Ally Moon's marriage was always picture perfect. She was married to the good looking Austin Moon, and had two wonderful children named Eric and Natasha. Ally's life really was blessed.
Ally was a kindergarten teacher, and truly loved working with the kids. Her family was lucky enough to have friends like Trish and Dez who were married and had their own kids.
But those blessing weren't going to last. Austin's record label dropped him and his chances for international stardom were ruined. Ally told him that things would get better and that he'd find a new record label one day. They were both carefully optimistic.
A year had passed and no new label took on Austin. He was forced to work in his parent's mattress business and hated every second of it. This boring salesperson work was nothing like the life that he could have lived.
Austin took to drinking. He'd come home at odd hours of the night and refused to talk to her or the kids. He was distant and didn't love his family and friends anymore. He never hit his wife or kids but the neglect they felt was like a slap to the face anyway.
This had been going on for months until Ally finally couldn't put up with it anymore. She was tired, and disheartened that her kids couldn't have a father and she couldn't have a husband.
"What do you want from me Ally? I'm working as hard as I can and whenever I come home you're always yelling at me!" Austin would scream as he stalked from the room too keep his temper under control.
"That's just it Austin, you're constantly working. I want you to be happy, I want my old Austin back, the one who loved me when we were teenagers," Ally would say to the point of sobbing.
Austin's face would soften but nothing could stop the guilty feelings that he was feeling. Austin grabbed his things and ran from the house, pushing his inconsolable wife on the way out. He couldn't deal with this right now.
That night Austin didn't come home. He didn't come home the next day, or the day after. Ally and the children were starting to get worried. She'd sit with Natasha and rub her light brown hair, while her brother would toddle over with his sandy blond head swaying as he walked. They were both so young not to have a father.
Later she put the two children to sleep and heard loud noises downstairs. It was her husband. He was bedraggled and obviously famished. Ally ran to him, but he pushed her away saying that he was filthy and disgusting.
"Austin, I don't care. Don't you realize how worried we were about you? Natasha and Eric wouldn't sleep for the first two days hoping you'd come back," Ally asked and Austin nodded. Her husband quietly got up and went up to his children's rooms, kissing them.
Ally breathed a sigh of relief he had finally calmed down, and hopefully they could restart their family. Their kids would be so happy to wake up and find him home, safe and sober.
In a horrible twist of fate Ally realized that her life was only going to get worse, because at that moment her husband uttered the most horrible words she could think of, "I want a divorce."
It was as if someone had stabbed her through the heart and all she could do was gasp "No, no, no, why?" But Austin wouldn't answer once again, grabbed his things, and quickly left the house without a backwards glance.
Ally dropped to her knees and cried. Even though the last year hadn't been the best she still loved Austin. He was still her best friend, the one person that really knew everything about her and loved her anyway. Now that was gone.
She looked at Natasha and Eric, how could he leave them without a father? How could he do this to them? They could have worked it out, they still could have loved each other as much as she loved him.
Ally eventually fell asleep and was awakened by the shouts of her children. She looked up little Eric and cried some more, she was too weak to get up. People would call on the phone all day yet she could never find the strength to answer. Finally Dez found her, and he instantly called Trish and had her come over.
It was all Ally could do to spill out the story. Once Dez heard that Austin was missing he sped off and vowed that he'd find her husband. Trish led Ally in to bed and promised that she'd look over Eric and Natasha. Ally smiled and went to sleep.
Days went by and there was still no sign of Austin. Dez and Trish stayed with her, and helped Ally do her every day duties. Ally's boss understood and gave her the next two weeks off.
Things seemed hopeless until there was a call. Dez answered and had a hushed conversation. When the call was finally over, Dez instantly found Ally and told her that Austin was in the hospital. He was badly dehydrated and had pneumonia; his chances of survival weren't high.
Ally's mind told her not to go; she'd been through enough and this would probably drive her insane. But she remembered all the love that her and Austin had shared, and knew that if the worst was to happen she wanted to be there with him. Honestly, if she didn't go it would ruin her and the kids deserved at least one parent.
Trish drove her and the kids to hospital. On the trip Ally would break down in to tears but then snap herself out of it. She needed to be strong for her kids. Finally the group was in the hospital and Ally's worst fears were realized; Austin looked terrible.
His pneumonia was one of the worst cases the doctor had ever seen. It turned out that for days Austin had lived beside a highway and was constantly rained on, it was cold. He was still young, only twenty four, but the sickness was enough to drive him unconscious.
Trish and Dez took Natasha and Eric to get ice creams at the cafeteria in order to give Ally some time alone with her husband. She grabbed his hand and began to sob again. He looked as though he was sleeping.
It was at that moment that Austin opened his eyes and saw her. He looked anguished and breathed, "You always were too good for me Ally Moon. I'm sorry I put you through this."
Before Ally knew what she was doing, she screamed at him, letting all her anger over the past year spill out. "You should be sorry! I've been worried sick every sick every day and this is how I find you!"
She started to sob again and nuzzled her head into his chest. Austin looked down and stroked her hair. He felt so guilty, if he hadn't put his life before his family's then she wouldn't be here, having to deal with this.
"I've always loved you Ally. I've always loved our kids. But once the record label dropped me, I forgot what really mattered… you three." Austin murmured as he tried to sit up but was so weak to.
Ally still sobbed. She wanted to yell at him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him, that everything was going to be okay and that they could be a family again. But his skin was cold and clammy, and every time he spoke he'd have a coughing fit. Her husband; her rock was dying and even after all he put her through she still loved him.
She's never loved anyone more than she loved Austin and she knew that he loved her too. If life hadn't turned out like this, they could have been together blissfully in love. But life had turned sour and that was unlikely to happen again.
"I love you too Austin," Ally whispered and kissed her husband. Austin looked down and smiled at her for the last time.
"If you wanna go, I won't say no. But you're the best thing I've ever known. I will set you free," Ally whispered as she closed her husband's eyes and kissed his forehead. His skin was already cold.