Chuck fell asleep on the couch a little after two in the morning. With the television still softly on, he slept beside a coffee table lined with at least five empty beer bottles. Restless, he finally woke up after the last nightmare.

It was another one about what happened.

Taking a second, he opened his eyes and looked around the empty living room. The lamp was still on, casting a dull dusty light through the dark room. Glancing at the television, he saw some late night movie was playing. Letting his eyes adjust, right away the same terrible almost numbing pain hit him. It never went away, not even for a second. Taking a deep breath, he reached over and drained the last of the bottle which was closest to his hand. Feeling his throat burn, he laid there for a second before rubbing his face with his left hand.

That's when he withdrew his hand and stared at his fingers.

His wedding band.

Sighing, he felt as though needles were twisting into his insides. Letting out a horsed sounding cry deep in his throat, he lowered his head again and began weeping.

He never though it could hurt this bad.

"Please God…please let me have her back, I promise I won't let anything happen to her…please…

His strained voice choked out as he cried. Sitting there he then thought back at how it kept playing over and over again in his mind.

Last weekend they had visited her parents update. The two of them rented a car and took off early Friday after Chuck called in from work. Packing a few bags, the two of them enjoyed the drive together and beat the usual traffic nice and early. Chuck remembered her with her big sunglasses and scarf. She had her camera and kept taking photos of him driving. Laughing, she got him in a great mood and they sung along to the radio together and arrived there with her head on his shoulder, his arm around her feeling as if he was the luckiest guy in the world.

He loved spending time with Lucy. In fact if it wasn't for the money, he would of quit his job long ago to spend more time with her. Ever since they got married, he hadn't lost that same feeling that he got when he first laid eyes on her. He knew the chances of a guy like him ending up with a girl with her was slim, but he counted himself grateful everyday. They were best friends in all ways, and seemed to have something special about them. Something that couldn't be explained, but just straight and forward right for each other. Chuck never felt so comfortable or happy with anyone else. He hoped one day…back when everything was okay, that he would make enough money and move Lucy someplace amazing. Spend the rest of his life with her, and giving her everything she ever wanted.

But the truth was…all she wanted as him.

Chuck remembered pulling into the driveway of Lucy's parent's beautiful summer house. They were original from New Mexico, but bought this place shortly after the wedding. Chuck and Lucy often visited and spent a few weekends up there enjoying the peace that the city didn't offer.

Chuck got along with Lucy's parents, unlike his who he hadn't spoken to in what seemed like forever. They were completely opposite of what someone would think in-laws would be. Both were wealthy in their own ways, and had Lucy along with her brother Philip when they were working around the world. They had a different and somewhat wild outlook on life and enjoyed the fact their only daughter had found happiness. They welcomed Chuck into their family, and seemed to get along with him fine. They thought he was off beat and funny, which was just what Lucy needed.

They didn't see each other that much, but they visits they did make were good ones.

Chuck remembered how the crickets chirped in the background. The beautiful fire velvet colored sky as the sun began to set. The warm breeze that blew past the blossomed trees and made the air which a beautiful scent of fresh soil and flowers.

Chuck loved the city, but couldn't deny how amazing it was up here.

The fresh air, the open space, the pounds, and forests. Chuck enjoyed the small opened space Lucy's parents lived in and looked forward to the weekend.

"Chuck, help me?"

Chuck remembered snapping off his sunglasses and seeing Lucy trying to tie some of her loose hair in a ponytail. Softly smiling, Chuck reached over and helped her before she pulled it through and turned grabbing her purse. Chuck got out and grabbed the bags out back as their parents greeted them.

As always it was hugs and friendly slaps on the backs. Lucy's mother hurried Lucy inside talking a mile a minute as Lucy's father helped Chuck with the bags.

"How's the stocks looking Chuck?"

"I've seen better days Dan, I've seen better days."

Lucy's father laughed, giving him another friendly slap on the back before going into the beautiful air conditioned house.

That evening once they got settled, they had dinner out back on the patio that over looked their beautiful built in marble pool. Candles lit, they ate together and caught up on everything. Lucy's parents spoke about their latest vacation to Europe, while Chuck went over work a little bit and Lucy about what was going on with their circle of friends.

As always they asked when they were going to make them grandparents and all Chuck and Lucy did were eye each other and smile. Their hands underneath the table holding each other.

Finally Lucy's mother asked yet again to see the beautiful ring Chuck had given her for her birthday. Lucy smiling from ear to ear held up her hand and right away Lucy's mother began to gush.

"That's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen!"

"It's not a ring, it's a golf ball!"

Joked Lucy's dad.

Lucy laughed along with them and gave Chuck a look that he would never forget. The same look she often gave him. The look he knew…

The look of I love you.

Chuck's heart ached remembering how they all stayed up drinking wine and talking. Chuck and Lucy sprawled out on one of their comfy patio couches and laying in each other's arms laughing. How that night he made love to her for the last time.

He remembered how nervous he was yet again about having sex in her parent's house. As always as she got into bed, she rolled her eyes before pinning him down on the chest with her hands. Teasing him, she would curve up a smile and tell him her parents were stone deaf. Chuck really couldn't remember that night. Only that they had made love. Nothing was special about it, only that once he finished and was about to drift off to sleep, he gently kissed her shoulder.

Most of the time he did do that. She seemed to make him sleep better. Almost every night he would drift off right before her, and kiss her as she slept. He remembered having to fly to New York with Gary for a meeting a few months back and how badly he slept without her. Gary joked he was being too clingy and that she was his security blanket. But the truth was…she was.

The next morning…it happened.

Fisher went back to this memory as he softly cried on the sofa.

He remembered waking up a little after ten. Lucy had let him sleep in on purpose. Never feeling so relaxed before in his life, Chuck remembered the window was open to the balcony and how the morning sunlight poured in. He got up and found her in the shower. Joining her, they didn't come downstairs until ten-thirty.

Lucy's parents were going into town for a few hours, but planned on spending the rest of the afternoon with them by the pool. Being left in the house, the two wore their scrubs and Pjs and made breakfast for the two of them together. Taking it out on the patio, the two enjoyed the beautiful morning as birds sang in the distance and the pool's surface seemed to glitter.

They sat in the sun, eating, drinking coffee, and laughing.

An hour later she changed into her bathing-suit, he changed into his swim trunks. They laid together out on the patio in the sun. His arm around her.

Right before her parents came back, he tilted her head towards him and he smiled looking right into her eyes.

"I love you…"

She smiled back and was about to say something…when he kissed her.

Within the hour Lucy's parents joined them. They swan in the pool, which was like bathwater and even got into a splashing match. Swimming around the crystal clear water, they finally all sat on the edge dripping wet and trying to dry.

Chuck, who's hair was slicked back sat beside Lucy as her parents told them they were opening a fresh bottle of wine and planning on drying off inside. Deciding to join them, they began walking in when Lucy stopped.

Chuck's arms were around her waist as they almost went inside. Stopping beside the sliding glass door, Lucy felt for the top of her head and rolled her eyes.

"What is it babe?"

"My sunglasses, they must of slipped off in the pool."

"I'll get them…"

Chuck started to turn when Lucy smiled and shook her head.

"Naw I'll get them. Get some towels, I'll be in a second."

"You sure?"

Lucy past him and began walking back to the pool.

Lucy flashed him a smile before slipping into the water. Smiling back, Chuck walked inside.

Chuck hadn't seen what happened…but knew well enough.

While Lucy's parents cracked open a bottle of wine in the den and began setting down glasses, Chuck grabbed some towels off the bench in the kitchen and began to dry off.

It wasn't until nearly seven minutes later that he knew something was wrong.

Dried off, Chuck walked into the Den before Lucy's mother looked up.

"Lucy coming?"

"Yeah…"

Chuck motioned over his shoulder.

"She's just getting her sunglasses…"

Chuck began to sit down when something stopped him. Lucy's father began pouring the wine.

Lucy's mother then walked into the next room towards the patio.

"I'll get her, she'll miss the toast."

Chuck smiled as Lucy's father filled his glass.

Seconds later there was a shrill of a scream. Chuck spun around dropping his wine glass on the carpet. Right away he began to run. Nearly slipping in the kitchen, he knocked over a stool before running outside. Lucy's mother was on the edge of the pool screaming and looking as though she was about to jump in.

Chuck didn't see it, but heard Lucy's father behind him.

Quickly running across the stone patio, he then looked in the pool.

On the deep side, all the way at the bottom floated a lifeless Lucy. Her hair slowly dancing around underneath the water.

She wasn't moving.

Chuck completely froze, his eyes bulging from their sockets.

"LUCY!"

He jumped in, swimming straight to the bottom, fighting the water.

He saw her floating there, her hand stuck in the grate at the bottom. Her sunglasses still sitting there under the water.

Grabbing her, he tried his hardest to yank her but she wouldn't come free. Chuck tried again and saw it was her hand that was stuck. With all his might he yanked and then began to swim up to the surface.

Shooting from the surface in a huge splash, he gasped for air and struggled to keep her afloat. Swimming over to the edge he heard her parents screaming. Quickly her father helped him lift her out of the pool. Water had soaked the patio as Chuck rolled over dripping wet, struggling to get to her. Lucy's mother was a complete mess, crying and screaming out her name. Lucy's father who seemed in shock sat back staring at his daughter.

She was pale and wasn't moving. Feeling his heart race, he was hysterical. With shaking hands he laced them together and began to perform CPR. Pumping down on her chest, he tilted her head and began breathing deeply into her mouth.

"Lucy!"

He yelled.

Her ring finger was broken.

He kept doing CPR, his hair hanging in his face.

"One…two…three…"

Then he would open her mouth and breath for her.

"Come on!"

He cried, and kept breathing for her. Lucy's mother was crying as her father got up quickly saying something about an ambulance.

Chuck expected her to finally do what happened in the movies. To cough up some water and stare up at him with scared eyes. He needed her to breath, that's all.

How long had she been under, three…four minutes. No it couldn't happen this quick.

"BREATH LUCY!'

He screamed, pumping down faster and faster.

Her body not moving.,

By the time the paramedics came nearly ten minutes later, they found Chuck still trying to perform CPR on his dead wife. He begged her to make up, slapping her face as he cried. When the paramedics tried to get him away he fought them. He screamed for them to help her but it was no use. Finally his face crumpled as one of the paramedics rested his hand on his wet shoulder.

"She's gone, I'm sorry…"

Chuck broke down, grabbing onto her soaked lifeless body and moaned.

They sedated him shortly after.

And a few days later, the pool guy found her beautiful diamond ring in the filter grate at the bottom of the pool. The cleaner, an older trustworthy man gave the ring to Lucy's mourning and shocked parents. The cause of death was drowning.

It seemed, that while Lucy was swimming to the bottom to find her sunglasses, she simply put her fingers through the grate to hold herself at the bottom long enough to grab them. That's when the ring got her finger stuck. She panicked, and struggled and finally drowned at the bottom of the pool. There was a statement and that's how everyone pieced it together. You heard about people drowning all the time. The ocean, lakes, ponds, bathtubs. It was just something you heard about and hoped would never happen to anyone you knew.

A terrible tragic accident that could have been avoided. She drowned in the swimming pool, that she and Chuck had swan in a million times. Chuck knew she was a good swimmer, and couldn't believe that while she was terrified, underneath and drowning he was filling his wine glass up inside.

How couldn't he have known?

Could she have died that quickly?

He was heartbroken.

He couldn't save her.

Thinking of the ring and what had happened at the wake yesterday, his insides began to ache again.

How could this have happened?

Sitting there he cried harder then he ever cried before in his life.

Why couldn't he have her back.

Why?