Monday morning came faster than either of them wished it would. Ellie and Joe made their way into town and to the hospital, neither had slept very well the night before. Ellie waited in the room while they took Joe for the procedure. She had called Joe’s family and told them what the doctor had said and the decision Joe had made about treatment. They didn’t agree with his decision but they respected it. Ellie was to call them the minute they knew the results of the biopsy. Joe’s parents had moved to Florida the year after Ellie and Joe had gotten married.

While Ellie waited, she thought back to her life with Joe. They had been high school sweethearts, married right after graduation, worked every day to save enough for a down payment on their house. Ellie had found out she was pregnant right before their first anniversary. Joe was on cloud nine, Ellie too, they both wanted children. Ellie was about eight weeks along when she woke one morning, covered in blood. She had miscarried their baby. They had tried and tried, each time resulting in a miscarriage. After the fourth miscarriage, they decided that they would adopt. Ellie and Joe had started the process until they had gotten the call about her dad.

Ellie and her dad were close, after all, he was the only parent she had. Ellie’s mom had taken off the day after Ellie was born. Ellie’s dad, Howard, had been there for her first words, steps, graduation, marriage and heartbreak. Joe and Ellie made the four-hour drive in the hopes that they would make it in time, they had not. Ellie sat by her dad’s side, holding his hand and weeping. Joe had helped Ellie plan the memorial, pack up his apartment and unload it into the garage, where it still sat. Ellie didn’t have the heart to go through it.

Joe had been by her side since she was fifteen years old. This could not be the end, they had so many hopes and dreams, she refused to believe that this would be how their story ended. Surely after all of the loss they had experienced, they could beat this too.

Doctor Anderson approached Ellie as she sat with her bent, praying, something that she hadn’t done since the last miscarriage two years ago. “Ellie, Joe is back in his room. He is still out of it but we were able to do the biopsy and the lumbar puncture as well. If you are ready, I will walk you back to his room.” Ellie looked at the doctor and nodded, she was anxious to see Joe, to hold his hand and tell him how much she loves him.

As Joe slept, Ellie thought back to when they first got married. The first year was a struggle but they had made it. They had both worked two jobs, saved every penny they could and when the day came that they signed the papers on their first house, they couldn’t have been happier. They had celebrated with a pizza, a couple sodas while sitting on the floor of their new house. The couple spent the next few days moving all of their belongings into their home. Ellie’s dad and Joe’s parents had given them furniture and whatever else they needed to begin their new life.

Over the next few months, they had gotten into a routine, they would wake up together, go to work, making sure to message each other throughout the day. Ellie would get home first so she would start dinner, they would eat together, relax on the couch, shower and then they would hold each other until they fell asleep. Sometimes she would wake up before Joe, so she would make him coffee and breakfast, serving him in bed. Once in a while, Joe would be up before her, but that was very seldom.

Their fifth wedding anniversary was coming up. Ellie had decided that she would let Joe decided what they did for it, she was the one who usually made the plans but he had asked if he could this year. Of course, that was before they found out about the tumor.

Joe started to move and was slowly waking up. Ellie held his hand and whispered to him that she was there and he was fine. Joe had done the same to her when she had been in the hospital, recovering from gallbladder surgery on their second anniversary. Ellie looked down at Joe, his eyes closed while his mouth was turned up in a smile. She bent down and gave him a soft kiss.

Joe opened his eyes, gave her a smile, went rigid and started seizing. The bells on the machines started going off. Ellie ran from the room screaming for someone to help him. Joe had never had a seizure before, Ellie was beyond scared. The nurses had Ellie wait in the waiting room until they got Joe stabilized. Doctor Anderson came in again, sat next to Ellie and took her hand. Ellie was not prepared for what he had to say.

“Ellie, Joe had a seizure, it can be common with brain tumors. It can also be common with malignant tumors. We aren’t sure if Joe will have any more, we are going to keep him over night to keep an eye on him. Is there anyone I can call for you?” Ellie shook her head and wept. “Why don’t you head home, we have your phone number and will call you if anything happens.” Doctor Anderson said, although he knew Ellie wouldn’t leave Joe’s side.

Ellie sat in the waiting room, thinking back to the day he had proposed to her. Joe had gone to her dad and asked for her hand in marriage. Her dad liked Joe, he always had but when he asked for permission to marry her, he earned not just her dads love but his respect. Ellie’s dad had agreed and helped Joe set up the proposal. Joe had taken Ellie to their favorite spot by the lake, spread out a blanket and they had eaten sandwiches and talked until dark. Just as the first stars were making their appearance, Joe had dropped down on one knee, took out a black velvet box, opened it and recited the words that she will never forget.

“Ellie, out of all of the stars in the sky, the only star I see is you. I have loved you since I was fifteen years old. I want to love you until I am a hundred and fifteen. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Joe’s hands were shaking and as he waited, his parents and Ellie’s dad had come to stand behind him. Ellie looked at them all, tears shining in her eyes and she whispered one word, yes!

They had a small wedding at the courthouse, they didn’t want anything big or fancy. Ellie’s dad and Joe’s parents were there, as was a few friends. Instead of a honeymoon, they went to a neighboring town, rented a hotel room for the weekend, explored the area and started making plans for their future.