Part 1My Last Days, and I Don't Remember Her

On our fifth anniversary, my girlfriend, Andrea Hill, turns down my proposal. She then takes the money I've saved up for my medical treatment and runs off to Ivalor to catch the aurora borealis with her first love, Spencer Metcalf.

The moment the lights dance across the sky, they make a heartfelt wish together.

"Let's be together for the rest of our lives."

But when my late-stage Alzheimer's wipes out my memories and I forget who she even is, she goes absolutely crazy searching for doctors all over the world, all just to make me remember her.

* * *

Today marked the fifth anniversary of my relationship with Andrea Hill. I'd reached out to all our friends and family ahead of time and gotten everything ready.

I'd filled the space downstairs from our apartment with flowers and candles to let everyone know I was planning to propose to Andrea.

After I had everyone come over two hours in advance, I made sure they gathered downstairs at my apartment complex. We waited for hours, and before we knew it, it was already midnight.

Some people were so tired that they'd started grumbling to me. Tony Baird's wife had already dozed off standing up, slumped against his shoulder, but Andrea was still nowhere to be seen.

The little fairy lights I'd bought were flickering out one by one as their batteries died.

I called Andrea over and over, but she just wouldn't pick up. Just as I was about to send everyone home, Andrea finally appeared.

She arrived in a taxi, and climbing out after her was Spencer Metcalf, her one that got away.

Spencer had that cool, aloof air about him. Moonlight dappled his white shirt, and his slender frame still made him look younger than he was.

I, on the other hand, had been saving every penny to buy a house and give Andrea a good life, so I was dressed in the plainest clothes imaginable.

I'd always known Andrea had loved Spencer since they were kids.

Since Spencer was three years ahead of us at school, he'd graduated long before us. And just like Andrea, he was passionate about photography.

They shared that passion, and whenever they were together, they always had plenty to talk about. The moment I saw him, an uneasy feeling settled inside me.

Andrea seemed to be in a real hurry. She practically speed-walked toward the building entrance, so much so that she didn't even notice us just a dozen feet away.

I couldn't help calling out, "Andrea!"

Only after hearing someone call her name did Andrea finally turn around. She narrowed her eyes slightly, then realized it was me.

The lively expression on her face suddenly turned cold.

She took in the elaborate proposal setup I'd put together for her, but her face showed no trace of joy.

My friend Tony nudged his wife, Anya Madden, and she woke with a start.

She blurted out, "Andrea, you're finally here! Do you have any idea how long Vincent's been waiting for you? He's been here since 7:00 pm! Why didn't you answer his calls? If you'd taken any longer, we'd all have been gone."

For some reason, Andrea looked a little annoyed when she heard that. She shot back, "Anya, I never asked any of you to wait around for me."

Anya's smile faltered. She suddenly found herself at a loss for words. All of us, myself included, were caught off guard.

Andrea suddenly directed her anger at me. "Vincent Shafer, why'd you have to propose today of all days? Don't you know that I've been swamped lately?"

Her questions left my mind blank. I stepped forward, wanting to ask, "Wasn't this what you wanted?"

But before I could speak, Spencer's voice cut through the air. "Andie, we're going to be late."

Spencer's words immediately drew Andrea's full attention. She turned to Spencer and said softly, "Okay."

When she looked back at me, hesitation flickered in her gaze. In the end, she just said, "Vincent, I've got things to do today. Let's save the proposal for another day."

She spun around and rushed into the building, leaving me standing there, looking like a complete fool. No one had any idea what was going on.

As I turned to Spencer, he gave me a mild, seemingly harmless smile. "Vincent, you don't mind lending me your girlfriend for a few days, do you? I'm the new guy in Andie's photography department, and the company's sending us on a business trip. Our flight takes off shortly."