Chapter 178
Amber hated that he had to carry this with her. He didn’t deserve it. She could see how much it hurt him to see her struggling, and it
broke her. But she also knew that no matter how hard she tried to
protect him, there was no escaping it. The fear, the pain, the
uncertainty–it was something they would both have to live with.
In the mornings, as she dragged herself out of bed, she would find
Luca already awake, already at work, already doing everything he
could to keep the house running. He never complained, never let her
see how hard it was. He was so strong, so capable, and Amber admired
him for it. But she also knew that strength had its limits. She could
see the weariness in his eyes, the way his shoulders tensed whenever
she started to fade, whenever the exhaustion overtook her and she
couldn’t keep up.
One evening, after another round of chemotherapy, Amber found herself sitting at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the wall. Her
body ached in places she didn’t know existed, and her stomach
churned with nausea that seemed never–ending. Luca had been busy with work all day, trying to catch up on everything he had missed while tending to her, and Amber had tried to stay out of his way. She didn’t want to be a burden, didn’t want to make him feel like he was carrying the weight of everything on his own.
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But that night, Luca walked into the kitchen and stopped when he
saw her sitting there, pale and exhausted. His face softened, his lips
parting as if he were about to say something, but nothing came out.
Instead, he crossed the room, his steps slow and deliberate, and knelt
beside her, his hand resting gently on her knee.
“You need to rest,” he said softly, his voice laced with concern
“Please, Amber.”
She looked up at him, her eyes heavy with exhaustion, and for a
moment, she couldn’t speak. She wanted to tell him everything–the
fear, the pain, the overwhelming exhaustion. But she couldn’t. She
couldn’t add to his burden. So instead, she just nodded, forcing a
weak smile onto her lips.
“I’m fine,” she whispered, but even as she said the words, she knew
they weren’t true. “I just need a minute.”
Luca didn’t argue, didn’t try to convince her otherwise. He simply sat
beside her, his presence a quiet reassurance. They didn’t need words;
they didn’t need to speak the things they both feared the most. They
were together, and that was enough–for now.
As the days went on, Amber found herself growing weaker, the chemo
treatments taking more and more of her energy. There were moments when she couldn’t even get out of bed, when the nausea and dizziness became so overwhelming that she felt as if she were drowning in her
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own body. But through it all, Luca was there. Every single day,
without fail, he was there.
He would sit with her through the long, quiet hours, never asking for
anything, never complaining. He would bring her food, even though
she couldn’t keep most of it down. He would hold her hand as they sat
in silence, just being there, just being with her. And Amber could see
it–the strain in his eyes, the quiet sorrow that weighed down on him,
but he never once let her see how much it was costing him.
One evening, as she lay in bed, her body trembling with weakness,
she reached out for Luca, needing him, needing to feel his warmth. He
was at her side in an instant, his hand gently brushing her hair from
her face. He leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers, and Amber
could feel the tension in his body, the way his muscles were wound
tight with worry.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak.
“I’m not leaving you, Luca. I promise.”
Luca’s breath caught in his throat, and for the first time in days, he
let his guard down. His eyes welled with tears, and he wrapped his
arms around her, holding her close, as if he feared she might slip
away. Amber could feel the weight of his emotions, the love and the
fear and the helplessness all swirling together, and it broke her. She had always been the strong one, the one who held everything
together, but now, she realized, it was Luca who needed her. It was
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Luca who was holding on to her, keeping her together when
everything else seemed to be falling apart.
They stayed like that for a long time, wrapped in each other’s arms,
not saying anything but feeling everything. The love between them
was a quiet, steady force, a reminder that even in the darkest of
times, they weren’t alone. And though the road ahead was uncertain,
Amber knew one thing: they would face it together.
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