He sat on the edge of her bed, holding her hand tenderly and whispering sweetly to her. She lay there in her hospice bed, looking at him with both love and confusion, but it was clear that she loved what he was saying.
I was sitting in a chair across the room feeling like an intruder, but I couldn’t get myself to leave. The pure love I felt in this intimate moment was mesmerizing and even though I might have been wrong in staying, I also felt honored to witness the last moments between these two.
They had a long history filled with love, family, struggles, and adventures. But in their final moments together, all that mattered was their love for one another and the final words they could share.
I strained to hear their conversation and at the same time, tried not to listen. It was a special and unique moment I knew would never happen again, yet I was still unsure of what to do. Neither of them seemed to be aware of my presence, as their focused attention was on each other, so selfishly I decided to stay and witness this rare and beautiful moment.
She started to speak quietly and he leaned in further, turning his ear towards her mouth. Once she was finished, he turned his face back to her and smiled so sweetly. “You’re pretty cute for a French girl!”, I heard him say to her as tears flowed down my face. She whispered back and he replied, “I love you too!”
He held her hand for a few moments more as she drifted off to sleep. He quietly leaned in once more and gently kissed her on the forehead, stood up and left the room.
She died a few days later.
I witnessed a pure and beautiful moment that day and I am forever grateful for being allowed into their last goodbye.