forever and always - taylor swift

17

One afternoon, as the sun began to set, Daisy sat on the porch, her legs stretched out in front of her. The sky was a brilliant mix of orange and pink, and for the first time in a long while, Daisy felt something like peace. She wasn't completely healed, and she knew the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but the future felt a little less uncertain. There was hope now.

Taylor joined her, sitting down beside her, and they both looked out at the horizon, sharing the quiet moment together.

"You're really doing it, you know," Taylor said after a while, her voice low but filled with pride.

Daisy gave her a small, tired smile, her fingers brushing against Taylor's. "It feels like a lot of work, but... yeah. I think I am."

Taylor squeezed her hand, her heart swelling with admiration. "You are. And I'll be here, every step of the way."

Daisy leaned her head against Taylor's shoulder, letting the simple comfort of the moment wash over her. For the first time in a long time, she felt like maybe she could get through this. Maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as alone in this fight as she'd once thought.

And with Taylor beside her, she was starting to believe that anything was possible.

A few days after Daisy had started feeling more like herself, she found herself sitting in the sterile white room of her oncologist's office, her fingers nervously tapping the armrest of the chair. Taylor sat beside her, ever the reassuring presence, though she could tell that Daisy was on edge. They had been through this before-the wait for results, the uncertainty-but there was a difference this time. The small improvements in Daisy's health had given her a glimmer of hope she hadn't allowed herself to feel in months.

The door opened, and Dr. Miller, her oncologist, entered with a stack of papers in hand. He gave them both a warm, professional smile as he settled into his chair across from them.

"How are we feeling today, Daisy?" Dr. Miller asked, his tone kind but businesslike.

Daisy shrugged, her voice betraying a slight unease. "Better, I guess. But I won't get my hopes up until I hear what you have to say."

Dr. Miller nodded, glancing at the papers in front of him before looking back at Daisy. "Well, that's why we're here, isn't it?" he said with a gentle smile. He cleared his throat, the anticipation hanging in the air. "I have good news, Daisy. Your most recent results-your blood work, scans-they're all looking very positive. We're seeing a significant improvement."

Daisy's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching as she processed the words. "Improvement?" she echoed, as if needing to hear it again to believe it.

"Yes," Dr. Miller continued, his eyes locking with hers. "There's a marked reduction in the size of the tumors. The chemotherapy is working better than expected. In fact, we're seeing a stronger chance of survival. I'd say that, at this point, we're looking at a very promising prognosis."

For a moment, Daisy was speechless. Her mind raced, trying to process the words, the significance of what he was saying. It felt like the ground beneath her was shifting, like she was standing on the edge of something new-a future that suddenly seemed a little more possible.

"I-" Daisy started, her voice wavering as she struggled to form a coherent sentence. "You're saying... there's a real chance? I could actually-"

"Live?" Dr. Miller finished for her, his tone calm but full of assurance. "Yes, Daisy. I'm confident that, with continued treatment, we can beat this. It's still going to take time, and there may be more difficult days ahead, but right now? I believe you have a very good chance of being fully healed."