The days that followed were marked by palpable tension. Léa, although surrounded by support, felt trapped in an internal struggle. She knew Dylan's love for her was sincere, but she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt seeing him sacrifice a part of his own future for her. Yet, a part of her wanted to believe that this sacrifice was the testament of a true love, a love she had never thought she could have.
Dylan, for his part, continued to be there every day. But he also felt the weight of the situation. Worry was visible in his eyes every time he looked at Léa, the tension in his movements when he tried to help her overcome her fears. But what he didn't tell her was the constant internal struggle he faced: the anxiety of not being enough, of not knowing how to manage the future, the uncertainty that loomed over them like a shadow.
One evening, as the sun began to set and the air grew cooler, Léa found herself in the living room, alone with her thoughts. Dylan had gone out to buy some groceries, but she couldn't focus on anything. She stared blankly at the medical papers scattered on the table, the brochures on treatments and procedures, but none of them seemed to offer an answer.
She suddenly stood up, impatient to escape the feeling of confinement. Her eyes landed on the window, and she caught sight of the last rays of daylight reflecting in the horizon. She felt trapped in a spiral where every decision seemed to push her further into uncertainty. She wanted to forget everything, to erase it all, but she knew that wasn't possible.
The sound of the front door opening echoed, and Dylan entered the room, carrying grocery bags. He immediately noticed her worried expression and placed the bags on the table before approaching her.
"You still haven't eaten, Léa. Do you want us to sit for a moment?" he asked, but he already knew the answer before she even spoke. He recognized that look on her face, that anxiety he didn't know how to ease.
"I'm not hungry, Dylan," she replied softly. "I just… I don't know what to think anymore."
Dylan sat next to her, trying to catch her gaze. "You feel lost, don't you?"
She nodded slowly, her eyes lowered. "I feel like everything is slipping away. On one hand, I want to fight, but on the other hand, I feel like everything I do won't change anything. And you… you're constantly sacrificing for me. You give so much, but do you really get what you want?"
He took a moment to respond, studying her face, trying to understand the extent of the confusion she felt. "I don't want to leave you, Léa. What I'm doing, I'm doing because I want to. And I'm not looking for anything in return. It's you I want, not a life without you."
Léa turned her gaze toward him, her heart tightening at his words. "But if you're sacrificing your own life to be by my side, what's that going to lead to? You have your dreams, your plans… I don't want to be the one stopping you from achieving them."
Dylan stood up, then leaned toward her, taking her hands in his. "My life, my dreams… all of that only makes sense if I can share it with you. I want to be here for you, even if it means making sacrifices. And I promise you I'll always be here, even when everything seems impossible. Because I believe in you, and I believe we can get through this together."
Léa stood up as well, the emotion overwhelming her. She turned to him, a shiver running through her body. "But what about you, Dylan? What do you really want?"
The words that had been rushing through her head got stuck in her throat. He had never had to think so deeply about that question, but in asking it aloud, he realized his answer had already been etched in his heart: he just wanted to be with her. No matter how he got there, he couldn't bear the thought of leaving her.
"I want you, Léa," he said finally, his voice firm, full of conviction. "I want to be here for you, I want to see you fight, and I want to be the one supporting you, no matter what happens. Everything else… everything else doesn't really matter."
Léa's eyes filled with tears, but this time, they weren't tears of fear or doubt. They were tears of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She collapsed into his arms, softly whispering, "I love you, Dylan."
He held her close, feeling the warmth of her body, feeling that, despite the uncertainty, despite the illness threatening them, they were still united. And that, more than anything else, was what truly mattered.
The decisions weren't easy, and the future remained unclear. But for the first time in a long while, Léa felt that, even amidst the whirlwind of her fears, she had finally found an anchor. And that anchor was Dylan. Together, they would have to face the unknown, but for now, that seemed enough.