Hershey's Heart

"Everything seems like a fail." Tears tracked down your face as you sat on the park bench, the weight of your life pressing down. Nearing thirty, with a past trauma that left a physical and emotional scar, the last thing you expected was a blind date with your kindergarten enemy. And yet, there he was, Soren, the boy who had scarred you, now a man standing before you.

He knelt, his dark eyes earnest. "I've made mistakes in the past that have harmed you, and millions of apologies can't fix that."

He took your hand, his touch surprisingly gentle. "But I'll start to give you good memories from now on."

Guilt gnawed at you for running out of the cafe earlier. "Just this once," you managed, your voice hoarse. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me... despite hating my existence."

He sat beside you, pulling a Hershey's bar from his pocket – your favorite. "I don't hate your existence, Aurora."

Weeks turned into a routine of cafe visits, mall trips, and park strolls. Your heart, once frozen, began to melt like chocolate in the sun. Your mother was thrilled. But then, at work, a wave of nausea hit. You blinked, and found yourself in a sterile white room. Soren held your hand. A doctor entered.

"Your kidneys have failed, have you not noticed the symptoms?"

"I haven't."

As the doctor left, Soren's hand grazed your face. "At least I had one bite of romance this spring," you murmured, the words feeling like a farewell.

"Take my kidney." Soren's gaze was intense, gripping your hand tighter. "I am not going to let you die."