But reality loomed grimly overhead. The doctors, with heavy hearts, approached him with the truth he had been avoiding. There was no more hope, they said, and her body was slowly succumbing. It was time to make the hardest decision, to disconnect the machines that were keeping her in this world but not bringing her back to life. The news shattered him. Tears streamed down his face, his cries echoing softly in the sterile environment of the hospital. It was as if his very soul was being torn apart, the agony of losing her palpable in his every sob.

Clinging to the last moments, he pleaded for time to say goodbye. The staff acquiesced, giving him the space he needed. Alone in the room with her, he took her hand once more, feeling its familiar yet chilling coldness. He leaned in, pressing his lips tenderly to her forehead, a gesture of eternal love and a farewell all in one.