The Price of Freedom - Mary Crawford

Every breath is a precious gift.

Nate Abernethy learned this lesson the hard way from a very young age. Now, he faces an impossible decision. Should he stay by the side of the woman he's loved since elementary school when he knows each breath she draws could be her last? Even so,  Nate feels driven to fulfill the promise he made to his dad to join the military and help catch the insurgents who killed him.
There is no right choice.

 For as long as she can remember, Holly Caldwell knew she would never reach old age. Cystic fibrosis robs you of time.  Determined not to let CF rule her life, she has always been in a hurry to grow up and experience everything to make up for lost time.  Holly fell in love with Nate while she was playing ball on the playground. He is one of the few people who doesn't act like her funeral is going to be tomorrow. They've been in love forever, but suddenly Nate has been acting strange. Holly wonders if her disability has become too much of a strain on the relationship.

Nate is trying to make an impossible choice about their future, but Holly wouldn't want to be treated differently. He needs to balance his reality against the vow he made to his father.  He must decide whether to keep his promise to his father or spend every second possible with Holly.  Either way, the price of freedom is just too high.

 If you enjoy reading clean and wholesome short stories about first loves, this book is for you.

Authors note: The Price of Freedom is a novella which can be read as a standalone. However, it will be better understood if it's read after Jude's Song but before Paths Not Taken.