"We'll be waiting outside, honey. Hang in there."

New smiled at us warmly before entering the therapy room. When the two of us were left waiting outside, I was reminded of the first time New underwent the therapy. It was a traumatic experience for all three of us, as we witnessed him pass out after receiving radiation. It seemed like a distant memory with the flood of events that occurred in the short span of time, but it really was just weeks ago. 

"I'm still proud of him.", I said out of the blue. New's mom seemed like she was deep in her own thoughts too, but she still looked at me.

"It's only weeks ago when we saw him pass out because of the therapy, and now it looks like he doesn't even wince at the sight of the machine."

"New has always been a brave boy.", His mom replied in a smile.

"When he lost his bestfriend, I expected him to cry a river and never get over it, especially when they were like brothers. On top of that, my flight abroad was scheduled for next week. He had a lot of things in his plate that I expected him to break down and ask  for help, but he didn't. Within three days, he was already standing on his two feet. I even advised him to take a leave in school so he could rest, but he didn't want to. Maybe that's why I rarely got worried about him even if I was abroad, because he was brave enough to live his youth alone, all while battling his disease."

"Right. But he's kinda weird too. It's my first time seeing someone who eats cake for breakfast, sits on the same spot of the bus on the way to school every single day, and still stops over a cafe near school to slurp on a large cup of milkshake."

Our laughter echoed across the hallway when we talked of New's peculiarities as a person. Her mom mentioned how he grew up watching animal planet rather than cartoons, which explains why he has a wide knowledge on animals. Apparently, he also only eats the white part of the egg, and he's a pretty fast runner. He thinks that he looks a lot like Channing Tatum, and believes that he's the Thai version of the actor. 

"He really thinks he's that handsome?", I asked laughing.

"Don't even get me started on his arrogance hahaha! He knows too well that his face is captivating, so he's always proud of what he looks like."

"Well, he's indeed handsome. It's one of the reasons why I fell for him."

We laughed more, our conversation about New getting deeper with each minute that passed. As his mother talked about the things that made New who he is, I realized that I knew only a portion of who he really was, and I won't ever have the chance to delve deeper into the character of the man I love.

"I wish I had known him sooner. Knowing only all of these things now, I regret not knowing him at an earlier time. If only...If only I did, I wouldn't miss a huge portion of his life.", I said.

Suddenly, the light atmosphere turned into a heavy one. We were suddenly reminded of the horrible fate that New was nearing to meet, and even if we said a million times that we've prepared our hearts for the heartbreak, we weren't really ready to lose him.

"He...he won't even get to experience high school graduation.", His mom said, sobbing in between her words.

New was only eighteen years old, and his cancer stripped him of the opportunity to experience the great things in life. He won't be able to feel the feeling of graduating, standing under the scorching heat of the sun in a toga waiting for his name to be called. While most teenagers were out there exploring greater heights and getting into colleges, he was fighting for his life in a match that had an already presumed defeat.

"I don't know how I'll get through this.", New's mom continued crying, her hands brushing aggressively on her ripped jeans. 

"If only I could donate half of my lifetime, or even all of it, I'd do it for him. He's too young to die, Tawan. He's too young."

Her voice was already weak and nasal from all the crying, but I couldn't tell her to stop, or that it was okay. 

"I don't know how I'll be able to wake up to a day without him too.", I said as I brushed my hand on New's mom to comfort her.

"But if all we have with him is the limited amount of time we can use to make his life lived here on earth a worthwhile experience, we should make it the best life he could ever wish for."

I hugged New's mom in an attempt to comfort her from the agony that she felt, and although it was something I rarely did, it was the only thing I could offer to mend her broken heart. Losing a lover may mean like a harrowing moment for me, but losing a son would mean a mother's world had crashed completely.

"It's almost time for New's treatment to end, we don't want him to see us crying, right Ma? Let's be strong okay? I know it's hard, but we have to. For New."

"Of course, for New."

Just then, the doors swung open and out came New, all smiles in his face.

"Finally, it's done."