Grass Is Greener

“They think I’m delusional.”

His green eyes looked over at her, with one dark eyebrow cocked up. “Well, you kind of are.”

“Lucas!”

“It’s true!”

“Sometimes I wonder why I even talk to you,” Melody scoffed, curling up in the garden chair and turning her body away from the handsome man, looking out into the too green yard.

“Because I’m so damn good looking.”

“Don’t forget egotistical,” the red head laughed, trying her hardest not to look at the man next to her, no matter how much she wanted to. Lucas grinned largely at her and made faces like the child he always acted like. Melody could see it out of the corner of her eye and found her holding in laughter. He wouldn’t win this time! He always won.

With one ridiculously ugly face, Lucas ended up winning as Melody burst into a fit of laughter, holding her sides as the giggles overtook her body. Lucas’s deep chuckles joined hers, making the perfect song together that they both loved to hear. When they stopped, Melody’s white smile was aimed at her husband.

“I hate you so much.”

“Oh, I can tell by that face you’re making,” he scoffed, moving his chair towards hers so that he could have a better look at her. Melody rolled her blue eyes but her previous statement was a lie. She could never hate Lucas. She loved him too much.

“You were always good at that.”

Lucas turned his head to the side a little and gave her a confused glance. “Always good at what?”

“At making me smile and laugh.”

It was Lucas’s time to smile, and he felt the words warm his heart. Leaning close, he placed his hand on top of Melody’s knee, where his large and work calloused fingers stroked her smooth skin. With a wistful grin, Melody placed her smaller hand on top of his, feeling the warmth soak into her body.

“I’m your soul mate, of course I’m good at it. If I was ever given the chance to do anything perfectly, it would be to always please you.”

“You were never so suave when we first got together,” the red head teased, relaxing as Lucas steadily stroked her knee.

“Well, I’m making up for it now, aren’t I?”

“Maybe if you would have had this charm back in high school, it wouldn’t have taken you five years to ask me to marry you.”

Lucas rolled his grass green eyes at her, giving her the look she deserved while she chuckled in her garden chair. “Then you wouldn’t have appreciated it as much.

“You always knew how to drive me crazy too,” Melody sighed, her eyes going back to the large, too green yard in front of her. It gave the illusion of such freedom, something not everyone here had, which was why this was Lucas and Melody’s favorite spot. They had talked here for a whole day in the beginning, though the whole day had dwindled down to an hour on good days. Lucas seemed to know what Melody was thinking and turned his eyes out to the yard.

“This place isn’t as bad as you always make it out to be.”

The scoff that the woman pushed out made Lucas sound like an idiot for even saying such a thing. Most of the time, he usually was, but he knew he was right this time.

“Oh, come on. It’s actually pretty nice.”

“If you call pretty nice being bombarded by people all day; I’m a busy woman, I have more important things to do than try to be nice back.”

“All you do is sit out here.”

“And that’s what I call busy,” Melody finished, her tone saying that she was ending the matter. She knew how hard headed Lucas could be some times, so she was surprised when he actually dropped the subject. However, the surprise didn’t last long when she heard the next words out of his mouth.

“They say you’re doing better.”

“Lucas, I’m going to beat you,” the woman groaned, removing her hand from over her husband’s and burying her face in them. Her next words game out garbled.

“What was that honey?” Lucas teased, that sexy little smirk on his face.

“I said I hate you.”

“Again, I don’t believe you,” he said with a smile before his face turned serious, “But really Melody, you’re doing better.”

“I’m glad you think so,” the wife mumbled, closing her eyes while resting her head against the back of the white garden chair, “I feel like I’m only getting worse. We don’t get this quality time anymore Lucas.”

“I know,” he stated sadly, “But you get tied up with all the doctors who are helping you get better, so I don’t think I can complain about that.”

“I don’t want to get better Lucas!” Melody exclaimed, pulling away from her husband and turning to look over at him, “I hate what it’s doing to me, to us. I was fine before I came here, everything was perfect. We were together all the time and I didn’t need anyone else but you. Isn’t that how marriages are supposed to be?”

“You were worrying your family Melody,” Lucas smooth, running a hand through his black hair, “And I’m glad that they brought you here. You look so much healthier already. Like the beautiful woman I fell in love with in high school.”

God, did he know how to soften her up or what? Melody wanted to be angry at him, but she never could for long. He had a way of breaking down walls in seconds that had taken her forever to build. With a begrudging sigh, Melody held out her hand to hold onto Lucas’s, which was now resting on the arm rest. He smiled and squeezed her hand.

“I hate you.”

“You keep saying that, but I never believe it.”

They sat there for a few minutes in silence, just enjoying each other’s company, both watching the green lawn out in front of them that seemed to travel for miles and miles. It was a nice secluded place, somewhere the two wouldn’t have minded if not given the circumstances. But the took it in stride, enjoying their time together whenever they could get it.

The comfortable silence was broken by the sound of footsteps travelling on the gravel path that lead over to the couple’s spot. Both of them knew who it was, but as always, Lucas felt the need to comment.

“Looks like it’s time for your medicine.”

“Don’t make me say it again,” Melody threatened.

“Say what, dearest wife?”

“I hate you,” the woman grumbled, keeping it between the two of them when the nurse walked around, smile on her face.

“Hey Melody, how are you feeling?”

“I feel fine,” she sighed, trying to be nice to the woman.

“I guess you know the reason I’m here. I know you don’t like me hovering over you when you take them, so if I head back, promise not to throw them away, okay?”

Melody had the urge to tell Karen that she wasn’t a child, but restrained herself when Lucas chuckled at the sour look on her face. “Of course I won’t, Lucas would never let me do that.”

The nurse let out a little chuckle, something she always did when Melody said that, and nodded while handing the red head her pills. “Okay, I’ll see you later. Bye Lucas.”

“Bye,” Lucas said softly, only watching the woman for a second before turning back to his wife. He could feel the hesitation in her body as she looked down at the little cup of pills as well as a cup of water.

“Melody,” Lucas warned.

“I know, I know.”

“Then why aren’t you taking them?”

“Because I hate what they do to us. It always ends our time together.”

Lucas gave the woman a sympathetic look and squeezed her hand tighter, trying to encourage her. “I know, but it makes you better Melody, that’s the only important thing.”

Melody swallowed one of the pills, liking the cold rush as the water went down her throat, but knowing no matter how pleasant it was, she would end up sad in the end.

It was a tragic accident.

“You’re important.”

Lucas’s laugh was quiet, but Melody heard it and it made her smile while she contemplated actually throwing the pills away.

“Not as important as your health Melody.”

Melody gulped down the second pill, her hand still locked around Lucas’s like she was scared. Sure, it made taking her medication difficult, but she wanted all the time she could get with her husband.

No one knew the machine was broken.

“You’re the most important thing in this world to me Lucas,” Melody whispered, tears welling in her eyes.

“And it’s the same for me baby; that’s why you need to take the pills.”

Melody nodded her hair, feeling a small breeze as she closed her eyes.

“Hey Lucas…”

“Yes Mel?”

“I love you.”

Lucas smiled and brought the woman’s hand up for a kiss, loving the feel of her smooth hand against his lips.

“I love you too. Now take your last pill.”

Nodding, Melody did as she was told without another word of complaint and finished off the water and the medicine, crumbling the cups in her hand.

It shouldn’t have been him.

She kept her eyes closed for a little while after that, but opened them when another cool breeze brushed against her hand. It was resting against the arm of the Lucas’s white garden chair, but he was no longer holding her hand. The chair was empty, and Lucas was gone.

Burying her face into her hands again, Melody let a sob escape her throat before she started to cry, curling up in her chair as she started to bawl and whimper, letting the tears leak through her fingers.

“What’s wrong with her?” one of the newer nurses asked Karen, concern written on her face as she watched Melody break down.

“Melody?” the woman questioned, “She suffers from delusions. Her husband died three months ago in an accident at work and she pretends he’s there with her,” Karen shook her head sadly and could only feel sympathy for the woman, “Whenever she takes those pills, he goes away and she cries and cries.”

“She seems happier whenever she’s in those delusions,” the new nurse mumbled, watching as the woman shook with the force of her tears.

“The grass is always greener,” Karen whispered.