A Severed Heart

Chapter 1 || The Missing Peace

She sat on the porch. Watching. Staring. One more stroke. Almost there....ah! She finally finished trying to sketch the little bird on the wooden step ten feet from her. "Thank you, little bird. Don't worry, you look perfect," she playfully pretended having a conversation with the tiny creature who flew off and chirped as if giving her a sign of approval.

"Levina! Where is the brown colour pencil I left on the table?" Quinn yelled from inside the bedroom. Levina looked down at the pencil in her hand and held her mouth to muffle her giggle. "Quinn, honey, it's okay I have it." He slowly walked to the front door. All she could hear were the floorboards creaking. He opened the door and walked over to her and sighed, "I would've been late for work Levina." She smiled at him, but with concern, "I didn't think it was a problem, I'm sorry." She handed him the pencil and when he held the other end she rested hers on top of his. She pressed her lips together. He cocked his head to the side as he glanced at her simple sketch with pride.

"I wonder who taught you how to do that," he teased rhetorically. She blushed. "My husband, Quinn Collins, the best sketch artist in this town." A look of sadness overshadowed his previous glow of pride. "No darling, you're still the best, no matter what Francis said. I know he will regret not giving you that promotion." He cracked a small smirk at the side of his lips and lifted his head, looking upwards to the morning sun. "It's been a year now, I guess I can try again." He kissed his wife on her lips, gently gave her a reassuring squeeze on her shoulder and left for work. He's yelling an awful lot lately. I know it's that promotion that's bothering him. She watched him as he walked to the end of the road to meet the eight o' clock train. The sun was shining hot today, but the worry for her husband was burning hotter within her. Oh God, please let him get this promotion.

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The leaves were swaying in the light mid-summer breeze and from a distance Levina spotted the figure of her friend and her signature blue bow approaching her. Terra Pensky sauntered her way up the narrow dirt track leading towards the humble abode of the Collins'. She stopped and tilted her head backwards, using her hand as a shade from the sun, to catch a better glimpse of who she thought was sitting on the front porch.

After making out the features of Levina, Terra sped up her slow provocative gait. In anticipation, Levina waved when her friend was now in close proximity. "Hello, hello to you princess, in this castle you dwell," proclaimed Terra in a perfect imitation of a Medieval accent.

"Shimmy yea, shimmy shell, why Terra, you wear that dress so well," responded Levina in the same manner while playfully feigning astonishment. As Terra did a little spin, her bare ebony shoulders glistened in the sunlight. "Thanks deary," she replied as she ascended the steps to run into Levina's warm embrace. "No extra cushion in the tummy area yet Lev?"

Levina playfully slapped Terra's hand gesturing towards her stomach, "Hey, hey, what's the rush? We're still getting settled." She nodded in the direction of the door for Terra to enter. "Sure. As if you two haven't been tossing the sheets often enough in you guys' first year," Terra snorted while fixing her big blue bow that was slightly shifted during their hug ",I know there is another reason, 'cause girl you've always dreamt of hushing your little munchkin to sleep while Quinn sketches you two...and sooner than later." Terra was right. Levina always hoped that at least last month they started trying for a little one.

That damn promotion has been dimming that hope for us ever since the day he was rejected.....damn that Francis, da-,

"Are you all right sugar? You seemed to have drowned out my question about your cute little bird drawing in that little mind of yours." Startled by Terra's comment, Levina snapped back to reality. "Um-uh, what did you say? Cute? Oh, heh, thanks T." She reached for the little sketch book but Terra held it back and slowly examined her best friend's now blushed face. "Lev, what's going on?"

Where should she start? For the last six months she has been slowly watching her husband sink into what looks like the epitome of depression. He's lost ten, and he's already lean. He doesn't eat and he's more anxious and easily irritated. "Oh no, don't worry about it T, I'm peachy keen."

I hope she takes that and doesn't ask any furth-,

"Lev, come on girl, you know I'm not leaving until you tell me. I know when you're lying, and I know that face!"

Shit.

Levina turned to face her best pal in defeat and emptied every ounce of worry that was bottled up within her. All six months' worth of it. When she was done, she was heaving and mentally exhausted that all Terra could do was let her rest on her shoulder and ask nothing more of her.

"Oh my, Sweetie," Terra pat the thick brown curls that were now fighting to remain behind her best friend's teal headband. What was she to say? Levina had just spilled all her worries from the thoughts that haunted her about her marriage slowly coming to an unexpected hilt to her thoughts on her husband's slight state of depression.

They both sat in the deafening silence for a few more minutes. For that moment, Levina was feeling a bit better but she couldn't help but realize there was something else she was craving from the silence. Peace. Peace, instead of the petty squabbles she and Quinn often had in their home. She missed it.