Dancing with Shadows

Six

      Days went by, slowly turning into weeks. Jasmine seemed to fall into another depression. She always seemed to be in a world all of her own, and Derick couldn't handle it anymore. He touched his finger to the phone on the table and waited for Jasmine to pick it up.

      Jasmine was sitting on the couch. She was playing with a celery stick that she initially intended on eating. Now, after only one bite, she was pulling free each of the strings that lined the stick. There was a growing pile of pieces of celery on the napkin that she had laying on the arm of the couch.

      The phone rang on the side table at her elbow. She looked over at the receiver, and frowned. She knew that it would be Derick, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to answer. She looked back down at the celery in her hand and made a decision.

      His heart was in his throat as he waited for her to put that damned piece of celery down and answer the phone. At last she did as he wanted.

      "Hey," she said.

      Derick had so many things running through his mind, that he found himself at a loss of words.

      "Derick?" she asked.

      "Jazzy." He ran his hands through his hair. "What's going on?" he asked.

      What a question to ask. Jasmine sighed into the receiver not really sure how to answer that one. She shook her head. "I don't know," she finally said.

      Derick knelt down in front of her. He leaned a shoulder against the front of the couch. "I wish I could just fix it. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can at least help you."

      "But I don't know what's wrong," Jasmine admitted. She could feel a lump in her throat. She brought her legs up and hugged her knees to her chest. She rested her forehead on her knees keeping the phone pressed against her ear. "I wish you were here."

      "But I am, I'm right here." Derick tried to touch her feet right next to his face, but as usual, his fingers slipped right through.

      Jasmine hopped off the couch at his words. She was so angry with him. "No you aren't!" she screamed. She turned around, her hands thrust out in defiance. "Where are you! I can't see you. I can't hear you unless I'm on that damned phone. I can't feel you! You aren't here! And here I am waiting for-for-" She shook her head, all the fight draining from her body. She dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands. "I don't know what I'm waiting for, anymore."

      Derick sprang up when Jasmine rushed unknowingly over him. He watched her screaming at him and didn't bother to say anything, knowing that she wouldn't hear him anyway. When she fell to her knees in defeat, he came to her. She brought up her hands to cover her face, muffling her words. Derick wrapped his arms around her, and finally found purchase.

      As soon as she felt him, a sob ripped from her, tearing and clawing its way from her very soul. She leaned into her husband suddenly feeling guilty that she would blame him for being dead. "Oh, Derick, I'm not ready to go on without you."

      "I know love," he whispered into her hair. He began to stand, keeping his arms around his wife, and was rewarded when she too, came up with him.

     The young couple stood in the middle of the living room. Derick had one hand around her shoulders and the other around her middle. Jasmine tucked her hands under his arms and wrapped her hands up over his shoulders. She sighed into his chest, keeping her eyes squeezed shut, wishing she was able to breathe in his scent again.

      Derick began to sway. He started humming the tune to their wedding song. His own eyes were closed as he just savored the way she felt in his arms. His heart skipped a beat when she started singing softly the same song. He could feel his chest become wet with her tears. They rocked to and fro as they each hummed and sang their wedding song to themselves. The song was over far too soon, but still they held each other. Neither one willing to let the other go.