He looked into her eyes, feeling his heart shatter into a million pieces. He had loved her since the day he first saw her. She was his best friend's sister, and he knew that he could never have her.
But then, one night, after too much wine and too many confessions, they kissed. It was like a dream come true. He thought that finally, after all these years, they could be together.
But it was not meant to be. She was moving to another country the next year, and they could not stay together. They said their goodbyes at the airport, promising to keep in touch and hoping that someday, somehow, they could find a way to be together.
Years went by, and they lost touch. He heard she got married and had kids. He married too, but his heart always belonged to her. He wondered if she ever thought of him.
Then one day, out of the blue, he received an email from her. She was divorced and moving back to their hometown. She asked to meet up and catch up on old times.
They met at their old favorite spot, the place where they used to hang out as kids. As soon as he saw her, he knew he was in trouble. She was even more beautiful than he remembered, and her smile still made his heart skip a beat.
They talked for hours, catching up on everything that had happened in their lives. She told him that she never forgot him, that he was always in her heart.
As the night drew to a close, he mustered up the courage to tell her how he felt. But she stopped him before he could say a word.
"I'm sorry," she said, tears welling up in her eyes. "I have cancer, and I don't have much time left."
He felt like the ground had opened up beneath him. All those years he had waited for her, and now he was going to lose her forever.
He took her hand and held it tight, knowing that it was the only way he could show her how much he loved her. They sat there, under the stars, for the last time, remembering the good times they had and the love they shared.
The next day she was gone. He went to the cemetery and sat there for hours, trying to come to terms with his loss. He never loved anyone else after that day. He never forgot her, and he never stopped loving her.
Years later, as he lay on his deathbed, he whispered her name one last time and hoped that somehow, they would be together again.
