The rain pattered on the roof and touched the windows of the big house.
Single raindrops found their way down the window and left small, wet tracks.
So did the tears falling down her cheeks.
Had she ever felt such a pain?!
It felt like somebody would catch her lung so she couldn't breathe.
Her knees were trembling.
This newspapers! How could he?!
Didn't he know, that he broke her heart?!
It hurt!
Charity closed her eyes in pain and reached out to throw the newspapers from the table.
She could hardly breathe.
"Make it stop! Please! Make it stop!", she whispered, falling to her knees.
A life not worth living! She thought.
And in this moment she made a decision.
A decision, that would change the life of her family forever!
*
He ran down the Alley to his house.
Just one person in his mind.
Charity. His wife.
He ran faster, reached the stairs to the front door and climbed them with little jumps.
Then he opened the door.
"Charity?!", he shouted.
No answer.
The house seemed dark and empty.
But there was a small light, falling down in the entrance...coming from...the office!
Phineas accelerated and pushed the door open.
"Charity!"
But the room was empty.
The newspapers layid on the ground as if somebody had threw them down.
On the office desk layid a letter.
To Phineas
He unfolded the paper and began to read.
Phineas.
(No dear or something like that.)
I hope you know what this did to me! What YOU did to me!
It thought after last night (after the fire) everything would gonna be okay.
Didn't i had to go through hard times enough?!
And last night...we were so close, so warm! And i felt so...be hold, so strong, because of you.
But now, that i know you hold an other woman like you held me, i don't wanna feel that feeling again.
I don't wanna feel ANY feeling again!
You broke my heart...you broke ME!
How dare you to do such a thing to me?!
Well...i made a decision.
This hurts too much, as if i could live with that feeling.
I give up.
I give up my life!
And this is your fold!
You're gonna be able to hold that woman without have to have any feeling of fold.
Great, right?!
I deserve a better life than this!
But nobody could give me my wished life.
Nobody except you.
But you betrayed me!
So i'm gonna die.
I want to die.
And you have to deal with it.
My last goodbye belongs to Caroline and Helen.
Kiss them from me.
Charity
Tears were splinning down Phineas' cheeks.
She was going to kill herself!
Phineas didn't hesitate; he just ran.
The bridge! She's at the bridge.
He thought, running faster.
Charity was wrong! He couldn't deal with her killing herself.
He loved her!
*
He reached the bridge.
There she was! Standing up on the railing, just one hand holding her.
"Charity!", he shouted, "Charity stop that!"
And his wife turned around and looked at him with a painful look.
*
She heard him.
She heard him shouting her name.
Her knees were trembling.
Just one step forward and she could let everything end!
She wouldn't ever feel such a feeling again! She would forget everything!
And she wanted to.
"Don't let yourself go!", she heard Phineas shouting, "Charity please. I beg you!"
But it didn't care to her.
"Charity don't jump!"
He was just a few meters away.
And as she saw the shocked, panicked look in his eyes and the tears that felt down his cheeks...
she let go.
She felt herself trembling as she was taken by the wind.
And she knew there was nobody down there to cach her.
*
"CHARITY!"
She felt.
She felt and was taken by the water.
Without hesitating a second, Phineas ran to the other side of the bridge, climbed the railing and jumped.
The wind tugged at his clothes and his hat was grapped by the wind.
Then Phineas served the water hard.
A wave pulled him under water and filled his mouth with the cold wet.
His lungs longed for air.
Through the dark coloured water he saw the blond hairs of his wife.
She didn't even tried to reach the water surface. And so she sank deeper and deeper.
Phineas began to swim after her but the flow pulled her away.
It was a fight against the death.
Charitys lips seemed to turn into a soft blue.
Her eyes closed and she was about to touch the ground.
Phineas streched out his arm and...his fingers clenched around Charitys wrist.
He pulled her near and even through the cold water he could feel the coldness of her skin.
Fast he pulled her to the water surface.
She didn't gasp.
She didn't breath.
She didn't open her eyes.
"Charity.", Phin whispered, "Chary!"
There was no reaction.
Nothing.
So he began to swim to the shore.
Charitys body was cold and heavie, because of the soaked clothes.
Phineas pulled her on the shore and stroke her hairs from her forehead.
Her lips were blue.
"Charity.", Phin whispered, "Charity, please! Wake up! Wake up!"
His fingers trembled as he touched her cheek, her lips...
"Charity. Come on!", Tears dripped on her dress, "Please."
His lips touched hers with a track of panic, "Charity! I love you! I love you, Charity. Please! Please just wake up!"
But there was no movement.
His tears felt faster, "Charity, please! I want you back! Please..."
His forehead sank on her chest and he breathed heavie against her dress, "Please."
And suddenly there was a movement and...
Charity took a deep breath.
She coughed.
"Charity!", his hands covered her cheeks as he kissed her lips over and over again.
But she didn't smile, didn't kissed him back.
"Phin...", she whispered, "I...i'm so sorry."
He stopped kissing her and raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to be sorry, darling. Not at all!"
He stroke her hair, "I love you, Charity. I love you so much!"
*
The rain pattered on the roof and touched the windows of the big house.
Single raindrops found their way down the window and left small, wet tracks.
And at the inside of the old big house there was a fire crackling in the fireplace.
The flames made the walls seem to be coloured in red and orange.
And in front of that fireplace sat a man, dark hair, dark eyes and held his wife in his arms.
There were shrouded in a cuddly blanket and warmed each other.
She was reading a book.
"Charity?", the mans voice broke through the silence.
She lifted her head and looked at her husband through her tight lashes, "Yes?"
He stroke her hair behind her ear, "I just wanted to say; you look so...cute when you're concentrated."
He smiled, "You know...you begin to bite your bottom lip and...there's a little fold between your eyebrows...and..."
She pressed her lips on his and her hand reached out to his chin.
As she leaned back again, there was a confused smile on Phineas' lips.
"What was this for?", he asked.
Charity smiled, "I love you."