The Seven Stages of Grief

Anger

Wanda jerked awake at the sound of an alarm by her side, yanking the blanket covering her. She frantically looked over to the old-fashion looking clock and pressed the top to turn off the sound that rudely awoke her. She breathed heavily as she wondered what she could have created this time. She glanced around to see clear paned windows, draped in harvest pumpkin-colored curtains, the sun creating a defined shadow. The carpet on the floor even had a unique, colorful design.

1960s, she thought.

While touching the rose-patterned bed set, she felt movement from beside her. She turned to see a sleeping Vision curled into the cotton sheets. He seemed so at peace, it made her heart swell. It also made her want to cry.

This is real. Vision is real. Vision is alive.

She took a deep breath before kissing his cool crimson cheek, taking in his familiar scent. He turned his face to nuzzle and kiss her deeply. "Good morning, love," he whispered as he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Hi," she replied, climbing on top of him, loving the close contact and his hands on her sides, slowly lifting up her silky peach nightgown. She squealed, letting herself enjoy this real moment with him.

After an exhausting yet enjoyable mid-morning lovemaking, Wanda washed off her sweat ina lukewarm shower and readied herself in a navy dress and black flats, styling her hair in a bun, leaving some strands of hair to frame her face. When she pulled out the small drawer from a modest jewelry compartment, she noticed her wedding ring. It's the same, she thought. Same style, same fit, same diamond. She slid the ring on her ring finger and calmed herself before continuing downstairs.

When she reached the kitchen, she sat down for breakfast that Vision had prepared while she was freshening up. While she was picking at her eggs and toast, a bark startled her. She watched Vision's face light up and turn to the sound. "Sparky!" he yelled down the hall while snapping his fingers. She heard a pair of tiny feet and the crackle of taps on wood follow down the hallway to where they where.

"Sparky," she whispered to herself. A dog?

When she took a closer look, she realized it wasn't any ordinary dog. It was...green? She wondered if it was as synthetic as Vision.

"Who's a good boy?" he said before giving Sparky a piece of bacon from his plate. The dog ate it happily and swiftly before begging for another. "Now, now. You have your breakfast on your plate," Vision chuckled.

Wanda smiled fondly at the little new addition to their real family.

This is real. Vision is real. Vision is alive.

"Wanda?" Vision's voice brought her back to her senses.

She shook her head and looked at him, confused. "Huh?"

"Are you feeling alright? You were staring off for a moment," he said with concern in his tone.

"I'm fine," she snapped. Her eyes widened a bit with shock, scared she came off cold and rude towards him.

His head perked up and he straightened. "Are you sure you're alright? It's not Agatha bothering you about the dog again, is it?"

"Agatha? No..." She looked down at her half-eaten plate.

This is real. Vision is real. Vision is alive.

He reached his hand across the table and held hers, caressing her delicate, dainty fingers, grazing over her wedding ring. "Tell me what's bothering you, honey. You don't have to be this closed off anymore. I know you're still struggling with the miscarriage. We both are. Just...please talk to me. You're my wife, and I can't stand seeing you like this."

Her head snapped up at his words. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. She couldn't believe it. She miscarried? She didn't even get to experience the joy of finding out she was pregnant, much less the excruciating pain of finding out about her miscarriage for the first time. She hyperventilated and quickly moved away from the table, her head in her hands. What's happening to me?

"Wanda, I'm sorry if I made you more upset," he gently said while following her. "We knew that it was almost impossible to become pregnant. It...it isn't how I'm supposed to work. Finding out that we were expecting was a great joy, but though we're still mourning, I want you to talk to me. Let it out."

She crashed into his chest, sobbing, mostly because she was upset about the change in her reality. And it hit her like a freight train.

This isn't real. Vision isn't real. Vision isn't alive.

Wanda pulled away in fear, cowering. "Who are you?" she questioned, scared.

Vision shook his head, confused at her words. "W-Wanda, I'm your husband..."

"Who are you?!" she screamed at him.

"Wanda, what's happening to you? What's going on?" he asked, concerned that she was going insane from her miscarriage, in denial that she lost something that seemed impossible.

"You're not real! This isn't real," she said, sounding mentally unhinged, like a crazed lunatic. Her eyes went wide. "This isn't real, Vision isn't real, Vision isn't alive," she whispered. She screeched in agonized pain, red spreading from her hands and mind, the ground around her crumbling, falling into an abyss.