The Fading Moon Chapter 13: The First Snow Promise

Read chapter 13 of The Fading Moon by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

October passed. Then November. And somehow, despite everything, Jessika kept fighting. The new treatment was exhausting. Some days she felt strong. Other days she could barely leave her bed. Yet she never stopped trying. Never stopped smiling. Never stopped living. Mike admired her for that. More than she knew. More than he could ever explain. Every day he watched her face challenges that would break most people. And every day she somehow found the strength to laugh. Even when she was afraid. Even when she was hurting. Even when nobody else could see it. One cold evening, Mike sat beside Jessika in a hospital waiting room. Another appointment. Another round of tests. The room was quiet except for the occasional sound of nurses moving through nearby hallways. Jessika was reading a novel. Mike was pretending to read a magazine. Actually, he was watching her. Again. "You know that's creepy, right?" Mike nearly dropped the magazine. Jessika didn't even look up from her book. "You keep staring." "I wasn't." "You were." "No." Jessika finally looked at him. A smug smile appeared. "You absolutely were." Mike sighed. Some things would never change. Thankfully. After the appointment ended, they stepped outside. The air felt colder than usual. Winter was approaching. The streets of Tokyo sparkled beneath countless lights. Stores had already begun putting up decorations. The entire city seemed to glow. Jessika looked around excitedly. "I love this season." Mike raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She pointed toward the sky. "It's almost snow season." Mike laughed. "You sound like a child." "I am a child." "You never let me forget that." Jessika grinned. "Good." For a while they wandered through the illuminated streets. The city felt magical. Almost dreamlike. People hurried past carrying shopping bags. Couples walked hand in hand. Children laughed as they admired decorations. The world seemed unusually happy. And for once... Mike felt happy too. A few days later, they crossed another item off the memory list. The expensive restaurant. Or at least... Jessika's version of an expensive restaurant. Which turned out to be significantly cheaper than Mike expected. The moment they entered, Jessika looked impressed. "This place is amazing." Mike stared. "It's just a restaurant." "It's a fancy restaurant." "It has chairs." "Fancy chairs." Mike laughed. Jessika pointed at the menu. Then immediately froze. Her expression changed. "Oh." "What?" "The prices." Mike smirked. "Suddenly not so fancy?" Jessika narrowed her eyes. "I'll take water." Mike laughed so hard nearby customers stared. For the first time in days, he couldn't stop smiling. Neither could she. That night, after dinner, they found themselves walking through a quiet park. The temperature continued dropping. The wind felt sharper. Winter was definitely coming. Jessika pulled her coat tighter around herself. Mike noticed. Without saying anything, he removed his scarf and handed it to her. Jessika blinked. "What?" "Wear it." "You'll be cold." "I'll survive." She smiled softly. Then wrapped the scarf around her neck. It was slightly too big. Yet somehow it suited her. The sight made Mike smile. A small smile. One he hoped she wouldn't notice. Unfortunately... She noticed everything. As they walked deeper into the park, something unexpected happened. A tiny white speck drifted through the air. Then another. And another. Jessika stopped immediately. Her eyes widened. "No way." Mike looked up. Snow. The first snowfall of the year. Light. Gentle. Beautiful. Jessika stared upward in amazement. "It's snowing." Her voice sounded almost magical. Like a child witnessing something impossible. More snowflakes drifted from the sky. Soon the entire park was filled with them. The city lights reflected softly against the falling white crystals. Everything became quieter. Softer. More beautiful. Jessika slowly stepped into an open area. The snow gathered in her hair. On her coat. On the scarf Mike had given her. And