“David?” Sharon called out from the kitchen. “David? Babe, can you reduce the volume please?”

She was trying to make dinner but the persistent noise from the TV in the living room was distracting.

How many spoons of salt had she put? Was it two? She wasn’t sure. She dipped the spoon into the container, scooped a bit of salt then paused again with her hand over the pot. Maybe it was three?

“David please!” She cried again.

Putting the salt spoon and container down, she dipped the cooking spoon into the pot of soup and smeared the hot oil on her palm then brought it to her mouth.

The salt was just right.

Her husband had finally reduced the volume and she could think properly. The soup was almost ready and she hummed lightly to herself while dancing around the kitchen putting things away. They were both getting better, they were both moving on from what happened.

She and David had been in a car accident a few months ago, and while she barely had any injuries herself, her poor husband took the brunt of the impact in the driver’s seat.

He hadn’t seen the truck on time and had merged onto the road too fast and too soon. His speed, coupled with the fact that it was a one-way road were the ingredients for a terrible disaster.

Sharon had told him before, ‘Just because other people drive in the opposite direction on a one-way street doesn’t mean you have to do it too. You’re a good man, don’t break the rules.’

David would always grumble about it being a waste of time. ‘Why do I have to be the different one?’ But he would always concede in the end, that was how he was, and for a long time, he followed the rules. He stopped at every red light and used his blinker when he was about to turn. He even waited for people at the zebra crossing and Lord knows no one did that in his country, but he did it. He did it for Sharon. He did it because of his love for her.

Sharon smiled at the memory. At least he had made an attempt, he followed every rule…until he didn’t. Just once. He broke it just once and it nearly cost him his life.

After colliding with the truck that day, he had been knocked unconscious when his head jerked forward into the steering wheel and shards of glass from the broken windscreen cut them both in several places.

Sharon, bloody and delirious had run out of the wreck screaming for help for her husband who was losing blood by the second.

It wasn’t unusual for people to gather at car wrecks so she soon found a crowd of people surrounding them. Some men tried to carry David out when they realized his leg was broken, so they lifted him gently and laid him down on the warm tar road.

“Madam, calm down.” She remembered someone saying to her. She was still hysterical, jumping up and down and pulling at her clothes. It must have been a sight of nightmares – a lone woman dressed in a once elegant wrapper and blouse now coming loose, stained with blood, and torn in several places screaming at the top of her lungs.

Lucky enough, there was a hospital nearby and someone volunteered to drive them both there.

“You came at the right time.” The doctor had told her. “Any minute later and it would have been too late.”

Sharon had thought it was a load of bullshit that doctors only said to scare patients and their families. 

The doctors discovered that David had not just a broken leg, but several broken ribs as well and a dislocated collar bone which meant he was under heavy anaesthesia. The important thing was that he was alive. 

Sharon was admitted too, they mentioned  something about a concussion but she couldn’t remember if it was hers or David's.  Everything was all a blur after that.

That was three months ago. Sharon was immensely grateful that they both survived. The story could have been different.

Now here she was, making lunch for the love of her life in their beautiful home. Could they be any more blessed?

She left the soup to boil on low heat and walked into the living room. David sat on the couch with all his attention on the television screen watching a football match. He had his feet propped up on a stool, his left arm resting on the couch while the other was cradled in a cast. He didn’t talk much these days but Sharon understood, he was healing after all. They both were. Physically and mentally.

“Babe?” Sharon whispered as though she was scared of disturbing his game.

David looked up at her and smiled. That was one thing she loved about him, the way he could smile and make the whole place light up.

Sharon smiled back and moved to sit beside him. She sat to his left so she didn’t disturb his other arm. “How are you today?” she asked as she snuggled up to him and lay her head on his shoulder.

“I’m perfectly fine. I have you with me, don’t I?”

She almost giggled. David said that sort of thing a lot and even after being married for eight years, it sounded fresh to her every single time and made her react the same way.

“You’re very annoying.” She laughed. David fake gasped and pretended to be offended.

“You think your husband is annoying?!”

Sharon laughed again and snuggled closer. He wasn’t watching the game anymore, instead he was holding her tight with his one good arm.

What would she ever do without him?

___________________________________

Esther shut the door of her car and pressed the button on her keys till she heard a beep.

What a long day.

Things had been difficult for a while now trying to juggle her job, her husband and kids and her sister too. Even though Sharon was older, their roles had been reversed since the accident and she had to be the one checking in on her.

The delusion came at random moments -  today she was fine, tomorrow she wasn’t. Esther never knew what she was going to see whenever she pulled up to Sharon’s house. Climbing up the stairs was always difficult, knocking on the door filled her with dread and entering into the house brought tears to her eyes.

Today she wondered what she’d find. Walking up the apartment stairs, she prayer silently. If this continued any longer, she’d have to take her sister back to the hospital. Esther didn’t want that. It wasn’t Sharon’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, really. Life happens and people leave, why was that so hard for her sister to understand?

Esther knocked on the door, slightly breathless. There was no answer but thankfully she had a spare key for moments like this. She put the key into the hole, turned it slowly and pushed open the door.

It was worse everytime. Esther's bags dropped to the floor, her eyes filling up with tears and a sob catching in her throat as she looked at her sister on her living room couch. The tv was off and Sharon sat there, hugging nothing but smiling contentedly.