"Are you going to love me forever?" Raylan asked, leaning up against the willow tree. His arms wrapped around Winona and brought her closer, smiling down at her as he did. He definitely hoped she said yes to his question. "I'll love you until I draw my last breath." She stated, looking up at him with her bright green eyes. Raylan's smile widened and he tightened his grip around her, never wanted to let go of the woman he loved. But, unfortunately, he would have to.
She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette
She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget
We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time
But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind
Until' the night
It was obvious that Winona had stopped loving Raylan long before she drew her last breath. The man in the bed beside her could speak for that. It had been nearly six months since Raylan had been shipped out on his mission, and Winona couldn't stand to wait for him. She had to have someone there for her, but that was only a temporary fix. She knew she'd start thinking about him again, but she had no idea that those feelings would return in a matter of seconds.
Winona shifted around in the bed, and suddenly was trapped by a tickle fest by her lover. The sounds of her laugh filled the room, but little did she know, Raylan was listening downstairs. He didn't think she was with someone else, he thought she was planning something for him. After all, he did send a letter with his arrival date, but she didn't receive it. Perhaps if she did, the next moment would go a bit differently.
Raylan let a smile cross over his lips as he ran up the stairs, eager to see the one he loved. As he pushed open the door, his heart broke in two. He had been cheated on, and worst of all, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't fight the other man, he knew he wouldn't win. Winona had made her choice, and now it was time for him to move on with his life. But, could he actually move on? That was something that would be nearly impossible for him to do.
He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away her memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength he had to get up off his knees
We found him with his face down in the pillow
With a note that said, "I'll love her till I die"
And when we buried him beneath the willow
The Angels sang a whiskey lullaby
Weeks had passed by, and not even alcohol could get Winona off his mind. Drunk, sober, awake, or sleep, Raylan could only see that moment where his heart was broken by the only person he ever loved. He finally realized that nothing would get her off his mind, not even the countless bottles of whiskey he was drinking. The memories of her would always be there, but it didn't look like there were any good ones. It looked as if he was stuck remembering the horrible moments in their relationship, but he was determined to fix that.
Sitting on the edge of his motel bed, Raylan leaned over towards the side table and grabbed a pen and paper. He was going to leave her one last note; one last note of what he was truly feeling. And in all honestly, he knew there was a chance she wouldn't care, but he had to tell her.
Raylan scribbled the words "I'll love her till I die" on the paper, then set it beside him, trading it for the gun. His drew in a sharp breath and raised the barrel to his head, placing his finger on the trigger. "I love you, Winona." With those words, he pulled the trigger. His body fell back onto the bed and landed on the note, resting there for both of them to be found.
The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself
For years and years, she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath
She finally drank her pain away a little at a time
But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind
Until' the night
Months flew past since the death of Raylan, and the guilt didn't go away. If only she hadn't cheated, he'd still be there. They're be together, happy, married, and raising their children. Life would be perfect, but she messed it up. Sure, her actions seemed fun at the time, but it was only for the rush. Nobody in the world could love Winona as much as what Raylan did, but unfortunately, she was too blind to see that.
Winona's thoughts were suddenly pushed out of her mind as a hand grabbed her from behind, twisting her around. Ever since Raylan's death, she had been drinking and having meaningless sex; it was all she could do. Before Winona could react, his face appeared. Tears ran down her cheeks and she pushed the man out, slamming the door behind him. Her hand reached for the bottle of whiskey and she raised to her lips, drinking it slowly as she slid down the wall. The memory of him way killing her slowly, everyone knew that. But, people didn't think she was stupid enough to kill herself. They were wrong.
She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger
And finally drank away his memory
Life is short but this time it was bigger
Than the strength she had to get up off her knees
We found her with her face down in the pillow
Clinging to his picture for dear life
We laid her next to him beneath the willow
While the Angels sang a whiskey lullaby
Winona wrapped her arms around his picture, crying as her eyes ran over his face. The guilt, the love, and the memories came flooding back, faster than they ever have. She picture his face when he found out, and she held the picture tighter. "It's my fault, all my fucking fault." She cried, taking a swig out of the whiskey bottle before throwing it across the room, letting the shatter against the wall.
"It's not fair." She whispered, shaking her head. She was right, it wasn't fair for him to be dead. But, it wasn't fair for her to cheat either. A sigh escaped the womans lips and she looked around the room, letting her eyes land on the gun beside the bed. In that moment, it all became clear to her, she could be with him again. If she killed herself, she could be reunited with Raylan, she could tell him that she was sorry, and best of all, they could be in love again. To her, nothing could be better than that.
She slid her hand over to the table and ran her hand over the gun, smiling at the texture of it. As she picked it up, she gulped, having seconds thoughts. She didn't want to die, but she didn't want to live without him. There was no other way. Winona raised the gun to her head and held the picture tighter, closing her eyes as her finger rested on the trigger. "I'll love you until I draw my last breath." She whispered, pulling the trigger. The blood splattered and Winona fell on the bed; she was gone. She was with the love of her life, the way it should have been from the beginning.
La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa
Winona and Raylan both now rested underneath the willow tree, spending the days of their afterlife where it all started. It was a place of pain, a place of love, a place of misery, and a place of happiness. No matter what type of memories were held underneath the willow tree, one thing was for sure, they still loved each. And if you're lucky enough, you can still see Winona and Raylan sitting underneath the tree today. Their laughs fill the air, and their kisses bring warmth to your hearths; it's what true love is all about, and even to this day, people still visit that tree to see the two lovers.