Chapter 28

Maine woke up from a very strange dream, five days after her operation. In her dream, there were two Aldens standing in front of her. One with glasses, the other one without. They were smiling, trying to reach out to her. Suddenly, the Alden with glasses was slowly disappearing, the two Aldens looked at each other. The one with glasses reached out and touch the other one on the shoulder and said, "take care of her."

And he disappeared completely. Maine was now left standing in front of the Alden without glasses. But she could feel that it wasn't her Alden. He was someone else. But she didn't feel like she doesn't him either. He was just different, but he was also familiar to her. Too familiar. Maine just couldn't place it.

She woke up with her parents being the first thing that she saw. But the first word that she'd spoken was the name of her best friend.

Once more, her parents calmly explained to Maine what had happened during the time that she was unconscious. She stared at them in disbelief. Was she only dreaming that Alden visited her? She could have sworn she'd heard him talk to her while she slept. Was it really just her imagination? Was it only a dream that she felt him holding her hand? Felt the tears that fell down his eyes and onto her hand? Or was it only his ghost visiting her, saying good bye?

It was only when the Faulkersons visited her that she finally believed that her best friend was gone. They explained what had happened and the decision to donate Alden's heart to her. Rio also explained that she would be leaving with Alden's father. She was just finishing off her contracts with her clients then she would leave with Rick.

"I'll be back before you know it," Rio told Maine as she wiped the tears of the young girl whom she treated like a daughter. "It would just be for a few years. Your Tito Rick needs to finish off his contracts in New York. Once that's done. We'll be back home."

One more final farewell and the Faulkersons left the hospital.

The Faulkersons and the Mendozas though, decided it was best to not mention Jason for the time being. It might confuse Maine and it would be unfair to both Jason and Alden. So they kept it a secret between themselves, hoping that one day the right time would come for them to finally meet.

Maine stayed in the hospital for a few more weeks as Dr. Vega needed to observe if Alden's heart would not react negatively to its new host. So far, things were going fine, with Maine taking daily dozes of steroids to keep the body from rejecting the heart. Dr. Vega explained that as time passes, the dosage will decrease. But in the meantime, she needs to take steroid injections everyday to ensure that the body adjusted to the new heart.

When Maine was finally discharged, she immediately wanted to visit Alden's grave site. But her parents were having none of it. They did promise her though that she will be allowed to visit him once the stitches were removed and her wounds were healed. That took another two weeks of bedrest and doctor visits.

When the two weeks were finally done and Dr. Vega gave her a clean bill of health, Maine was finally allowed to visit Alden's grave site.

Alden's grave was located under a huge tree that gave enough shade to cover not just Alden's grave site but three more of his neighbors. At the sight of his name engraved on the gravestone, Maine felt a stab on her chest. The gravestone gave it a kind of finality. Her best friend was truly gone. Tears fell down her face as she looked at his name, hoping that it was only a bad dream. But it wasn't.

She tried to compose herself, drying her tears as she placed the flowers and the candle on the ground in front of his gravestone.

"You know," she started when she sat down in front of his gravestone. "When you promised that I would see the world, this isn't how I imagined it would be. I had hoped that you would be here with me physically...not just a part of you."

Maine stopped as a tear fell down her eyes again. She quickly wiped it away, then continued, "I guess you're stuck with me now, whether you liked it or not. But Alden. Truly...thank you for your heart. I promise to take care of it. Thank you for the chance you've given me to see the world. I won't waste this opportunity."

She reached out and traced his name with her fingers. Her tears have now come down in streams.

"You know," she said, as she unconsciously touched her lips. "I've been having these strange dreams lately. In my dream, there were two of you. It's really strange.

"And back when both of us where in the hospital, I could have sworn that you've visited me several times. You even sang to me once and you've played your guitar. But mom and dad said that would have been impossible since you were in a coma."

She kept her fingers on Alden's gravestone, tracing his name. She read it in her mind: ALDEN RICHARD R. FAULKERSON. "Rich" as she remembered vaguely in her dream yet she couldn't figure out where she got that nickname.

"I miss you, Alden," Maine went on. "There wouldn't be a moment when I won't miss you. You've given me so much. A friendship that I wasn't expecting. A heart that I need but I don't deserve. You've given me a real life, Alden. Everything that I have right now was all because of you. I will never forget that.

"You've kept your promise. I will be able to see the world because of you. And I promise to make the best of it. I won't waste this precious gift you've given me. I'll make you proud. You will not regret ever giving me your heart. I'll make sure of that."

She wiped off her tears and composed herself as she lit up the candle that she brought for him. After saying a short prayer, she blew a kiss and touched the gravestone, and stood up.

"Goodbye, Alden," Maine said after a few moments. "I will never forget you."

-oo-

Author's Note: So this is the end..........

.......of the first arc of my story. 😝 I am not that evil just to end things like that....hehe...I did promise a happy ending.

Anyway, the next chapter will fast forward into the future where we will see an adult Maine. How will she meet Jason? And how will they find each other?