by Ross

I came into the room to find him on the floor dying. A wave of shock hit me and I froze. This person meant everything to me, he had been there through out my entire life.

I think I screamed or maybe that was just in my head but I rushed to his side and I grabbed his hand. He was breathing heavily like any breath could be his last and he wanted to make that last breath the best he had ever taken.

I began crying as I have never cried before. He motioned to me to come closer and I put my ear right next to his lips. His voice cracked as he told me that he loved me and that he was proud of the man I became.

He began to let go of my hand but I grabbed his even harder. I yelled at him as if my words of strength alone could keep him alive. “Don’t you die on me, you have always been there for me, don’t you die on me!” I wailed through my tears. “Do you remember the time when we were kids and we stole candy out of the bins at the grocery store and got caught, or when we had our head split open by Terri, or when we comforted each other after our first break up”.

He looked right into my eyes reaching my entire soul. He saw my pain and my fear of living without him. Thats when, with a single smile he brought the most warmth and love i have ever felt in my entire life. I told him that I’d get help and that he’d be all right but when i tried to let go he grabbed my hand tight. He knew that he was going to die and he knew that there was nothing i could do about it.

He motioned for me to come forward to tell me the last thing he would ever say, “Don’t ever stop being you” he said. He took a few more breaths, smiling the entire time and then he passed away.

I cried for a long time after that and I didn’t really know what to do. I sat there for a while trying to contemplate it all and wondering what to do next. It finally came to me as I remembered his last smile and his last words.

I picked myself up off the floor and wiped the tears from my eyes. Then the man that I am finally let the boy I was, go.