“It’s been a while.”

_“…”_

“Where have you been? I missed you.”

_“Not everything is for you to know.”_

__

__

“Maybe. Maybe this should have been.”

_“…”_

__

__

“Do you ever feel guilty?”

_“About what?”_

“…Nevermind.”

_“If you’re just here to berate me, then leave. Give a dying person peace.”_

__

__

“Are you?”

_“Am I what?”_

“Dying.”

_“It feels like I am.”_

“Oh.”

_“…”_

__

__

“What does it feel like?”

_“To die?”_

__

__

“Yes.”

_“It feels like something is catching up to me.”_

__

__

“I can only pray it’s your past.”

_“That isn’t fair.”_

__

__

“…”

_“We all make mistakes. Mine just seemed to affect you the most.”_

__

__

“That’s because I loved you.”

_“…”_

__

__

“Don’t act like you didn’t know.”

__

_“Don’t act like you still know me.”_

“…”

_“Was it you or I that stopped reaching out?”_

__

__

“Does it matter? Wouldn’t we still be here, all these years later, you on your deathbed? Would any of it have mattered if you knew?”

_“I don’t know.”_

“Then why do you ask?”

_“I suppose questions are natural of someone who’s about to lose every chance of getting them answered.”_

__

__

“So you’ve lost hope, then.”

_“I don’t have any choice.”_

__

__

“Don’t you want to fight? Don’t you care any longer? Don’t you remember what it felt like to _want_ to have a choice?”

_“I have forgotten.”_