Sean sat in the anticipation, counting the seconds. The quiet of the room accentuated the hum of the fridge from the kitchen as if it's boring into his soul. Sweat dripped down his brow. He brushed it away with a trembling hand. The room was a perfect temperature, yet Sean was flushed with heat. His leg bounced in a repetitive restless motion. Outside, the leaves on the trees danced with careless abandon; the glass separated the two realities, for the wind blew even when his world had stopped. Time is no concept for a man who's seen death; life is not measured by your number of breaths. Those are Sean's favorite song lyrics. They've been floating around in his head for the past few days. They seemed to ring more true now. A bike engine rumbled up the driveway, cutting off seconds later. A figure passed by the window. There's a soft knock at the door. the moment he was waiting for. Sean crossed the room in three strides, hesitating with his hand on the knob… He turned it. The door swung open to reveal his wife, looking as good as ever.

Sean is sitting at the dining table with his wife. The morning sun shines in the window, casting bright patches on the table and walls.
"Honey?" Sara prompts.
"Hmm…?"
"I asked if you're excited for our first anniversary date today?"
"Oh. Yes I am.
"I have a few errands to run, I expect to be back in a couple hours."
"Ok. I'll see you then.
Sara gets up from the table. She walks over to Sean, kissing him goodbye.
"Love you babe." Sean conveys.
"love you more!" The door swings shut behind her.
Sean plans to buy flowers to plant in the front yard. He figures he'll have just enough time to walk down to the flower shop, and be able to plant them before Sara gets back. He waits by the window until she pulls off on her motorcycle. Sean slips his shoes on, heading out the front door. The local garden center is only a few blocks away. He starts down the sidewalk. The day is sunny and warm. A gentle breeze blows through the tree tops, rustling the leaves in a sound like the ocean.
Sean is so lost in thought, he doesn't even realize when he's reached the store until he's nearly passed it. He heads inside. marigolds, roses, and petunias are what Sean is after. He locates the flowers of choice. The total payed is forty-seven sixty. Sean begins the walk back to his house, carrying the crate of flowers. After arriving, he sets the flowers down on the front lawn, heading for the shed at the back of the house. Sean retrieves a few tools, heading back to the front. He begins methodically digging holes in the flower bed. Each hole is precisely placed, exactly the way he thinks Sara will like it. After some time of digging, planting, and filling in the holes, he reaches a meditative state. All of his problems seem to melt away; Sean becomes one with the task. He Is almost sad when the flowers run out. Sean looks over his work. The flowers are well placed, scattered intentionally around the bed. Next comes the watering. Sean gets the hose from the side of the house; he snakes it around to the front. Watering the flowers wasn't nearly as much fun as planting them, but it's still something to do. After the task is complete, he squares away all of the tools before heading inside. He changes into clean, nicer clothes. Sara should be back soon. The flower endeavor took nearly two hours; Sean is startled by how quickly the time passed. He sits down on the living room couch, waiting. He checks his phone a few times. half an hour passes, no word. Usually she'd text when she's heading home. The phone call startles him, but when he looks at the screen; it's not Sara's number that pops up. He answers. "Hello?"
"Hello. Is this Sean Castor?" The woman's voice inquires.
"Yes?"
"Your wife was in a motorcycle accident an hour ago. She's stable now, but in critical condition."