Come Back With Me

A Lot Of Life To Live

Peggy was starting to get worried because Lizzie hadn't come out of her room all day. Peggy tried to give her her space because they both needed time to grieve but Peggy was still deeply concerned about her friend.

Two days ago was the Fourth of July, Lizzie's birthday. It was also Steve's birthday and Lizzie insisted that she rather not acknowledge the day at all. Peggy wanted to protest but she knew that Lizzie was all about avoidance when it came to her grief.

Peggy debates with herself for hours on whether or not to disturb Lizzie but hers concern wins out.

She walks upstairs and knocks on Lizzie's door. There is no response so she knocks a little louder.

"Beth?" Peggy asks.

She is still met with silence and she starts to get really concerned.

"Beth, can you at least let me know you're alright?" Peggy asks.

After she doesn't get a response, Peggy begins to panic.

She takes a Bobby pin out of her hair and picks the lock to the room. It doesn't take her long and she quickly opens the door.

She finds Lizzie sitting on the floor with her comforter wrapped around her. On her lap sits a photo of Barnes.

She is gently tracing his features and is completely zoned in on the photograph.

Peggy isn't surprised that Lizzie didn't hear her knocking or her entrance. Based off of Lizzie's expression, a bomb going off wouldn't be able to pull her out of her trance.

"Beth?" Peggy asks.

She still gets no response so she kneels next to Lizzie. She places her hand on her shoulder and the physical touch finally gets her attention and she jumps and looks over at Peggy.

"Oh," Lizzie says flatly but then she just turns back to the photo.

Peggy gets a better look at the photograph. It looks like the photo was done at a studio but it doesn't look staged like a normal portrait.

For one, Barnes is not looking at the camera but slightly to the left. He is laughing genuinely and he has a wide smile on his face.

This Barnes does not look like the Barnes she knew. This Barnes looked young and carefree and happy.

"Today was supposed to be our ten year Anniversary. We got together on July 6th of 1935. Before the war happened, we decided that today was the day we'd get married," Lizzie says emotionlessly.

Peggy doesn't know how to respond so she just listens.

"I should've married him when I had the chance. I should've married him as soon as I turned 18. I should've had kids with him," Lizzie says.

"According to your brother, you chose to delay because it was your dream to become a doctor," Peggy says.

"Jaime was my dream. Being a doctor was an aspiration but Jaime was my future. He was always my future and now he's gone so where does that leave me?" Lizzie says.

"Alive, it leaves you alive. You are only 27 Beth, you still have a lot of life to live," Peggy says.

Lizzie looks up at Peggy sadly.

"He is the love of my life, I can barely breathe without him so how do you expect me to live?" Lizzie asks.

"You're going to live for Barnes and for Steve. They both died with the hope that you would be safe and happy. They loved you deeply and they only wanted the world for you. So here's what we're going to do, each day, we are going to do one thing that makes us feel alive and then we are going to share it with each other," Peggy says.