Emmy was born in the United Kingdom, so every fiber of her being was designed to embrace the cloudy skies, cold days, and heavy rain. So, while she was in Australia with her boyfriend, the heat did a number on her. She asked Jake for a massage to ease the pain in her neck and he happily agreed to do it. After all, he could never refuse her. But when he touched her neck, he froze with fear. What did she have?
Emmy and Jake ran into each other during a school assembly when they were 11 years old. At that moment, they formed a bond that was based on friendship, kindness, and mutual respect. But then, their teenage hormones kicked in and they couldn’t see the truth that was right in front of them. So, nature took them in a different direction.
As time passed, Emmy and Jake continued falling for other people. By the time he was 13, Jake called Emmy his lobster, just like Phoebe on “Friends,” who once told Ross that he and Rachel were going to be together because she was his lobster, and that she believed sea creatures were into monogamy. But Jake and Emmy couldn’t admit their feelings for each other.
It took another five years of sheer friendship before these two came clean about their feelings. At the start of their three-year romance, Jake wrote to Emmy: “You are my everything and if you still can put up with me, I will marry you one day.” It felt as though the stars had finally aligned for these two, and they could see a future with each other. But adulthood threatened to sour their milk.
After deciding to be together, they discovered they had to be apart when their careers took off. They decided to leave each other, but not because they fell out of love. They simply felt that this was the only way for them to live their dreams without holding one another back. But the universe works in mysterious ways and can turn the biggest skeptic into a believer.
Although they had spent years preparing for a career while in college, Emmy and Jake were about to find their way back to each other. Emmy had told Jake that she’d marry him when they hit 30, and this wasn’t a promise he would let her forget. So, ten years after they walked away from each other, he sent her a text. But destiny wasn’t going to make it easier for these lovebirds.
Jake was now living in Australia and working as a doctor, while Emmy lived in Britain and educated young people. This meant that 10,000 miles kept these two apart for weeks on end. But they kept in touch with the help of the internet, and since flights to both countries were affordable, it was easy for them to visit each other too. But with time running out, Jake came up with something.
Jake and Emmy had known each other for over twenty years. He knew her family, her goals, her desires, and even her favorite color. He could tell when she was happy and when she was sad and could turn her frown upside down. They were the best of friends and Jake saw a future with Emmy, and he wasn’t about to risk losing her again.
Jake wanted to keep his promise to her after spending so much time apart. But he also wanted to make up for lost time and speed things up a bit. So, he came up with the perfect solution. He planned a lovely getaway to the Philippines. But this wasn’t a vacation. He intended to propose to Emmy. But before they could make it to their destination, fate intervened once again.
The only thing that scared Jake was Emmy. When he was younger, he was afraid that she would only see him as a friend. As he got older, he was afraid he would make a decision he’d regret. Now, his biggest fear was the thought of living without her. So, when she flew over to visit him in Australia, Jake’s fear had initially been about whether she’d say yes or no to his proposal. Then he noticed the lump growing on her neck.
Jake wasn’t initially scared. After all, lumps were typical. But his instincts forced him to get Emmy to have the lump checked out. Then the test results came in the day before they were scheduled to take a flight to the Philippines. Emmy had a rare thyroid cancer, and it had spread to her bones, spine, and lungs. Sadly, there was no cure for Emmy’s condition, but that didn’t wash away that big smile she had.
Jake felt like his life had been turned upside down. So, he flew to Britain so he could be at Emmy’s side and help her to fight her condition. He also decided to change his original plan and propose to her while serving her a cup of tea in bed. The couple got married a few days later and they had no intention of allowing cancer to ruin their lives. Besides, Emmy lived by a simple rule: “Smile, love and be kind.”
“Love truly is the best drug and I have been totally smothered in it,” said Emmy. She decided to have a positive outlook despite the fact that they had just learned that her odds of conceiving a child were not good at all. Emmy and Jake decided to share their story online and explained: “Although all of this news has been a shock and challenging at times, it has also made me realize how important and precious every day is and to enjoy and treasure every moment.” Her positivity was illuminating.
Emmy decided to stay busy during the time she had left, and that included helping people. She and Jake rode their bicycles from London to Copenhagen to raise over $195,000 for the Royal Marsden Hospital. And while undergoing chemotherapy, she worked on a children’s book collection called “Tara and Tyrone.” Jake illustrated the books. But there’s only so much that one can do with the power of positive thinking.
Emmy thought of everyone, even in the end. So, all the proceeds from her books were donated to a good cause. Unfortunately, she passed away and Jake had to finish the last book for her. These two could have had a happy life together, but that just wasn’t meant to be. Still, Jake considered himself blessed to have gotten the chance to spend the time that he did with Emmy. Jake eventually started dating again, but he’ll never forget about Emmy.