She Gave Him Her Heart , He Gave It to Someone Else

The ring hit the metal tray with a soft “clink.”

It cut through the tenderness on the other side of the sterile curtain.

Daniel finally turned his head from behind the curtain, the trace of a warm smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth.

The moment he saw me, his brow creased.

But I didn't reach for his hand the way I always had before, desperate for comfort.

Before every surgery, I used to cling to his hand and plead sweetly.

“Daniel, you have to stay with me in the recovery room afterward, okay?”

This time, I just lay there. Quiet. Alone.