march 25th - discarded writing comp entry

(365 words)
Time flies.
Decades ago, I was growing.
I am shrinking now.
I may never run merrily down the street again laughing.

But for years, I had somebody. Somebody who loved me through thick and thin. When I felt as though the world was against me, she wasn’t. She brought color into my life.

Now, her color was fading. She often couldn’t get out of bed anymore. We both knew that her time was going to come soon.
So to lighten the mood, we would reflect on all the memories we’ve shared together. I still remember the day we first met, and the day I proposed.
We were young and happy and beautiful then. We grew up, and now, we are old and happy and beautiful.

I gaze at her fondly now, my hand nestled into hers. A small smile spreads across her face.
“Do you remember… when we went to the park together on our first date, and a dog stole your snack?” she chuckles warmly as she shares memories with me.
I squeeze her palm gently. “Do you remember when we lay next to each other in the evening, holding each other, talking, until we fell asleep?”
She laughed, her eyes sparkling with compassion. “That’s every night, love. You’ll half to be more specific,”
“I mean tonight, right now. It’s probably the best memory out of all of our memories together. Just this. You and I, holding hands, with love and happiness. That’s all I want. That's all I need.”

Then her face grows solemn and sad. She looks at me and forms a weak smile as she whispers,
“I’m so glad I was able to share my life with you.”

It was the last thing she said to me.

Sixty-five years of love flash before my eyes. Drinking coffee and talking at the cafe, our first kiss, the exchanging of wedding rings, moving into a new home, the sound of faint meowing every night from beside our bed.
Those sixty-five years had not been boring or sad. There were difficult times, but somehow, we were able to work through it together.
Now… I am on my own.
But I will always remember her.