The Hearts that Bind

Part 5

June 2013:

Simone puts her cup down, observing the painting she's working on.

Art has always been therapeutic for her. She mostly runs to it when she's stressed or, when her health starts messing with her.

She sighs, taking the red paint and using her paint brush to create splatters everywhere. She's then aggressively starts making strokes on the canvas.

She's so close to crying it's not even funny. She hates this, the possibility that her heart could just give up.

She feels like she has so much more to live for. So much more to experience, and feel, in her life that could just cease to exist.

She's pulled out of her mind by the door closing. The opera music she has playing in the background sounds too loud as her hearing clears up.

"Okay, this is very melodramatic music! Are you okay?!?" Liv yells upon entry.

Simone gets up off the stool, walking over to turn the music down.

"Hey Liv, yeah I'm okay. Just doing some...." She pauses, looking at the canvas that's a mess with colors and brush strokes that have no rhyme or reason. "...artistic expression." She finishes.

"I can see that, I come bearing food." Liv chuckles, holding up the bags in her hands.

"Have you ever thought about how life is finite?" Simone muses, flopping herself on the couch carelessly.

"I hate when you talk like this." Liv grunts, her brows are now furrowed.

"Hey, I'm just asking a question." Simone  counters, putting her hand against her chest.

"Yes but, it's a very morbid question." Liv retorts.

"Is it morbid, or is it just reality?" Simone grumbles.

"You're in a funk, it's time for our ritual." Liv says, putting the food down on the coffee table.

"Fine." Simone says curling in a ball and facing the back of the couch. She pulls her blanket off the back of the couch to cover herself, including her head.

She admits this is probably childish but, sometimes she feels better when she blocks out the world.

Liv is shuffling around behind her. She hears cabinets closing and things being put away. When the TV is turned on she peeks her head from under the covers, looking over her shoulder, she spots Liv taking the food containers out.

"I'm going to put on Love and Basketball." Liv shares and Simone squints her eyes as she watches Liv sit down next to her.

"Do you think Quincy hated Monica?" Simone asks, making Liv laugh.

"No, I don't."

"Quincy was a fool." Simone sternly states.

"And selfish, young, dumb, and all the deragoratory adjectives but, we can vent about it as we watch the movie." Liv suggests.

"We should." Simone nods her head.

"Okay, come on, feet up." Liv says as she places a pillow in her lap.

"They're swollen."

"Who cares about your fat feet era?" Liv says, tapping the pillow and Simone obliges, feeling herself crack a smile against her will as she does so.

Liv hands her her food and turns on the movie, the eat in relative silence, making their flippant comments along the way.

They're about half way through the movie when Liv clears her throat.