When Tragedy Strikes

Tears softly ran down Lucy’s face as she stood toe to toe with her fiancé. Her heart pound fiercely against her chest, not that she was afraid of Zack, as a matter of fact Zack was one of the most amazing people she’d ever known. That was before the drugs and alcohol…before he got dark. He kept promising he’d stop drink and he swore he’d snap out of it, but Lucy knew as long as there was fame, there wasn’t going to be a change and the fame…well that was never going to change and Lucy didn’t dare get in the way of Zack’s future…at least not in that way. This was the life that he chose and that he wanted more than anything. He wanted to make music, he wanted to party, and he wanted to live life to the fullest.

Lucy knew she had to go.

The only reason she was nervous was because of the talk she was attempting to have with him. She knew he wasn’t going to take any of this lightly. How could he? Lucy was the love of his life and for that to be taken away from him? Well that was a recipe for chaos.

Now if only she could spit the words out. He lightly grabbed her shaking hands in his. “What’s going on Luc?”
It seemed weird to her that she was looking at the man that she thought was her soul-mate while she stood in front of him contemplating how to break up with him. Ten years, ten fucking years she was about to through away.

She gently cupped his cheek and said. “Don’t look at me like this. You knew this day was coming. How long did you think I could handle this? I want a family, Zack. I’m ready to settle down and I know your just getting started. Sweetie, you’re a mess…I can’t do this.”

“I’m going through a rough patch, shit Lucy… I’m twenty four. We have to live hard, you know? It’s what the fans want.” He smiles thinking that he is somehow going to convince Lucy to stay. She always listened before, why wouldn’t she now?

A tear softly rolls down her pale cheek. “I have to…it’s better this way for the both of us. You can have that life and live it however you damn well want to Zack…but I can’t do this anymore…I’m so sorry.” She truthfully speaks.

Lucy loved Zackary Baker more than life itself and this was the hardest thing she would ever have to do, but she couldn’t play babysitter anymore and maybe one day when he’d found everything they wanted and he was ready to settle down, well maybe things would work out for the both of them. As of right now she needed to think of herself and her unborn child that Zack wasn’t ready for.
It’s not that he knew she was pregnant and honestly she didn’t think she would ever see him again. He wouldn’t care at this point in his life. He had everything that he needed…he had the rockstar life that he wanted. He didn’t want the daddy life…not yet anyways.

Zack grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look into his emerald eyes. “Lucy you’re lying. Can you even look me in the eyes and tell me that you don’t love me?” His voice rose to a tone she had never heard before.

She tried her best to look away from his deep green eyes that hypnotized her from the beginning. Her eyes filled with tears and his eyes searched deeper and deeper hoping for something. She didn’t back down. Instead she said. “Zackary…I don’t love you.” And as much as it pained her to say she knew she had to do it.

“That’s not true Lucy. We both know that. I’ll do anything what do you want me to do quit the band leave the guys alone? What do you want Lucy?!” He yells. “Just tell me!”

Her heart ached in pain at the sight of tears falling down his face. She would give anything to stay but she had to think of what was best for her and her child. She hoped on day that she would run into him in the future and that life would start over again but inside she knew it wasn’t a perfect world. “I’m so sorry.” She wipes the fresh tears off of her cheek. “Goodbye.”

Lucy violently jolted out of her dream, her breathing uneasy and her heart thud loudly against her chest. She sat up in her bed and kicked the blankets off of her slender body. She through her legs over the side of the bed and wiped the beads of sweat off of her face. Her breathing slowly returned to normal once she stood to her feet. She was regularly terrorized with dreams about that fateful night with an old lover. It had been four years since the last time she had saw him and now…well she had a constant reminder of Zack. She pushed the thoughts out of her head and slowly made her way down the stairs of the two story home.

A smile draped her lips when she was greeted by her rambunctious four year old daughter, who ran behind the couch to hide from her mother. Lucy let out a small chuckle as she tip toed across the living room and to the couch. When Lucy reached the couch she bent down to her daughter’s height and yelled. “BOO!”

The small girl bounced into Lucy’s arms and tucked her face in curve of her neck. “You scared me!”
She didn’t respond she only stared into her daughters soft green eyes; she felt a small tug at my heart. Gracie looked very much like her father and sometimes it drove Lucy nuts. She had the same eyes, the same nose, and the same hair color, but she had Lucy’s circular face and high cheek bones.

“Mommy, why are you looking at me like that?” Her eyes widened.

“Nothing sweet pea I’m just admiring your beautiful eyes.”

Gracie wiggled out of my arms and ran to the front door screaming, “Can we go to the park!?”

“Not now.”

“Can we call Uncle Josh?”

She lets out a sigh, “Gracie Uncle Josh is probably still sleeping.”

Gracie was about to was about to give up all hope when an idea popped in her head, “Cartoons!”

Gracie smiled widely as she ran back over to the couch and snuggled into Lucy’s side. She lived for moments like this. Her daughter completed her and nothing could ever replace that.

Lucy frowned when the phone rang; it was only nine O’clock, probably her boss telling her to come in on her day off again. She gently squeezed the small girl from my side and got up to answer the phone that hung from the kitchen wall.

“Hello?” Lucy kindly asked.

“Lucy…” She hears Val’s soft voice ask. “Lucy?”

She knew that voice all too well, “Val, hey!?” She paused for a brief second taking in Val’s voice. It sounded like she had been crying. “Val?”

“Lucy, we’ve been trying to call you...” She says through tears. “It’s Jimmy.”

Lucy’s stomach drops. She feels panic taking over her body. “What about Jimmy?” She quietly asks.

“Lucy.” She begans sobbing. “Jimmy’s gone. He passed away in his sleep yesterday morning.”

Lucy’s eyes widen in shock. She slides down the kitchen wall trying to stabilize herself. She feels like the wind has been knocked out of her she can’t breathe. Her stomach twists and turns, she grabs the small garbage and instantly all of the contents that were in her stomach are now emptied.
She wants to hang up the phone but she can’t. She push’s her hair back and wipes her mouth with her sleeve. She takes in a deep breath. How could this be? She just spoke with Jimmy just last week…he skyped with Gracie. How did this-why did this-this couldn’t possibly be real. This is just a fucked up sick joke.

“Lucy, are you there?” She hears Valary’s voice ask. “I’m sorry I had to tell you over the phone. I can’t leave Matt and everyone has just been so torn up. Nobody knows what to do…Lucy, we need you here.”

“I’ll be there…” She snivels. “Gracie can stay with Josh or something for a couple days. I don’t know.”

Lucy can hear the disgust in Val’s voice. “You need to bring Grace, Lucy it’s time. Nobody wants to keep this secret anymore it’s too much right now. Maybe it will bring Zack back to reality…him and Brian are really far gone Luc, we all are.”

Even though Lucy’s emotions were torn she knew she needed to go. She would never forgive herself for not saying goodbye to her beloved friend.

“I’ll pack up tonight, I’ll be there tomorrow…when is everything, you know?”

“We’ll talk about it when you get here. I can’t do this over the phone. Please just get here.”

“I’ll be there. I’ll see you guys soon…” She paused. “I’ll try to come this evening, Val, I’m so sorry.”

“Just get here please.”