“I do not give a rat's front teeth about decorum right now," my father enunciated clearly and loudly. "I have a hole in my side! Have you not noticed?”

“I have everything I need now, too," I assure her. "And you're never going anywhere which is why I'm giving this to you.”

“I'll give you a reason," I tell her, my voice raw. "I promise. If you give me the chance, I will give you a reason to be with me.”

“I can’t let you break my heart. I don’t have much of it left.”

“No. I can't let you break my heart. I don't have much of it left.”

“Mila, I've said this before, but you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You are beautiful inside and out. I don't deserve to have met you. I don't deserve you in any way. But there's nothing I want more than to be with you. to wake up beside you for the rest of my life. I am so grateful that you stuck by me for as long as you did. And all I want to know now is what I can do to make you stick with me again? You name it and i'll do it. Anything.”

“I love you so much," she whispers. "I love you so much. But I can't. Not right now.”