Our July In The Rain

I met her in May of 2011. Her name was Kyra.


We were both walking in the park on a rainy day, only she didn't have an umbrella. Her long, beautiful, red hair was the first thing that caught my attention. I was intrigued by how long it was. It hung to her waist in curls and I couldn't help, but wonder how it would look straight. Kyra was shivering, her jacket clutched tight to her small frame.
“Excuse me, ma'am. You look freezing. Here, we can share my umbrella.” I helped her under my umbrella.
“T-Thank you. It's quite cold outside today. I didn't expect it to rain this morning when I left.” She had the hint of an Irish accent in her voice and I found myself falling into her deep forest green eyes. “It is no problem...” I needed to know her name. It had to be marvelous to do someone as beautiful as she justice. “I'm Kyra.”
“I'm Ryder.” I smiled at her. Her smile was immaculate. She had amazing teeth. Rivaling some of the best I had ever seen. And I was a dentist, so that was saying something. “So, where to, Kyra?”
“Oh, no. You don't have to do that. I can just call a taxi.” A pinkish hue landed on her cheeks, causing me to grin. “Well, at least let me take you to coffee while we wait. Look, there's a Starbucks. See, it was fated.” She peaked at me from under her eyelashes and I could see how shy she really was. “Fine.” Sighed Kyra, walking with me towards Starbucks. “May I use your phone? My phone is dead.” I slipped my IPhone from my pocket and handed it to her. She smiled, mumbling a thank you. I zoned out as she began to speak to the taxi company. I started to think about work, something I could always concentrate on, but with Kyra by my side, I was so distracted by how near she was. “Ryder, are you ready to go in?” Her eyes were sparkling in the rain. She looked like a God sent gift. Too amazing to be anything but a miracle. “Of course,” I led us in, closing the umbrella and inhaling the smell of coffee. We went to a small booth and sat across from one another. A waiter came over and I motioned to her. “Just a water, please.”
“For me, as well. No lemon.”
Her eyebrows quirked up at me. “Coffee is bad for your teeth, as are lemons. I'm a dentist.” Kyra threw her head back and laughed her musical laugh. “My mother used to drink coffee every day until she married a dentist. He said the same thing, so I never drank it.” I smiled at her again. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled that much. The taxi arrived shortly after the we got our waters. I asked to see her the next day and she agreed.
A rainy day had never turned into something so beautiful.

After that magical day in May a relationship blossomed. By the end of the month we were an exclusive couple and so happy.

In early -June we were closer than most couples would be after years. It was as if we were made for each other. I made up for her every mistake- not that I found many. And she completed my every fault.
She came to me with tears in her eyes on June 6th, the day that I forever cursed. “My doctors called to tell me that the results from the blood work came back. So I went to the hospital.” She paused, her breathing hitched. I knew the news wasn't good. “I have Cholangiocarcinoma. It's a tumor in the liver. They want to start me on chemotherapy. With it I have a 35% chance of survival. They said my tumor was already extremely progressed and that I'd have to be prepped before I could go into the surgery that I need, but the prep time is more than they are giving me to live.” I locked my arms so tight around her body, I feared I would break her. “How long?”
“Beginning of August.”
We clutched each other tight and cried. I cried until I couldn't anymore. My tears soaked her fire hair.
I would take this from her if only God would let me. What did she do to deserve this? Was it some sort of joke going on Upstairs? Let's give Ryder a miracle, only to snatch it away!
“Ryder, I love you. Okay? I love you. Sometimes these things happen, but we have to keep strong together to fight it. I can't fight without you.” Her voice was uneven and she was still crying, but I nodded. “I love you, too, Kyra.” I kissed her then. I fillled that kiss with all that I had with me. It still wasn't enough.
She started her chemo 2 days later and it was horrible. She was always in the hospital and when she wasn't she was dreadfully sick.
On June 11 she had to shave her hair. She cried. I did too. My Kyra demanded that every lock of hair that fell from her scalp was to be donated. I shaved my hair with her. The only way I could think to support her unconditionally that was truly recognizable to all.
I never left her side, eventually I quit my job, but I told her I was on an extended vacation. No need to worry her. “Ryder, when I die-,”
“IF!” I roared. I couldn't handle her talking like that.
“IF I die, promise to get married and have beautiful babies. You will have the prettiest babies.”
“No, Kyra, WE will. I can't have kids without you, love. Remember, I'm a male? Surely you took health In school?” I tried to twist her words. I wasn't going to promise her anything. She was IT for me. There was nothing after her. If she died she'd take my heart with her. “Ryder, promise me!” She begged, tears forming in her shallow eyes. “No, Kyra, I won't promise that. I don't want anyone else. I love you, Kyra. You are all I want. And if I can only have you for a shirt time, so be it, but I won't try to replace you.” she was crying now. I scooped her up into my arms, careful not to be too rough. “I asked you because I haven't been feeling well. At all. I'm deteriorating. I won't make it through July. I want you to be ready for this. Please, don't throw away your future for me. I know about your job, Ryder.” I cursed; how did she know about that? “No, no. None of that.” She scolded. “You're going to be okay. You have to be.” I assured. Kyra shook her head. “Please, don't do that. Don't tell yourself that, because whe-if I die, you won't expect it. Don't fill yourself with false hope. I know my body, I'm dying. If I'm okay with it, you should be, too.” I buried my face into her neck. My strong Kyra. “I have one thing I want you to do for me before I die, please.”
“Anything, love.” I gave up. She knew herself better than I did. “Take me away. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, however long that is. Take me out of the city.” I looked at my Kyra and nodded. I booked the trip to Ireland she had told me she wanted to make when we first began seeing one another. The doctors legally couldn't hold her, so we left, arriving in our small piece of land in Ireland. We arrived on the 3rd of July and Kyra smiled widely at me when she saw Galway, the town we would be staying in. “Ryder, it's beautiful.” She whispered as it began to rain. “Yes, you are,” I whispered, lovingly. We didn't even bother unpacking yet. My Kyra and I sat on the porch together and watched the rain. “Come on,” She murmured. And, always surprising me she went to lay in the grass as it rained. “Kyra, love, no. You'll get sick. Come inside.” I pleaded, she just shook her head. “Don't waste valuable time, Ryder, come lay with me.” I sighed and reluctantly went to lay with her. “I love the rain. If it wasn't for the rain I never would've met you. You were a miracle. I was such a mediocre person before I met you. There was no diversity in my life. And, now, when I feel so alive, this happens. It's kinda funny if you think about it.”
“There is nothing funny about the fact that God is stealing you away from me.” I growled, perhaps loss of sanity was a symptom of this monstrous disease. “I meant ironic.” She sighed. I could tell I frustrated her. “I'm sorry, Kyra. I just don't want to lose you.”
“Do you think I want to die?! I am SO scared, Ryder. I cannot tell you how scared I am. I don't wanna go anywhere I can't go with you.I hate sleeping because I am terrified that I won't wake up.” Kyra's confession left me very unsettled. She was scared? But she was so brave. I can't believe I wasn't there for her like I should have been. “I'm so sorry.” I told her, moving closer to her.
From the day she told me she was scared I stopped mentioning her illness, even when I woke up and she was staring at me with the sickest look. “I'm feeling very weak today. Could we spend the day together?” I nodded, but I knew from her tone of voice she wasn't sure where she would be at the end of the day. “Of course, love. Come here.” I took her into my arms and held her close to me, humming random tunes into her ear. Every once in awhile we would speak, but we spent our time in relative silence.
I got up after 2 hours of us time to use the bathroom. When I came back I knew she had been right.
She smiled a smile only a dentist could truly appreciate and whispered, “I love you.” As the words fell from her lips the rain started. And as the rain carried a miracle into my monotonous life, the rain washed one away.