(Thank you for your nice reviews. Here comes chapter 2 and thus the last chapter of this short story. Keep in mind that it's just my idea of how things might have went between Jack and Lisa. I'm just trying to fill in some missing scenes.)

Chapter 2

The rain was still going outside. They had shut the barn doors and sat on a bale of hay now. It had been quiet for a while as they sat in silence. Only the hay between the horses munching teeth was heard and the heavy raindrops hit like drum rolls against the barn. With the incoming weather and due to the late hour it had become completely dark outside. The lamps lighted the inside of the barn and so Jack and Lisa could spend some more time down here before returning to the house and step into the broken world they both were so afraid of confronting.

The sides of their bodies were leaning against each other. His hand lay in hers while her fingers stroke softly over his, passing on her consolation through the binding touch.
Lisa was waiting for him to find the readiness to talk. She didn't want to urge him, knowing that her husband needed time.
Sitting here, together, her trying to be the rock for him in the hard times of loss remembered her so much of the day when Paint died or after Will Vernon passed away.

It was a sad realisation, but after going through mourning more than once, Lisa knew how to handle her husband's grieving. She knew when to back off, when it was okay to just be there for him in silence and she also knew when to talk. He would make the first move, even though it took some wait.

The drum roll against the wooden walls of the barn faded to some extent and only the sound of waterdrops splashing into the formed puddles outside was heard. Horses snorted satisfied in their stables and Spartan moaned while he was laying down into his bed of shavings to rest for the night. The day slowly came to an end and the terrible incident of Ty's unexpected death felt so wrong and strange to this peaceful day's close down here at the barn.

"How is Amy?", Jack suddenly spoke up. The tears still resonated in his voice. It was rough and slightly trembling. She tightened the grip on their hands.
"Lou is with her."

Amy's state was probably worse than they pictured. To be honest Lisa didn't know how the young woman felt. She had entered the house and disappeared so quickly that it was impossible to start a conversation, not to mention to gain a first impression on her well being. The only consoling knowledge was that Lou was up there in the house, too. Usually it was best to leave the two sisters alone first. They had a unique way of straighten each other out. Lisa was glad about it. That way she got the chance to focus on the other things that needed her attention. For example to take care of her husband and providing a strong shoulder to lean on. He needed that as much as Amy did.

They would face the sorrowful situation in the house together after collecting enough strenght they could give to the family.

"I don't-" Jack sobbed and swallowed the new upcoming wall of tears down before finding his voice again "I don't know how we will get through this."

True.
Lisa had been secretly wondering about that too. The terrible circumstances looked like a destroyed and unstable bridge they weren't able to cross. Ty's sudden death had already ripped such a deep hole into the family's life that made the future look devastated.
Still, Lisa tried hard to stay positive. Even in this time of darkness it was the only way to at least have a chance to get through it. She believed in the support the family had always been able to give. She knew that they could only get through this if they pulled together and be there for one another. Although there was a big cloud of grief hovering above Jack's head right now, Lisa wished for him that he would see the precious family's traits again. She wanted him to believe in them again like she did.

"We will honey. We are here for each other and I'm here for you, too."

He nodded briefly, again the tears wetting his eyes.

"It wasn't time for him to go yet ...It wasn't his turn."

Lisa swallowed hard when she understood what he was actually saying. He considered himself to be on Ty's stead and this thought bore a hole through her heart like a burning arrow. Shot by a crossbow of pain itself.

Although the topic of outliving him wasn't new, it was terrifying her badly. A topic she had never liked to go deeper into. Living a life without him was sheer unthinkable. Over the years they had grown so strong together that it felt as if their hearts were beating as one. If he died, it would mean the end of her, too. There was nothing in her life that was giving her so much of a reason to live like he did. Yes, there was the family and Lisa knew that she could stay, but the truth was that everyone was somehow living their own lives and of course they did. They were grown up and had families and jobs to take care of. Katie and Lyndy were growing up so fast that they wouldn't need someone to look after them anymore soon. So what would be her task then? What would be her role in the family? What would be her reason to carry on when Jack died?

Once more Lisa came to the realisation that there was nothing. She didn't have children of her own, no grandchildren of her own. She was married into the Heartland family and the business she was running had become more and more weary lately. Would she be able to drown herself into work again? At her age?

She didn't know what to response, neither to his comment nor to the many thoughts in her head. Right now Lisa felt relieved that she hadn't to cope with them for now. She was lucky to have her spouse, her love still sitting next to her. Alive. At the same time however felt that unbearable sharp pain for Amy by only imagining what she was going through right now. What she still had to go through. Lisa hoped that Lyndy was enough of a reason for the young woman to see the beauty in her life again. To find a reason to fight and carry on.

Again her heart was torn by the picture of the little girl stretching out her arms towards her mother, yet wasn't noticed by her at all. It would be hard to make her understand that daddy passed away, that he wasn't coming back home.
So torn in all those sudden turns life was taking Lisa promised to herself that she would do her best in helping Amy to take care of Lyndy. That's what her role in the family would be. To be there when she was needed, partly filling the hole Ty's death had left on them.

"It wasn't his time, no. But it isn't yours either.", Lisa finally responded, feeling the need to not leave his remark unanswered.
"I lived my life, Lis' and he wasn't supposed to go. There is so much more he needs to do in his life. There is a family waiting for him to come back."

"It's the hardest thing to accept not being able to control life that way. But we have to. We have to find a way to accept. To be strong."

"We need to be strong for Amy. And Lyndy."
"We do, yes."

A short moment of silence emerged between them before she carried on.

"But it's also okay to let down our guards every once in a while. I want you to know that I'm here for you to do this. Whenever you feel the need to let go."

Jack nodded thankfully and this time it were his fingers squeezing hers with gratefulness.

"I can't imagine my life without you, Jack. I wouldn't know what to do without you.", she said like so often before. After all that time the words were still true. The meaning in them had never lost their significance. "What happened today is heartbreaking and it's going to be a tough time. Ty will be missed endlessly by all of us, especially by his own little family. But please never forget that you are needed here, too."
She managed to put a hurt smile onto her face while looking up. First he wasn't able to look back at her. His gaze was still set upon the spot on the wall. New tears pooled up in his eyes and a faltering breath of air filled his lungs.
"Especially now.", she added.
This time Jack turned towards her and they looked at each other intensively.

The rock of the family. That's who he was. Always had been. They relied on him. So much. Yet, Jack needed a source of strenght, too. A strength-giver. Lisa would be more than honoured if she could be that to him. If he was the rock then she would be the stone he was made of. Together they would stand solid against the storm and help the family, Amy and Lyndy to fight through it.

Strenghtened by their converstation, presence and togetherness they both felt that the time had come to face the struggle.
"Let's go back to the house. It's about time."
"Yea.", he sighed deeply in agreement.

They got up and hand in hand they walked over to the barn doors. He switched off the lights while she started to pull open the door. Before they stepped outside into the early night, Lisa felt his hand on her arm and the next moment was gently pulled around to face him.
They looked at each other in the dark.
Only the lamp outside drew a soft cone of light at the spot before their feet. The downpour had changed to a steady and soft rain that hit the ground rhythmically and surrounded them with a calming sound.

His sad eyes watched her closely. In them reflected were the many experiences he had made throughout life. As if the pencil of life had drawn deep lines onto his face. The wrinkels stood for the sorrow whereas the even patches of skin in between had been missed by the pencil and still showed the youthful man underneath. Lisa wanted them to never change. She didn't want him to experience more grief than he already had. How much more was he able to cope with? How much more was she able to share his pain? If only she could ease the burdens on him a little. Maybe she already was.

Leaning down he planted a tender kiss upon her lips. A kiss of gratitude, encouragement and emotional security. It was so simple yet filled with so many meaningful things that it made the tears rise up in her eyes again. She was so lucky. So lucky to still have him. To be allowed to spend more time with the man she loved. By now Lisa already understood what Ty's death was teaching them: to enjoy every single moment. To take nothing for granted but to live each day as as if it was their last. No argument, no disagreement and no waste of time was so important than to seize every moment life was presenting you with. It could be over so quickly.

Driven by her emotions she leaned closer into him before their lips parted slighty.
Their gazes locked.
"Thank you.", he whispered softly.
"Always."
And the escaping tear ran slowly across her cheek.

(Thank you for reading.)