“Joey...Joey...please...I love you...” Elana tossed and turned in her sleep, fighting off the nightmare that had so graciously interrupted her slumber.
“Elana, baby?” Joey was awakened by the movement in the bed beside him and softly shook her, trying to wake her from her dream. Finally she opened her eyes and he could see the tears that had formed.
“What’s the matter?”
“Joe...I just had the worst nightmare....we had a fight and you left and then you--” Joey stopped her in mid-sentence by putting a finger to her lips.
“Ssshhh...” He softly whispered. “It’s okay. You were just having a bad dream. I’m still here and I won’t ever leave you...okay?” She nodded her head and began to fall asleep again. Joey laid awake for a few moments, wondering what exactly she had dreamed. Part of him wanted to know, but then again, another part of him didn’t want to know. He sighed and turned on his side, wrapping an arm around her tiny waist and succumbing to sleep once again.

::The Fight::

“Joey! Look, I am sorry that I have a job. But I do and I am not changing that. I have work to do...I can’t just go fly off anywhere with you anytime you feel like it. I CAN’T!”
“Elana...think about it. When was the last time we had a vacation? Two years ago? I think it’s time for one.”
“Maybe so, Joey. I am not arguing that point. But I can’t just take off and leave work so unexpectedly. I don’t have a job like yours.”
“But I already told you that you don’t have to work. I can provide for us...you know that. And I don’t mind--”
“Joey! What am I supposed to do? Sit at home and wait for you to come off of tour like any other devoted wife? Pop out babies and wait hand and foot on them while you are off in some exotic country touring? That’s not what I want and you know that.”
“I never said you had to do that. Elana, we’ve been married three years now...and just because you aren’t working doesn’t mean you are losing your freedom. I want you to come on tour with me and I want you to be able to take off and visit those exotic countries with me whenever we feel like it. Please??”
“Joey, I can’t. Okay? I can’t.”
“Elana! What is the big issue here? Is there something else going on that you aren’t telling me about?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Joey?”
“Nothing.” Joey threw his hands up in the air, wanting to end an argument before it even started.
“NO. Don’t just say ‘nothing.’ I know you meant something by that. What exactly are you accusing me of?”
“I am not accusing you of anything, Elana. Jesus Christ...I just don’t see the point in all of this. You go into work at six in the morning and sometimes don’t come home until midnight. And you don’t have to work. You don’t. I make enough money--”
“Oh, excuse me, Mr. I Am The King Of All Bubble-Gum Pop Boy Bands. Forgive me for not wanting to go crazy sitting on my ass waiting for my husband to return home whenever he damn well pleases.”
“Excuse me? What in the hell do you mean by that?” Joey’s once calm temper was now starting to flame as their argument became more and more heated.
“I have a schedule to uphold...and I have four other guys who count on me. It’s not ‘whenever I damn well please.’ It’s whenever I am able to come home and you fucking know that.”
“Do I, Joey? You don’t call me for days sometimes. How am I supposed to know what you are doing?”
“So this is what this is about? You think I cheat on you?” Elana simply averted her eyes to the floor, not saying anything. “Jesus fucking Christ. That’s bullshit. Complete and total bullshit. And I am not going that route with you tonight, Elana. I don’t cheat on you and I never will. So get that out of your fucking head. I guess I can assume the same about you--”
“What? Because I get lonely at home?” “Yeah and because you spend so much time with that prick of an attorney...what’s his name...Chase, Chad--”
“Charles?”
“Yeah, him. You work on cases until three o’clock in the morning while other attorneys leave every day no later than seven. So what can I think about that?”
“Joey I wouldn’t cheat on you---”
“Just like I wouldn’t cheat on you.”
“Whatever. I know about your past--”
“Oh for Christ’s sake. Yeah, you do know about my past. I came clean about that years ago...when we were still dating. I did that when I was young...when I didn’t care. But now I do care and I am not returning to that. You either believe me or you don’t.”
“Whatever.”
“You know what? I am not discussing this anymore with you. Fuck this. I am going out and cooling off. I’ll be back later.” He stalked towards the door, grabbing his keys off of a table.
“Joey--” Elana was cut off by the slamming of the front door. “I believe you.”

::The Phone Call::

Elana paced the antique hardwood floors of their Victorian-style house anxiously. Joey had been gone almost four hours with no call or anything. If he was going to be out for a while he usually called. No, he always called. She took a few deep breaths trying to shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, but it refused to leave. Something was wrong and she knew it. Joey would never scare her this bad. But then again, their fight had been pretty bad. Maybe he really was completely pissed off at her.
“Where does he go when he is mad?” Elana thought for a few moments before coming up with a solution.
“Justin’s!” She lurched for the phone and hurriedly dialed the phone.
“Hello?” a groggy voice answered the phone.
“Justin?”
“Elana?” He sat up in bed, instantly worried over the tone in Elana’s voice.
“Yeah...it’s me. Listen...have you seen Joey?”
“No...I’m sorry...did he not tell you where he was going?”
“Well, we got into a little fight...actually there was nothing little about it...and he left...that was four hours ago...he should be home by now...it’s two in the morning...”
“Now, wait...just calm down...do you know where he would go?” Justin searched his mind for an answer. Zuma Beach was out...Joey had all but quit the partying scene after he and Elana had married.
“Well I know that before he went to your house, but he’s not there...”
“OH man...” Justin sighed. “Honey I don’t know what to tell you--”
“Justin,” Elana interrupted. “Hang on...I have another call...it might be Joey.”
“Okay I’ll be here.” Justin propped the phone between his shoulder and chin and leaned back against the headboard. Elana took a deep breath as she clicked over to the other line.
“Joey??”
“No, I’m sorry, Miss. This is Officer Edwards at the police station. I need you to come down to the Jewish Hospital right away.”
“Oh my God, what’s happened?” Her heart was racing.
“Just please come down here as fast as you can and I’ll explain everything.” He hung up before Elana could say anything else. She hurriedly returned to Justin.

::Blue Monday::

“Justin, oh my God...”
“What?” Justin sat up immediately, his heart jumping into his throat.
“That was a police officer...I need to go to the Jewish Hospital immediately--”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know...he wouldn’t tell...me...” Elana broke down into sobs and Justin jumped out of his bed.
“Elana, hold on for ten minutes. Let me get dressed and I am going to come and take you, okay? Be waiting outside.”
“Okay...” She hung up the phone and grabbed her purse and a light jacket and waited outside. She ran to the street as she saw his Mercedes coming down the road and hopped in, racing to the hospital as fast as they could. Justin parked his car in the emergency waiting area and ran inside with Elana.
“Yes...I’m Elana Fatone...a police officer called me twenty minutes ago and told me to come here--”
“Yes, Mrs. Fatone. He’s in the first room to the left down the hallway...” Elana ran down the hallway, grabbing Justin’s hand and pulling him with her. She walked in, the butterflies in her stomach intensifying.
“Mrs. Fatone?” a middle-aged man with graying hair and a small belly greeted her.
“Yes...”
“Please sit down.” He motioned to a chair and she sat down, Justin standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder.
“What happened?”
“Can you tell me what happened at your house tonight?” Elana looked at the officer and took a deep breath.
“Well, we got into a fight and he left...he didn’t tell me where he was going or anything...I have been waiting on him for four hours.” She stopped and stared at the officer. Slowly he raised his head and looked at her.
“I’m sorry to inform you that your husband was in a car accident--”
“A CAR ACCIDENT?” She stared in shock and it seemed as if her world stopped and started again in slow motion as she watched Officer Edwards mouth the words she never thought she would hear.
“He didn’t make it...” The words resounded in her head over and over again as the reality slowly sank in. She felt Justin’s arms wrap around her and the actuality of the situation hit her when she felt his whole body shaking from the tears that were leaving his eyes.
“Oh My God...Oh my God...” Sobs erupted from deep down inside of her and she collapsed on the floor, her whole body feeling like it had been hit by a train. She was completely numb...no feeling in her arms or legs...numb to the emotions that were ravaging her heart and soul. Her husband, her lover, her best friend--taken from her completely in the flash of an eye. She barely heard the officer explaining the wreck to her.
“A red light...oncoming car....didn’t stop...died instantly...” She caught small parts but it was enough to let her know that half of her was gone...the most important thing to her had vanished completely.
“It’s my fault, Justin...it’s all my fault...” She couldn’t help but blame herself. If she hadn’t of been so stubborn, maybe he would still be alive. If she hadn’t of said the things she said, Joey would still be alive and he would be home right then, sleeping in their bed. She was to blame for her husband’s death.
“No...no...don’t say that...ssshhh...” Justin tried comforting her as best as he could, but it proved a difficult task because he was feeling an ultimate loss as well. Elana managed to decide what funeral home Joey’s body should be taken to, and Justin helped her up from the floor. Taking her by the hand and leading her out to his car, she noticed a calendar sitting at the nurse’s station.
“Monday January 26th...two days before he would be 27...”

::Moving On::

“Hey Joe...it’s me...Elana...” She slowly sat down on the soft patch of ground, fingering the green grass that coated the ground like a thick blanket.
“I am sorry for not visiting you more often. I always keep a busy schedule you know. I still miss you...there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about you or that something doesn’t remind me of you. I can’t even let it sink in that it has already been three years since you died. Time flies by so fast. Today is your birthday, Joe. You would be thirty today.” Elana sighed deeply and continued. “It was really hard for me to move on, Joe. I felt like I would betray our love if I carried on with my life. But I finally got past that. Our love will always be special to me...nothing can replace that.” She toyed with the new set of white gold rings on her finger. “Justin makes me very happy, Joe. I want you to know that. He is taking good care of me...I know you would be proud of him.”
“MOMMY!!!!!” Elana’s head turned and she smiled as her little two-year daughter came running up to her.
“Hi, sweetheart. Do you want to say hi to Daddy?”
The little girl nodded and kissed her fingers, placing them on the ground and giving him a ‘kiss’.
“Hi, Daddy.” Elana smiled and ran her fingers through her daughter’s curly hair. She watched as she ran over to where Justin stood. He scooped her up in his arms and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
“Josie loves Justin, too. She’s crazy about him...and she knows who her Daddy is. She loves you, Joey. And so do I. I’ll come back and visit soon, okay?” She patted the ground beneath her softly and stood up, taking one last look at the tombstone and walking off towards Justin and Josie. The words of her favorite Tim McGraw song came into her head and she smiled, knowing just how well they fit her. “Carry on...carry on...what don’t kill us makes us strong...carry on...”