I read this not knowing what to expect. I don't usually read het.

And found out that I liked it. I loved the ending part, I really did. "A tiny promise is made with each cancer-stick she hides". It's very poignant, and I loved the last line "A few more years, is a promise he made and a promise he’s made to keep."

I read irony into that last line. Good job!

Aw, sweetie. This struck a chord in me. :/

I love how every time you write, you capture human nature so f-cking perfectly, without spouting silly lines and cliches that are too far gone to mean something anymore. You weave the essence of life into your words, dear. It's brilliant and beautiful. ♥

I like it.
This seems like it ought to be read on a little stage in a coffee shop fifty years ago. I can see it.