Can't you two just get married? We'd pay for the wedding, their parents pleaded. But John and Mary shook their heads. It was impossible to express their deep commitment in a few ceremonial words. So their teary and distraught parents and grandparents and friends gathered to witness their ultimate romantic gesture.

My heart beats only for you, Mary and John said in unison. They kissed passionately. It was a serious moment. Maybe their last.

Now lay down already, the cardiovascular chirurgeon said. You'll know if the operation is succesful. (He excelled in heart transplants but his bedside manner was awful.)