Her eyes fluttered and she heard the beeping of the heart monitor, and the soft whoosh of the ventilator, forcing her lungs to expand, to take air, to stay alive. Her skin, almost translucent in the harsh fluorescent light of the hospital, showed signs of the life she had lived, the scars from adventures, the wrinkles for every year she had lived, and the deep crows feet from a lifetime of laughter, She shifted uncomfortably, and looked to her right, and smiled softly at the slumbering man in the hospice next to hers. Almost as if he had felt her gaze, his eyes snapped open, beautiful, bright, brown eyes stared back at her, and his aged face lit up like the sun, and he moved so that his hand covered hers, her delicate hands swallowed up by his weathered hands.
He shifted so that he would face her, and in a small voice, he whispered, "Hello estrella". He reached to push back her the silver, grey hair that had fallen into her face, and she briefly closed her eyes, basking in the love that the small gesture gave.

" Asteria," he murmured, and she opened her eyes to meet his again. Although they were the same age, she was still amazed at how gracefully he had aged, as if time itself wanted to preserve such a marvelous creature.

"Asteria,” he started again,  "estrella, my love, happy anniversary", he smiled at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back at his lopsided smile.

"Happy anniversary darling" she said, her voice breaking the silence of their hospital room.

"Do you remember," he said and coughed feebly, "do you remember the first time I said that to you estrella?" he sighed as his eyes closed.

"Yes I do, I remember " she smiled, but soon her eyes too were fluttering to a close, and she felt him reach over and shift onto her hospice, the hospice groaning at the added weight. She felt him wrap his arms around her and he pressed his lips against her forehead, and she smiled internally, and soon she fell into a deep sleep.

      *                                       *                                    *
Asteria sat at the table, staring at her clenched fist in her lap. The whispers flitted around her, and their pity added to their pain, "She's been here for hours- poor thing- Is she being stood up?- I can't imagine being stood up like that- "

She clenched her teeth, trying desperately to keep her eyes from watering, but to no avail. She briefly wondered if she could make a run for the door, but decided that, that would just cause a scene, especially since she could barely see 10 feet in front of her, due to the fact that the only light source was the candles on top of her tables, She pulled up her napkin from her lap to dry her eyes, but right as she started standing up, a man´s voice stopped her in her tracks, " I´m sorry I´m late darling, traffic was killer."

His mild voice had carried through the restaurant, silencing the hushed gossiping immediately. Asteria looked at the man, who was now sinking into the plush armchair in front of her. Noticing her stare, he winked and whispered, "Whoever stood you up, is a d**k" and he smiled a bright dazzling smile, and she stared at the nameless man, and then smiled a watery smile at him.

"Hey, dinner's on me," he said, and he waved his hand to flag down a waiter, and she couldn't help but to notice the shape of his jaw, his aristocratic nose and his smoldering eyes.

"So," her eyes snapped back to the man, "what´a girl like you doing all alone here?"

"How do you know I´m alone?" she challenged.

"Well, you sat here for an hour, and didn't order anything" he quipped and she blushed.

"You got me, I was waiting for my boyfriend, well, my ex now" she admitted unhappily, and he frowned.

"I-" he started, but he was cut off by the waiters, bringing plates of food, and soon the table groaned under the weight, and she practically drooled over how delectable everything smelled. She stared at the food in longing, and he laughed and said ¨Dig in.¨

Their conversation died in light of the entrees in front of them, but as the candles grew shorter, and their shadows grew longer, the food started to disappear from the plates, and curiosities began to grow.

"So," she began and then he immediately choked down the food he was chewing in order to answer her, "just who are you?"

"Oh I forgot, my name is Cain Ardenlo" he smiled and then quietly added , ¨ and I TOTALLY didn't choke on my food just now, and she laughed.

"Well, I´m Asteria Lin, and I TOTALLY believe you ."

"Oh? An estrella for me?" he grinned slyly.

"No, not for you." She quipped, and he visibly wilted, but her laugh revived him, and soon their laughter filled the restaurant. Too soon, the food was gone and they were walking along the banks of river towards a forest of pine. So engrossed by their conversation were they, that they hardly noticed that they´d entered a clearing amidst the trees.

"You know, today was supposed to be my ex¨s and I´s anniversary." she said softly, and he looked at her and cocked his head. All of a sudden he carried her off the ground, and she shrieked in surprise.

"Well then, happy anniversary mi estrella" he whispered into her ear, and they collapsed onto the soft grass, glistening in the moonlight. They lay there talking, and watched the moon bid farewell to the stars, and the sun´s rays kiss the roofs of the buildings it peeked out of. When the sun was high, and the dew on the grass evaporated, the couple walked out of the clearing, his white dress shirt slightly damp from the dew of the grass, and her red dress wrinkled from lying on the grass- holding hands and sharing secret smiles.
          *                                       *                                    *
A rapid beeping interrupted Asteria´s dream, and she woke up to Cain´s heart monitor going berserk.

Panicking, she reached to call for the nurse on the intercom, but a hand grabbed her wrist, and she looked down to her side, and Cain smiled at her, shaking his head softly.

"Believe me estrella, it´s time” he said, and tears sprung into her eyes.

"Not now, please" she pleaded, tears threatening to spill over.

He chuckled, and squeezed her hand, and whispered, "I´ll see you soon darling, I´ll wait for you. Forever and always"

She heard him sigh, and she gazed into his eyes eyes before he smiled a faint smile, and closed his eyes for the last time. Her tears spilled onto her cheek and she heard Cain´s heart monitor give a weak blip before flat lining. The droning noise filling her ears and heart, she looked at Cain's face, how at peace he looked.

Her voice broke as she whispered to him, "Forever and always darling." She reached over, and gently unplugged her ventilator, and sighed, settling into her bed. Not long after, nurses poured into the room in urgency, shouting, but Asteria didn't mind them. The fluorescent lights washed out their panicked voices and their faces, and soon the light washed them all out and all she could see was white.

"Asteria" a voice murmured behind her, and she turned to see Cain at her shoulder, young and handsome again.

"I'm sorry I'm late darling, traffic was killer." she murmured and he smiled at her and reached for her now youthful hand.

"Let's go darling", and he led her along a river and soon, a clearing, their clearing came into view, surrounded by majestic pine, the lush grass spotted with bright wildflowers, with fat little bees lazily flying from to and fro. They lay in the grass and she turned her head to look at him, happily taking in his features once again.

"Forever?" she asked, dark hair falling into her face, and he brushed it away, tucking it behind her ear.

"And always estrella" he assured her, and he kissed her on the top of her head.