If Tomorrow Never Comes

by Allison Ashley

“Could you try to surprise me just once, Ellie? Literally, all I want in this life is for you to call me one day and tell me you did something completely wild. Threw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they may.”

there was something about this man that made her wish their time wasn’t over just yet.

Be something other than a cancer patient for once. She swallowed, offered her hand, and blurted out her middle name. “May. My name’s May.”

They arrived at their destination too soon. They could have walked around this town for days, and still, it would have been too soon.

The gravity of losing her hadn’t fully hit until the following morning, after the daze of such a perfect evening cleared like fog after the sun came up. He’d replayed the time spent with May with fresh eyes and a clear head, and concluded there was a good chance he’d met—and lost—his soulmate.

He wasn’t into fate or horoscopes or love-at-first-sight nonsense. He still hadn’t done the latter—hadn’t fallen in love with her—but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt he could.

I climbed trees way before I ever picked up a baseball glove.”

What would he do if they resurfaced, even though he was with Carly now? That thought disturbed him the most—the possibility that no matter how hard he’d fought against it, he might have inclinations like his father’s.

Working as a gardener was fine during offseason, but it can’t be what you want to spend your life doing. There’s nowhere to go. No way to move up.” “Not all of us care about being at the top.” “Bullshit. Every man has a burning desire to rule their kingdom.” The toxic masculinity rolling off his skin was suffocating.

Don’t be so worried about turning into Dad that you force yourself to stay in something that isn’t right.”

“I don’t want to hurt anyone,” he whispered. “I know.” Her next words were soft, gentle. “But sometimes ignoring something makes it more painful in the long run.”

You can’t have an honest, worthwhile conversation with someone else if you haven’t been truthful with yourself.”

Last night a headache came on around ten. A constant headache was one of her first symptoms when she was originally diagnosed, so despite knowing they were common and it was probably nothing, they never failed to send her into a spiral of fear.

Elliott gave an awkward wave because, well, she was awkward.

“I’m a terrible person.” “Don’t talk like that. You’ve been put in a difficult position, and you’re handling it as well as you can. There’s no perfect way to maneuver these things, okay? You did nothing wrong,

and I just want to be honest with myself, and with you, about what we’re doing. It feels like we might just be together to avoid being alone, and that’s not fair to either of us.”

There’s something to be said for considering other people’s emotions, but sometimes our decisions are going to hurt people. Sometimes the truth hurts, but is that a reason to hold it back?

“Want some water before you go?” he asked. Despite only running half her planned route, she was thirsty. It would only take her a few minutes to get to her place for literally the exact same thing, but . . . “Sure.”

Mondays were Elliott’s favorite day of the week. She always thought Mondays got a bad rap,

Love can be messy and inconvenient. It doesn’t always show up at the most opportune time, or even with the person we always thought. But that’s what makes it so magical.

Let’s have our coffee, eat, and make out on the couch, and then I want to take you to my trees.” “Your trees?” “Yep. Every arborist has a favorite tree. It’s a rule. I have two and I want you to see them.”

We can go back if you want. Stay at my place or yours, whatever you want.” She nodded, her hair brushing his chin. “Yeah, okay. Let’s go home.”