My wife. My heart. My life. I walk to the chair beside her bed and pull it close. I reach for her hand and it's cold. I hold it between both of mine, then kiss her knuckles. Why does all this bad shit keep happening? They say it all happens in threes, right? This should be the end then. We had the whore, the broken hand, and now this. That's it. Done. Finished. We don't need any more bullshit. We've been through enough, Lucy's been through enough. “Baby,“ I begin, “you need to come back to me. Get better and come back. I can't do this without you,“ I shake my head, resting my forehead against her hand. “I don't know how and I don't want to try. You are everything that is good in this life,“ I look up into her face, her beautiful face, too pale and too still. “I love you, Luciana.“ “Do you think she can hear you?“ Xander asks, startling me. I don't look away from her face. “I'd like to think so which is why I'm going to keep talking.“ Xander pulls up a chair to the other side of the bed.
