This story is dedicated to the memory of a beautiful young woman who wasn't able to live her life to the full.
Wednesday.
Alex & Di are good friends who I meet up with once a month, usually for a pub meal or BBQ, and we catch up on each others news – work, life, recent trips & experiences, and families, etc.
We met in O'Brien's Irish Bar close to their home for a few beers & a meal after work. The first pint slid down easily after a long day at work and after getting another round of drinks in we started to talk more as our immediate thirsts were quenched for now. The conversation seemed a bit stilted & hard work as they seemed quite sullen & spent a lot of the time looking at the table, rather than making eye contact. After catching up on how each of us was doing at work, I suggested we order dinner as I was hungry and it also gave me a break to go to the bar and order. I was hoping that if they had had a disagreement previously then they would brighten up by the time I got back to the table.
As we sat making our beers last until the meals arrived the conversation did not pick up & something was definitely wrong. So rather than having a miserable evening I asked if everything was OK, and at which point Di started crying quietly.
'Oh shit,' I thought 'they are splitting up."
"We have a problem," stated Alex, "Dawn has been diagnosed with stomach cancer."
"Oh shit," I blurted out.
"She has been given two months to live," Alex continued," and two weeks of that has now gone."
"I don't know what to say to you both, apart from I am very sorry for all of you and if there is anything I can do to help, in anyway, just say anytime day or night," I said in shock.
Dawn is Alex & Di's only child, a shy, quiet 19 year old who was going through university until this came up.
Alex finished his beer, so I signaled for 3 more as I didn't want to leave them while I fetched them. The telling of the news seemed to have drained Alex, & Di eventually took up the conversation after a long silence.
"We took Dawn to Hawaii last week for a holiday as it is a place she has always wanted to visit and so we did it while she was still well enough to travel," Di took a sip of beer before continuing, "We had a great week together & spent most of the time talking as we felt time was slipping away. We all wanted to ensure that we had said all the things we wanted to say and express our love for each other. One evening over dinner we were talking about none of us wanting to die with any regrets and that the month should give us time to ensure that didn't happened. Alex asked Dawn if she had any regrets and if so, could they be resolved. Dawn said she had one regret and hoped that it could be solved."
For the first time both Di & Alex looked up at me and looked straight into my eyes before turning & looking at each other. They gave each other a slight nod before Alex turned back to me.
"You asked if there was anything you could do, were you serious?"
"Shit, yes," I instantly responded, "I known you all over 15 years and you are special to me. I will do absolutely anything you want to help you and Dawn especially... money, treatment, transport, anything just say"
They looked at each other again and nodded to each other again. This time Di spoke, "This is a mummy type of question & it needs to be me to ask it."
I sat quietly & waited for the question, desperately wanting to have a swig of beer, but sitting still waiting for the question.
"I would...I would like to... How can I say this?... Dawn's only regret is that she doesn't want to die a virgin," Di finally blurted out.
I stared silently at them, my mind a whirlwind trying to ensure I had heard & understood them. If I said the wrong thing now I would possibly spoil a very special friendship & make a nightmare for them. I wasn't totally sure that I understood the question as it was more a blurted statement. I took a sip of beer to buy myself some more time.
At this point the meals arrived and this gave me a couple more minutes as the waitress set the meals down & made sure we had all we needed.
"I don't know what to say," I finally responded, "as I am not sure what you are asking."
"Dawn is very quiet & shy and very religious. She doesn't have a boyfriend even though several of the boys at church have asked her out. She feels that if she lost her virginity to one of the boys, it wouldn't mean much to them, and so they wouldn't make it special for her," Di explained, "Dawn wants it to be someone she trusts who will love her, treat her gently, and make her a woman as she puts it."
Yet again they looked at each other & nodded, but this time Alex spoke.
We would like it to be you who makes love to Dawn for the first time as we trust you to treat her right."
'Fuck,' I thought, suddenly realizing the insensitivity of that particular thought.
"I am 40," I stated, "and Dawn is 19."
"That is why we chose you, because you care and you love her as a friend & our daughter," Di added.
"Wow", I responded," Do you mind if we eat while I try to take this in?, I am stunned."