Taking her home

He settled into the chair and rubbed his thumb against her right knuckles, caressing them with all the genuine softness he did feel deep in his heart.

Xavier Herd looked away from her and closed his eyes tight,hoping to fight back the tears that rushed to his eyelids.

The woman laying on the bed was a woman he loved more than anything, or anyone else in the world. She had not always been unable to hold him, she had not always been unable to hug him. All of it was a new development due to her…disease, an unidentified poison that was chewing her from the inside out.

There were a lot of things he had to say to her, so he started to speak.

"Hey, mum. It's me again, Xavier."

He leaned in closer to her bed and heaved a sigh.

"I know that you can't really speak to me now, but I'll take my consolation from the fact that you can at least hear me. You know ma, my wedding is in a few days, and even if it hurts that you won't be there, it hurts that it's happening at all, ma."

He drew in a