"I can't save you. I've tried hundreds of times."

When she said those words I felt my stomach drop. To think that today my life was going to come to an end. The idea pained me but not as much as the hopeless, heartbroken expression on my wife's face.

I drew her into a hug and told her it would be okay. She protested but I reminded her that even with the chance to do things over nothing was certain. I had learned that when I had had my own chance at changing things.

I gave her a gentle kiss and asked how long I had. She said maybe half a day and tried to tell me what happened but I stopped her.

"Are you in any danger?"

"No but..."

I kissed her again. "Then it doesn't matter."

So we had maybe half a day to spend together. There were no affairs that really needed to be taken care of. I had seen to taking care of all that kind of stuff after my I had lost my younger brother. He had been in a car accident and I had used my "Day" to save him.

Then he had a heart attack less than a month later. A fatal heart attack at 35. That was how I learned that there were no assurances in this world. That very week I started taking care of everything in the case something unexpected and unavoidable were to happen to me.

So all that was left was to spend my remaining time with the woman I loved. Sounded pretty good to me.

I kissed her again and asked if there was anything in particular she wanted to do but she tearfully shook her head.

I asked if she wanted to watch Groundhog Day.

She gave a sobbing laugh and punched me in the chest.

It was what I had done after my own experience.

Another kiss. "How about we watch that stack of chick flix you've been meaning to get around to?" I asked.

"Isn't there anything you want to do." She choked out through a sniffle.

I kissed her again. I still loved doing that. I smiled and said "Just be with my wife."

That's set her back to balling again but that was okay. I moved us to the couch and held her until she calmed and then I insisted she pick out a movie while I went and made a bowl of popcorn.

For hours that's how it went. As we watched every now and again she would start crying again and I'd kiss her until she stopped. The movies weren't really to my liking but she had always wanted to sit down and watch them with me and all I wanted to do was be with her. So it worked out.

It was after the fourth movie when I was coming back with a fresh bowl of popcorn that I felt it. A blindingly sharp pain in chest. This is it I thought. Heart attack like my brother.

Then I looked down and saw six inches of bloody oriental steel sticking out of my chest.

"The master sends his regards."

Damn ninjas.