closed her eyes knowing there was no hope.

***

She opened her eyes. "Where am I?"

"Someone found you in the river. Did you fall in? You know that's very dangerous especially since it's cold."

"I know." she said.

"You need to say here for a few days."

"I figured that out."

In that moment she realized, what it meant to breathe.