To Die in The Rubble of Broken Dreams Strewn About Her Body

"There weren't always dragons in the Valley." 

Her heavy delivery, steeped in sadness, could not be denied.

"Yes, I know moron. Once upon a time, yadda, yadda, yadda… people roamed free and didn't wear armor. Now, are you gonna marry me or not?"

Lucy's heart burst as it ripped in two. Hope and fear, love and dread. She dreamt of this day, many moons ago, and wanted nothing more than to hear those words from him.

Until now. 

Why now? 

Just a short time ago, she would have leaped into his arms and shouted, Yes! before he could finish asking. But now, now, Lucy gazed beyond him and dedicated great thought to his question.

He stared at her face for any sign of agreement, but her look remained flat and revealed little.

He broke the silence which was killing him and dropped down to his knees.

"Lucia, will you please do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me as husband and wife?"

She pictured their lives together. Her perfect world included children pulling at her skirt, begging for kisses with their sticky lips. Their dog barked and raced around the fenced backyard jockeying to steal the popsicles from their little hands.

She longed for a future that included her whistling and humming as she kneaded his favorite spicy meatballs. Though she despised the coldness of ground beef in her fingers, for him she'd withstand the discomfort to her hands. Lucy would fold in various spices, a pinch of freshly made breadcrumbs, and the damn egg. For him. Her soul mate, Anders.

The scents of oregano, parmesan cheese, and black pepper waft up to tickle her nose. She will catch him watching her with amusement.

She imagined carefree days swimming in the lake, giggling toddlers with sun-kissed cheeks and browned shoulders. They would have heaps of Norwegian hair, blonde tendrils so white that they glittered as little heads shook in merriment.

Just like their Daddy, with their lopsided grins, too.

They would name their Golden Retriever, Max. Short for maximum love, of course. No one could replace the pup Lucy clung to as a little girl, but she saved space in her heart for another. She saw Max curl up beside her on snowy nights. The regal dog would entertain the kids and protect them from dangers.

Two boys and a girl, for sure.

Lucy saw all of this.

She envisioned Anders on the lake shoreline, slowly putting his toes in the water to test it for warmth. He turned back to wave at her sitting in her lawn chair, desperately attempting to finish her book uninterrupted.

For years, she dreamt of their perfectly imperfect lives together.

Her gaze shifted back to Anders, in the here and now, so wide-eyed and still holding his breath. He exuded manliness yet purity, innocence, and hope.

Reality bubbled back to the surface and forced her to shake the fairy tale.

Her eyes fixed on his, deep pools of ocean blue, and she welled up with tears.

There was no lake free from beasts. There would be no giggling children. Forget Max. Lucy can't witness another pet devoured by the dragons. Fixing a lovely dinner was long ago and far away, buried deep in the past. 

Everything she dreams of is nothing she can have.

No fence surrounding the yard full of lush grasses and overflowing gardens. No Anders sauntering up the walkway filled with anticipation of his children racing to meet him before he hit the front porch. Thundering silence replaces squeals of "Daddy's home!"

No long walks, hands intertwined, with whispers of travels to foreign lands. Gone are the holiday tables brimming with food, drinks, family, and laughter. No real, side-splitting laughter remains. There would be no clinking of glasses raised in good wishes and festive cheer.

All that was a lifetime ago and there's no turning back.

Everything she dreams of is nothing she can have.

The world went dark when the dragons descended. Grounds were scalded, and vegetation refused to grow. Remnants of once happy homes were scant. Charred shells with scattered hints of the tall and proud chimneys are relegated to memories. People scattered when the flame-blowing monsters arrived and hunkered down in any available safe haven. Crude homes were created in caverns, under the rocks. 

In the course of 5 years, our lives of love became lives of survival. 

And, really, she thought, what kind of life is this? Grand plans to rid the valley of the deadly menaces came with no guarantee. How many years of hiding in the cold, dank, darkness of the cave must they suffer through?

She didn't want to die in the rubble of broken dreams strewn about her body.

Lucy sucked in her breath with a renewed determination. She spoke in carefully measured words laced with an underlying passion.

"You know me better than anyone, Anders. My worries, my hopes, and my dreams. How do we erase what we knew? How do we rewrite our dreams? Is love enough?" 

"I can't help but remember. You know, when there weren't any dragons in the valley."

He waited patiently, but Lucy offered no more.

She tenderly rested her hand on his shoulder as one last tear rolled down her cheek.