It was a few years ago but the memories play in my mind so vividly. I was one of few who witnessed a sad, tragic love story before my own eyes. This is not a John Green paperback but a true testimony of an everlasting love.

It was not a love at first sight situation, it was so much more meaningful than that. She was fourteen and he was only thirteen but their ages truly do not matter. They lived in the same town and attended the same school but they met on the sidelines of a soccer game.

Their brothers were teammates and little did they know that they would be too. He was so full of life with a smile that lit up the world. Anyone who met him noticed how he gave off the most positive energy. She was an outgoing girl who was shy around him. Beautiful and different in her own way. It wasn’t long before she fell for him and naturally he fell for her. I wish it was that simple, but life never is.

A few months later a knee pain sent him to the doctor. No one stressed it because sports injuries were very common for teens his age, That was until the doctor came back with news that would change the lives of many. He was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, also known as childhood bone cancer. Not one person could believe the doctor’s findings but we all knew it would be a long journey ahead.

With news like this, she could have ran and never looked back but she did the opposite. She was by his side through it all, for every round of chemo and the countless doctor’s appointments. Together they were a team fighting the toughest of battles. Time passed and although the chemo took his hair, it could not take away his smile. He was so strong on the good days and the bad days. Anyone could give up a fight like this but he was determined and she was too.

I admired the strength they gave each other. When he was weak, she was patient. When he was tired she’d lay beside him and when he couldn’t eat he made sure she ate for the both of them. It was truly beautiful the way they completed each other so perfectly. I felt so blessed to be their friend and to witness the love they shared.

After an operation on his leg and a few more rounds of chemo, he was declared cancer free. This was the greatest of news and life began to calm down again. A whole year went by and a huge celebration was held to honor him being cancer free for so long. We gathered at his grandmother’s house and thanked God for this blessing.

The two of them cherished this down time by spending every moment together enjoying each other’s company. Their families grew close and became one. Everyone around them found the love they shared so refreshing for such young teens. Although an occasional tiff would occur, that was the least of their worries. They had a love people search their whole lives to find.

Time went on and the seasons changed from spring to summer and then to fall but their love did not change, it only grew. Each day they loved more than the last and it was something we all adored watching. The smiles they exchanged when their eyes met upon every acquaintance, the way they always knew how the other was feeling without exchanging a single world and how they always looked at every moment together as a gift.

Six months had passed rather quickly and it was time for his biannual full body cancer scan. He had been cancer free for a year so we all just hoped it was still that way. Unfortunately, you can only hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Little did we know that worst could become the worst. The scan showed cancer activity in his left lung and the chemo rounds stated again. We could not comprehend how the cancer came back but we all offered endless amounts of support to him and his family.

This news frightened her which was only natural upon hearing such tragic news. However, she kept her composure and provided all the love and backing he needed during this terrible time. The chemo was not working well enough and a major operation was put into place, the removal of his left lung. This surgery was risky and dangerous, but the doctors felt it was the best hope for his recovery.

I remember hearing these words come out of her mouth as she cried in my arms. I wished I could offer her something to make the unpleasant feeling vanish but no words or actions in my control could change the way she and everyone who loved him felt. This was in God’s hands now and we all prayed.

The night of his operation I laid beside her for comfort. We looked through pictures from when we had all first met. It was amazing to see how much we grew up, the change in our hair color, the loss of our baby fat cheeks. Her eyes lit up when she saw his smile in every photo of them, there were so many. I personally love photos. I fell as if they are a window to the past and I was thankful she had countless memories captured of them together.

We spoke little but our minds both ran. Trying to think good thoughts, trying to be positive. We both stared at the ceiling in silence and cried softly. Being positive was hard when the outcome is completely out of your control. When we received word that the operation was a success we let out a sigh of relief and a "thanks be to God." He was so strong that we knew he could do it but the fear of the unknown triggered our worries. He was very fragile the month following this extensive operation but she cared for him more than ever. If he needed help whether it be big or small she was there to help.

Summer was approaching again and the month of July was very big for her. She had been planning her Sweet 16 her whole life and it was finally around the corner. Her day had finally arrived and she made her way down the stairs in her beautiful blue ball gown and he waited at the bottom in his suit that matched perfectly. He was too weak to dance the night away but he shared special dances with her, making memories that would last forever. I sat back and once again adored the love they shared. She was his princess and he was her prince.

Not too long after that beautiful day, things began to crumble. His complaints of headaches were confirmed with an overwhelmingly large spread of cancer to his brain. The doctors tried to think of a plan but if the chemo did not work there was no other resort. We thought we heard bad news but not until we heard these words.

The last months of his battle were painful and heartbreaking. She was by his side every day making sure he knew he was loved beyond measures and that nothing would ever change that. They would talk on the phone when they were apart just to find comfort in each other’s voices. She was there until the last day.

On October 10, 2014, Heaven gained a new angel and our world lost an amazing young man. The community came together in an outpour of support but noting could heal the broken hearts. I’ll never forget walking into the doors of the funeral home to find her in his jersey with the tears of pain on her cheeks. I held her and I felt her shattered heart. She lost her love, her whole world.

A little over a year has gone by now but not a single day goes by that I don’t remember the love I had the honor of witnessing. Although he is gone the love they shared is still very much so alive. When I see her she still has that glimmer in her eyes and I know it’s because she still has love.

I witnessed love. In memory of Vincent Gentile lll.