Last Night On Earth

Walking out of the doctor's office, Kathleen Armstrong tried to think of a way to tell her husband of fifteen years what she had just been informed of.
Billie Joe couldn't attend the appointment, but he was in the waiting room when his wife was done.
The second she saw him, she felt her eyes well up with tears.
He was immediately up, pulling her into his arms for a comforting hug.
"Let's go home," he said to Kathleen, taking her hand as they walked to his car.

The couple returned home to an empty house, their two children were at school.
"Kate, what did the doctor say?" Billie asked as they sat together in the kitchen.
"He told me that it's too late. I have two months."
"No. This isn't right. You can't have two months left to live.. We'll get another doctor! Someone who can actually do something.." His face was bright red; he was infuriated but trying to hide his complete and utter devastation at the same time.
"Billie Joe, I don't want to waste what little time I have!" Kathleen argued with him, "We need to start making arrangements."
"Right now? Because all I want to do is be with you.."
The woman got up, leading Billie upstairs to their bedroom, where they let their actions speak rather than their words.

When their children came home, Kathleen and Billie Joe sat them down at the dining room table and told them the news.
The eldest, Ryan, understood. But their daughter Marianne was confused.
Billie knew that once Kathleen was gone, he would see her in the kids more than he already did. Twelve year old Ryan had his mother's soft freckles and intelligence, where Marianne had her dark brown hair and smile at the age of ten.
While Kathleen made the kids their favourite after school snacks, Billie called his best friends and bandmates, Mike and Tre.
The two men quickly came to the house, where they sat with Billie in the living room and talked.

As the kids ate, Kathleen listened in on her husband's conversation.
"I have no idea what to do... I'm at such a loss," Billie Joe said, "Kate is my world."
Throughout their twenty years of knowing each other, Kathleen and Billie had proven their love many times, and this was no different.
"Doctors make mistakes," Mike Dirnt's voice rang out. He was always the most collected of the three men that made up one of the most influential bands today.
"That's what I said!" Billie huffed.
"But what did Leen say?" Tre asked.
"That she didn't want to waste her last two months finding another doctor and going through the process again.. It's times like these when I seriously wish that 'House' was a real dude. I'd give anything for more time with her," Billie spoke candidly, unaware of his wife's presence right around the corner.
"You can't blame her though," Mike reasoned, "I wouldn't want to either."
"But if there's a chance that the first results were wrong, wouldn't you want to know?" Tre asked and Kathleen sensed a heated debate coming on.
"Hey you two," she smiled, entering the room.
While Kathleen greeted Tre and Mike with warm hugs, she saw the look of complete hopelessness in Billie's eyes.
"Dad!" Ryan called from the kitchen, pulling Billie off of the couch.
"Coming!" he managed to reply, exiting the room swiftly and Kathleen took his spot.
"He's petrified, huh?" Kathleen asked, earning nods from the men.
"Why aren't you beside yourself?" Tre asked in return.
"I don't want to live my last eight weeks dreading what's ahead. I want to enjoy them and get the most out of every last second."
"And you won't get a second opinion?" Mike inquired, trying to understand Kathleen's thought process.
"I mean, when it's my time, then it's my time to go. I wouldn't be able to hear it again. I know I'm dying," she let out with a slight laugh, right as Billie walked back in.
"How are you so unphased by this?!" he asked, sitting beside his wife and pulling her close to him, knowing that he never wanted to let go.
"It's just one of the ways we differ, Billie," she shrugged, knowing that he never understood how she could always be so level headed.

That night when Billie didn't come to bed until four am, Kathleen knew it was because he had been up searching for a doctor to get a second opinion.
Once their kids were off to school, Kathleen confronted him.
"Did you find anyone?" she asked and he nodded.
"This guy at UCLA. I already called and set up an appointment for tomorrow. We're all gonna drive down and then go to Disney for the rest of Friday and Saturday."
"I don't think that going to Disneyland is going to make up for the fact that I'm dying," she answered, knowing that's exactly what her son would say. Ryan was a smart alec just like his father.
"I know, but it will give them time to have fun and make memories with you.. I did everything I possibly could with my dad before, you know," Billie told her.
He never took loss very well, especially when he had forewarning.
The man would become borderline obsessive, depending on what he was losing.
"Oh Billie Joe," Kathleen smiled softly, tugging on his messy, jet black hair affectionately.

Friday morning, Billie called the kids out of school from the car as they drove the six hours to Los Angeles.
When they got to UCLA, Ryan and Marianne waited patiently in the reception area while Billie accompanied Kathleen as she met with Dr. Henderson.
The man ran as many tests as possible on the thirty-two year old woman. He drew blood, did scans and combed through her file before telling the couple that it would take time for all of the results to return.
"We don't exactly have a lot of time," Billie rolled his eyes, earning a look from his wife.
"I've put a rush on them.. I assure you they'll be done within the next four or five weeks," Dr. Henderson told them.
They thanked the doctor then took their children to Anaheim.

Upon returning to Oakland after a seemingly normal, fun trip to Disneyland, things seemed to change around the Armstrong house.
While Kathleen tried her best and remained optimistic, Billie and their kids were slowly spiraling into depressions.
Billie spent the majority of his time either with Kathleen or in his studio. He refused to see Mike, Tre or anyone else unless absolutely necessary.
Ryan, who was much like his father to begin with, was very withdrawn at school while at home, he did everything he could to please his mother and make her smile.
Little Marianne was so naive. Her concept of 'going away forever' was when Billie went on tour.
The more they tried to explain, the more infuriated the little girl became.

With six weeks left on Kathleen's clock, she had to change her family's demeanor.
While Marianne and Ryan were at school, Kathleen joined Billie in their studio room of the house, which Billie referred to as his office.
"Look.. If you're acting like this now, what's going to happen when I'm gone?" she asked from her seat on the couch while her husband stood, strumming a guitar.
Billie simply shrugged and Kathleen let out a frustrated sigh.
"I know exactly what you'll do, Billie. You'll become a recluse. You'll be in a constant state of inebriation because you won't stand to be sober. If you don't start to make some changes and prove that you'll be able to function when I'm gone.. So help me God, I'll have the kids left with your mother," she told him, a serious look on her face the whole time she spoke.
"Kate, I have no clue how I'll act.. I won't want to get out of bed or function at all, but I will for the kids because it's what you want. I know I can't just go curl up in a ball and die.. But I sure as hell won't ever be genuinely happy without you."
Kathleen stared at Billie, and for the first time since she found out she was dying, she cried.
Billie instantly put down his guitar, sitting beside Kathleen and pulling her into a warm, comforting hug.
He knew that she wasn't upset about dying; she wasn't able to deal with the thought of leaving her family in such disarray.
Billie Joe did his best to offer her some sort of comfort, which she gratefully accepted, loving every moment they spent together. She always had though.

"Ryan and I will have a talk when he gets home from school. I don't know what to do with Mari though," Billie said, shaking his head as he gently rubbed Kathleen's back.
"She's so stubborn.. Why did she have to get that from you?" the woman accused playfully.
"Hey, you're just as stubborn!" Billie defended, sticking his tongue out at her.
Their lighthearted moment was cut short when Billie's cell phone rang.
"Aren't you gonna answer it?" Kathleen asked as he stared at the phone. Billie wasn't exactly technologically skilled.
"I don't want to.."
"You need to though."
Billie groaned, taking the call.
"Wait, she what?" Billie asked the phone and Kathleen strained to hear the voice on the other side.
"Yeah, we'll be right there. Bye." Billie hung up, attempting to check his texts.
"I don't fucking get how to work this piece of shit," he grumbled and Kathleen stopped him before he got too aggrivated and threw the practically brand new phone.
"Who was that?" she asked.
"The principal of Marianne's school. She beat some kid up.."
"What?! Our baby beat someone up?"
"Well, yeah.. She is my kid, you know," Billie chuckled.
"Oh shut up and let's go, Mister Tough Guy," she laughed, rolling her eyes at the man she loved so much.

Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong had a serious talk with this principal and Billie nearly threw a punch or two himself at the man.
Kathleen drove the seething Billie and silent Marianne home and sat them both down at the dining room table.
"Marianne, it wasn't okay for you to do what you did. You know better than that," Kathleen told her daughter, the disappointment evident in her voice, "And Billie, you didn't handle yourself well either. You need to set an example for her."
"But-" both Billie and Marianne tried, and Kathleen stopped them.
"Mom! The kid was being a total jerk and I told him to stop.. But he brought you up and I snapped," Marianne explained and Kathleen felt awful.
She sat at the table beside her daughter and held her hand gently.
"Well thank you for sticking up for me.. But you need to know that it's wrong to hurt people like that, no matter what they say. Okay?" Kathleen asked and Marianne nodded reluctantly.
"Yes, mom."
"Cool. Now go upstairs and do your homework," she smiled at her little girl, who complied.

"You're so good with her," Billie mused, moving into the now empty seat beside Kathleen, "How am I gonna do that?"
"You'll learn as you go. Why don't you help her with homework while I pick up Ryan?" she suggested and Billie gave her a look as if saying, 'Really?'
"What?"
"I'm not smart. You of all people should know that!" he laughed.
In high school, Kathleen was a straight-A student and Billie was so infatuated with her that he asked if she would tutor him, just so he would have an excuse to talk to her.

Throughout the next week, things were slowly improving with everyone's attitudes. Kathleen had been finalizing her will and all of those morbid legal chores, which were slightly less of a hassle due to her father being a judge.
The Thursday of week three, Kathleen sat herself down in Billie's office and made recordings of herself playing mandolin; the only instrument she loved with a passion.
She never wanted Billie or the kids to have to try and remember what it sounded like when she played, and in between songs Kathleen spoke in her soothing voice, letting her future listeners know how much they were loved.
When she finished, she let Billie into the studio.
"I could hear you playing... It was the best I thing I've ever heard... I want to take you somewhere now," he told Kathleen, a slight smile on his lips.
"Where?" she asked and he shook his head.
"Not until we're there."
"Fine."
Kathleen followed Billie out to his car, mumbling about how it was the middle of January and it was so gloomy out.

As Billie drove, Kathleen began to notice little reminders of her past.
They went by where Rod's Hickory Pit used to be, the high school they had gone to and 924 Gilman Street.
All of her memories of her times with Billie being a carefree, wild college kid with an up and coming rockstar boyfriend came flooding back.
Billie finally parked the car and looked at Kathleen with a grin.
They were at a spot on the shore of the Bay, San Francisco clearly in view.
"Seem familiar?" he asked, making the woman blush like a teenager.
"Of course. This is where we went after our first date.. If you could call it that."
Billie had taken her to a show at Gilman, then they met up with some guys from Pinhead Gunpowder and went hedge diving. After that, Billie took her here.
"We would talk all night then drive across the bridge to watch the sunrise," Kathleen smiled at the thought.
"I want to bring the kids here Friday to see Saturday's sunrise," Billie told her and she nodded.
"It would be an interesting way to share our past with them."

Friday night, that's exactly what they did. The family went to dinner then drove to the spot, where Billie and Kathleen told their kids many of their crazy, yet slightly censored to be somewhat appropriate, stories.
This captivated the children; the thought that their parents did wild things back then, and still did stuff that was really out there was strange to them.
The couple tried to keep telling every story they possibly could, but eventually Ryan and Marianne fell asleep.
"I guess we bored them to sleep!" Billie laughed quietly, watching Kathleen giggle.
"I guess so. Ready to drive across the bridge?" she asked.
Billie nodded and they drove over to their other getaway to wait for sunrise.
As it drew closer, Billie woke up the kids; he really wanted them to see this.
"Dad, why can't we sleep?" Ryan asked, rubbing his tired green eyes that mirrored his father's.
"Because, you'll appreciate this more than you think," Billie told him.
The four got out of the car and stood in the frigid morning air, watching the sun begin to peek over the horizon.
As the sky lit up, Billie wrapped his arms around Kathleen, who returned the gesture while watching her kids stare in awe as the sun slowly rose, and Billie watched her.
It made him feel so amazing to see his wife smile just like she used to when they did this years ago. It made him wonder why they ever stopped going.
The sunrise truly was a sight; the way the colours of the sky changed, which then reflected in the water.
When the sun was fully in view, Marianne turned to her parents, her dark hair whipping in the wind.
"That was really pretty. Can we go home though? I'm cold.."
Billie went to reply, but Kathleen nodded.
"Of course. Let's go home."

Week four was beginning to fly by.
Kathleen spent her mornings in bed with her husband and her afternoons with her family.
Billie Joe, who had never failed to express his feelings before was struggling to hide his sorrow in front of the children and they knew it.
Although Billie constantly told Kathleen he was fine, she knew he wasn't.
"Billie, go to your office and don't come out until you've gotten everything you're thinking about off your chest," she told him as she blow dried her hair.
They had just finished showering after a usual Wednesday morning of love making.
"Fine. I'll see you in a while," he answered, tugging on a shirt and leaving the bedroom.
Kathleen brought Billie lunch a few hours later, which he took silently with a mere nod and a kiss before she left him alone.

When Marianne and Ryan came home from school, Kathleen told them not to disturb their father.
For dinner, Billie made a quick appearance then returned to his in-home studio.
"What is he doing in there, mom?" Marianne asked as she helped clear the table.
"He's making music, dummy. What else?" Ryan snapped, making his mother step in.
"Ry don't. She asked a legitimate question. Your dad isn't allowed to leave the office until he gets all of what he's feeling out in the open. It's not good to bottle that up," Kathleen answered her daughter's query.
"Wow Mom, you really do rule with an iron fist. What are we gonna do when the king of the castle is gone?" Ryan asked with a slight chuckle and Marianne glared at him.
"Don't joke about that!" the girl hissed.
"Look, everyone is handling this differently. We don't need to be fighting." Kathleen continued to play referee until she declared it to be bed time.

Billie finally came out of the studio around two am, sliding into bed next to his dearly beloved, who was wide awake.
"Did you get it all off your chest?" Kathleen asked quietly, now facing him.
"A lot of it, yeah. I think I have enough for a whole new CD," he answered with that crooked smile of his.
"Yeah, well.. I bet it's great."
"Nothing special. Just a bunch of my thoughts, you know?" Billie shrugged as Kathleen curled up against him, resting her cheek on his shoulder.
"American Idiot was just a bunch of your thoughts too," she said, taking in the scent of cigarettes, beer and her husband, sighing at the comfort it gave her.
"I need to have the guys come over tomorrow. Is that alright?" he asked after a while.
"Of course. Do whatever you need to do," she replied tiredly.
"You need to get some sleep. You're gonna need that energy once the kids are at school," Billie smirked, playing with strands of Kathleen's long hair.
"I don't want to sleep! I can sleep when I'm dead."
"Not funny," he told her with a serious tone.
"Oh let me have a sense of humour, Billie," Kathleen mumbled, feeling her eyelids getting heavy.
He continued to talk to the woman in a soft, lulling voice until she was fast asleep.
Billie stayed awake, trying to commit the feeling to memory; he had no idea how he would get through the nights without the warmth Kathleen's skin radiated or the sound of her breathing, even the smell of her favourite lotion. He had always longed for these small things during his nights away on tours and that was painful enough.

Billie's mother, Ollie, brought the kids home from school on Thursday so she could see Kathleen.
Mike and Tre had been over since eleven and they had been in the studio since then, but they left as soon as Ollie arrived.
"Billie seems better now than when he first found out," Ollie mused as she and Kathleen made the kids' snacks.
"Yeah, he is. Some days are better than others though... It's hard."
The two women were silently making sandwiches, then Kathleen spoke.
"I need to know that you'll be here for them. I know my mother won't.. It's no secret that she hates Billie Joe and everything he stands for."
"I know," Ollie nodded, "Of course I'll be here whenever and however I can."
"Thank you," Kathleen smiled, hugging her mother-in-law tightly.
"I want you and Billie to go out tonight. I'll stay here with the kids," Ollie said suddenly.
"You don't need to do that..."
"No. You two need to get out together. See a movie, have dinner. Do whatever you young people do!"
"We're not exactly young anymore, Ollie," Kathleen laughed.
"Oh hush. You're a lot younger than I am. Go tell Billie that you guys are taking a night off.
Kathleen sighed and gave in; she knew Ollie wouldn't let her say no.

Unsure of where her husband was, Kathleen did what she always did.
She stood at the foot of the stairs to the second floor and opened up the door to their basement, taking a deep breath.
"Billie Joe!" she called, waiting for a response.
"Up here!" he yelled back, so Kathleen went upstairs to find him in Marianne's room, laying on the floor and colouring with her.
"Mom, my teacher, Mrs. Lawson, said we have to draw our family and write why we love in it in cursive!" Marianne explained in an over-excited voice like she always does when talking about her class work.
"Oh yeah?" the woman asked, sitting beside her daughter.
"There's dad, and me, and Ryan and you!" Marianne pointed to the third grade renditions of her family members.
Billie watched as Kathleen smiled at the drawing.
"You have beautiful cursive, Mare. Read what you wrote."
"Ok! It says... I love my dad because he wears makeup and dresses and makes fun music with his friends. I love my mom. She leaves me notes in my lunch and always spends lots of time with me. Ryan makes me laugh, so I guess I love him too."
Billie and Kathleen laughed at their snarky child.
"Why don't you go show that to Grandma! I'm sure she'll love it," Kathleen said and Marianne nodded, leaving her bedroom.
"What's up?" Billie asked, putting away the crayons they had been using.
"Ollie insists that we go out tonight. She's babysitting and won't take no for an answer.. What did you draw?"
Billie grabbed his paper so Kathleen couldn't see it.
"I think a date would be nice. We can have dinner, see a play at the Rep, then go clubbing! I'll give you this later."
"I think we're past our clubbing days, dear," Kathleen giggled, brushing Billie's grown out bangs away from his eyes.
"You're never too old to go get smashed at a club," the man grinned.

The couple had a nice dinner then went and saw a comedy at the Berkeley Rep.
"Let's go home," Kathleen said after the play had finished.
"Kate, come on! My mom's fine with the kids. She didn't give us a curfew.. Let's hit the town!"
Billie had always been the one talking Kathleen into things.
He was the only reason she ever got a tattoo; of course, he had gotten her a little buzzed and then hyped her up into getting his initials on her pelvis.
They went to a few clubs, had a few drinks and danced.
Kathleen knew that this was extremely tame and boring for them, considering the fact that they did speedballs like nobody's business back when they were kids.
"Let's do something stupid that we won't regret in the morning," Kathleen told Billie and a devious smirk hit his face.
"Alright!" he said, paying for their drinks, grabbing her hand and leading her outside.
"So what do you feel like doing? I can probably get whatever, but who knows at one am..." Billie said, pulling out his phone.
"I don't want drugs!" Kathleen blurted, "I stopped that a long time ago."
"But I thought you said.."
"Yeah, I know. How about something stupid and permanent?"
Billie's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Fucking awesome. Let's go."

The next morning Kathleen woke up with an awful headache.
"Billie," she groaned, reaching beside her and poking her husband's side.
"What?" he asked in the same tone, obviously in as much pain as Kathleen was.
"Where are the kids?"
"Mom took them to Fisherman's Wharf," Billie answered.
Kathleen dug around in her bedside table and found a bottle of Tylenol.
They both dry swallowed the pills then took a look at what they had gotten done the night before.
Billie helped Kathleen peel the bandaging off of her side, revealing the words 'Live every moment as if it is your last' in a light, airy script.
"Where's yours?" Kathleen asked and Billie pointed to his arm, where a picture of the woman's favourite flower sat below her name, which he had gotten done years before.
"That's a beautiful cherry blossom."
"I think so too," he smiled.

Even after her headache disappeared, Kathleen's entire body remained sore.
Around dinner time, Billie went and checked on his wife. She had stayed in bed, sleeping and watching TV the whole day.
"Hey Kate, how ya feeling?" Billie asked softly, massaging her back.
"Terrible," she answered, rubbing her face with her hands. She had never felt like this before, and it scared her beyond reason.

It was a few days before Billie Joe's birthday when Kathleen received a phone call.
The woman had been feeling better, but she knew her time was running out.
An assistant from Dr. Henderson's office spoke with Kathleen, telling her that they got her test results back and that she needed to come to Los Angeles.
Kathleen told the woman that she would be there the following morning, then went and told Billie.
"Did they say anything about the results?" he asked in anticipation.
"No, just that they were in," she shrugged.
"Well I'm going with you."
"I need to do this alone, Billie Joe. You need to stay here with Ryan and Mare," she told him, making sure he knew that she wouldn't take no for an answer.

At six o'clock the next morning, Kathleen told her kids that she'd be back later that night, then gave them each a hug and kiss.
Billie followed her to the garage like a puppy, tugging on her hand to get her to stop.
"What?" Kathleen asked, turning to face him.
"I love you," he said sheepishly, "no matter what happens."
He handed her a piece of paper. She looked down at it, smiling immediately.
It was what he had coloured with Marianne. The drawing was of their family, standing and watching the sun rise over the bay like they had weeks ago.
"I love you too, Billie. I'll call you after the appointment, okay?" she asked, hugging him tightly.
The two shared a long kiss, then Kathleen told Billie to put his drawing in a frame in the bedroom and got in her car.

When she got onto the freeway, she put in the CD that Billie had made over the past few weeks and given to her.
She immediately fell more and more in love after listening to each song; it was magnificent.
Billie had asked her to come up with a name, so that was in the back of her mind as she listened.
Kathleen got to the UCLA medical center and sent Billie a quick text that simply said 'Cigarettes and Valentines'.
Hopefully he could figure out how to open the text and send her a reply.

Dr. Henderson met Kathleen as soon as she entered his office, sitting her down and explaining what he found.
"So wait. You're telling me that I was misdiagnosed?" Kathleen asked in disbelief and the man nodded, her eyes widening.
"I couldn't find anything in your blood work, history or scans. You're fine," Dr. Henderson smiled, watching the woman grin.
"Wow.. I never thought.." she had no idea what to say.
"Thank you," was all that came to mind.
"It was my pleasure," the doctor told the woman, hugging her tightly, "Now go home to your family and celebrate."

The minute Kathleen got down to her car she called Billie.
"Hi there, you've reached Billie Joe. Leave a message or call back later," the voice mail recited, much to her annoyance.
"Beej, it's Kate. I have the best news ever and I can't hold it in till I get home. I was misdiagnosed like you said! They couldn't find anything wrong with me. I'm about to head home, so I'll call to check in with you in a bit. Happy early birthday, baby! I love you."
Hanging up, she got in the car and turned up the stereo, unable to keep the smile off her face.

Five hours into the six hour drive home, Kathleen's phone lit up, signaling a text.
Usually she never checked her phone while driving, but she had a feeling that it was from Billie.
'Cigarettes and Valentines sounds great. Got your message. Can't wait to see you. All my love ;)'
She grinned as she read it, unaware of the fact it was the first and last text Billie would ever send.

Billie Joe had just paid the delivery boy for their Chinese takeout dinner when Ryan came over to him with the phone.
"Dad, it's Tre. He says it's important."
Billie handed his son the bags of food and took the phone.
"Dude, I got the best news from Kate earlier," he felt himself beaming, "She's totally fine."
"Billie... You need to turn on channel nine," Tre told him.
Curious, Billie clicked on the TV in the living room, flipping to the news channel.
There was a huge accident on the highway; traffic was backed up both incoming and outgoing.
Billie stared at the screen, noticing a black BMW with an Operation Ivy sticker in the back window.
"That's Kate's car," he gaped.
"You need to call her. Find out if she's ok," Tre told Billie, who did just that, only to get her voice mail.
"No, no, no!" he shouted, throwing the home phone against the wall, watching it shatter into dozens of tiny pieces.
Ryan and Marianne walked in cautiously, watching their father running his hands through his hair.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Marianne asked.
"I need you two to go next door to the Warren's. Tell them that I had to leave and it's an emergency."
They both looked at him, not moving an inch.
"Go!" he shouted and the two quietly left.
Billie Joe grabbed his car keys and cell phone, taking off to try and find his wife.

Driving until he was halted in traffic, Billie Joe got out and walked past the cars filled with angry motorists.
Walking nearly four miles, he found her car.
The area was blocked off with yellow police tape and it was horrific.
Billie was temporarily stunned by the site.
An eighteen wheeler was a few hundred yards from the BMW; the car's entire front end was crushed.
It was obvious that the jaws of life had come into play.
An ambulance was nearby and Billie noticed that it was being loaded up.
Crossing under the tape, he ran toward the paramedics, ignoring the police officers that were following.
"That's my wife!" Billie yelled, trying to get them to stop.
He got to the ambulance, banging on the door to get their attention.
"That's my wife.. She's in there, I know she is!" his voice cracked as he fell to his knees, reduced to tears.
"I need to see her," he whimpered as the paramedics approached him with worried looks on their faces.
"Sir, the driver of the truck is in there," one of the men said cautiously.
"Where's the woman that was in the BMW?" Billie asked quietly, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.
"She's already been taken to the hospital.." the other replied solemnly.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"We did everything we could.. I'm so sorry," the paramedic offered Billie his condolences.
"This isn't happening," Billie Joe shook his head, now in denial, "She called me a few hours ago, happier than ever.. She can't be.." The man felt himself begin to have a panic attack and he collapsed to the road that had previously been beneath his Converse All Stars.

Billie Joe never fully recovered after that day.
The years went by; Ryan and Marianne were handling it better than their father, who was struggling to cope.
About to release the follow up to American Idiot, Billie had put his heart and soul into its production.
Three years had gone by without Kathleen, and it was an ugly February morning.
Billie, his mother, and his children brought cherry blossoms to her grave.
When Ryan and Marianne were done, Billie told Ollie to take them home.
"I want to stick around," he explained simply, like he had every other time they visited the cemetery.
Ollie looked at her son for a moment, then nodded and left with her grand kids.

Sitting down on the grass beside her headstone, Billie sighed.
Both of their names were carved on the stone, including their birth dates... But only Kathleen's was complete.
"Hey Kate, it's me," he greeted like he always did, "I know it's been a while since I was here. I've been keeping myself busy.. It's the best way for me to keep my mind off of wanting to break down. But hey, the guys and I finished the new album. 21st Century Breakdown is my tribute to you."
Billie Joe continued to talk, telling his wife everything that had been going on.
When the sun began to set, Billie got up, brushing off his black jeans and giving a weak smile toward the ground; he was happy with his own therapy, as unconventional as it was.
Promising to be back again soon, he started on his walk home.