Disclaimer: I have absolutely no claim to Desperate Housewives, as usual.
Story Summary: The reality was that she was sick, and they had to find a way to deal with that. A companion piece to "Holding On."
A/n: This is a companion piece to my other story, "Holding On." It's not necessary to read that to understand this, but it does follow the sequence of events from that story and may assume knowledge from it at some points in time. My plan is to have this cover the entirety of the cancer arc. I hope you all enjoy!
Perseus and Andromeda Up in the Sky
A story by Ryeloza
Part One: June
Introduction
There were a hundred thousand stars lighting the blackened sky and Lynette and Tom were the only two people in the world who could see them. They lay on the backs on the sandy shores of a lake, hands clasped and heads together, just staring up at those tiny pinpricks of light. Somehow in the enormity of it all, Tom was able to pick out the constellations, pointing them out one by one.
"And that one, near Cassiopeia—that's Andromeda." Tom's fingers danced from star to star, showing her. "Cassiopeia was her mother and she was so vain that the gods punished her by chaining Andromeda to a rock to be eaten by a sea monster."
Lynette nodded attentively, surprised by how logical it seemed that Tom knew this story and she didn't when she had been the one to take a Greek mythology course in college. "The daughter is punished for the mother's sins," she murmured.
"Yes," agreed Tom. "We follow in our parents' footsteps. Well, one day Perseus happened by and he was so taken with Andromeda's beauty that he agreed to free her. In exchange all he wanted was her hand in marriage. Cassiopeia agreed."
Lynette smiled. "And he saved her."
"Yes. He couldn't live without her. And now," said Tom, taking their joined hands and pointing out another group of stars nearby, "he and Andromeda are in the sky together. Forever."
"It's just too bad her mother is right there too."
Tom laughed and the sound filled up the entire world. She felt like she was floating on his joy. "Come on," he said, suddenly standing and holding out his hands for her to take. Her stomach fluttered nervously, but she reached out her hands and let him hoist her up.
"Where are we going?"
Tom didn't answer. He dropped her hands, backing away from her toward the lake. Inexplicably, she was frightened, but her feet couldn't move; she was frozen. "Don't go."
"You have to come too."
"No."
"Come on…"
Lynette opened her eyes for a second, and then groaned. "Come on," Tom said again, reality overlapping her dream. He forced her up off of the couch, and she rubbed the bleariness from her eyes. "It's time for bed."
"I was dreaming," she mumbled. "You were showing me constellations."
Tom turned off the light and put his hands on her hips, propelling her toward the stairs. "I know the big dipper."
"Perseus and Andromeda up in the sky."
"That must have been some dream," he chuckled. He was humoring her, but she was too tired to care. If Gaby's wedding hadn't worn her out, the ensuing fight with her mother certainly had; she was exhausted. "Don't worry, you'll be in bed soon. Back to your dreams."
She didn't correct him that she didn't want to return.
