‘You’re my sunshine. My only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you… please don’t take my sunshine away.’ The sky really was grey, almost black in its intensity. It looked like a storm could burst out at any moment and unleash its wrath on anything within sight. But he didn't care. Robert. He just stood in the field of daisies, arms crossed, staring up at the gray sky as if it were the most wondrous thing in the world. And he was singing. Singing with that bassy, beautiful voice of his. The one Renee had fallen for. That made her heart skip a beat and sent butterflies fluttering through her stomach. ‘When the sky is dark, and the clouds are thick, I will keep you warm through the rain. And I will always be with you through the wind and snow. I love you. I love you. I love you’. He kept singing, his voice carrying through the air and reverberating throughout the field, causing even the smallest flowers to sway gently to his melody. Occasionally, his gaze would stray from the sky to his crossed arms. He was holding something. He had it cradled carefully against his chest. Whatever it was, it appeared fragile, as if it could crumble at any moment. Yet he carried it proudly and protectively while continuing to sing his sweet nothings. His expression was adoring and loving as he gazed down at this object of his affection. And his smile was an affectionate, tender grin stretching from ear to ear. He practically radiated joy. Completely unaware of Renee's presence—she was standing a safe distance away, simply watching the love of her life—Robert continued to sing his heart out. A rush of wind suddenly caught him off guard, though, and he stopped singing. His gaze shifted upward, and he looked straight ahead, spotting her. Renee. Instantly, his expression went completely blank, no emotion showing on his face. It was as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Like he was trying to register her form, to see if he was imagining things or not. And Renee couldn’t understand why. She blinked. Twice. "Robert…" she whispered breathlessly and began wading through the field. She took a tentative step toward him, but he took one back. It was only a slight movement, an instinctive step backward, but it crushed her heart. She frowned, then wiped away a tear. What was going on? Where was the awestruck look she had seen on his face as he sang to the sky? And why was he backing away instead of coming closer? Why— "Renee," Robert spoke suddenly, cutting her thoughts short. His voice was hoarse, almost desperate. "Is that really you?" Renee blinked again, surprised. The question seemed odd. What did he mean by that? Of course, it was her. She was here, only a few feet away. "Of course, Robert. It’s me." “Oh God, Renee." He gave a shaky sigh, sounding relieved. He was still staring at her as if she were a mirage. A ghost. Some dreamy illusion. Then, a second later, his blank expression changed to one of satisfaction. “Oh, thank goodness." He exhaled. "Oh, fuck it, you are real! And you’re alive. And—" "And?" Renee prompted, taking another cautious step closer. "And, well. And... fuck Renee, I thought I’d lost you forever." He took a step toward her, albeit slowly. If he hurried, she might disappear—he thought. So, he was taking his time. "You almost—" He started to say but abruptly stopped. His stride halting, Robert looked up. The dark clouds above were moving in, and the breeze had picked up speed. "Shit!" He cursed as thunder rumbled above him, and in shock, he seemed to drop something. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" His voice sounded frantic. He ducked down to pick up the delicate item, his brow furrowing and his jaw set. As Renee watched him struggle, she could tell from his determined stance he would protect that thing with his life. The item must be extremely important to him. It probably meant the whole world to him, and for a brief moment, she felt sad. But why? And why had she stopped walking? She tried to move, but her feet didn't respond. Her legs would not move. "Rob…" Renee tried calling out, but her voice sounded off and almost inaudible. Her head felt fuzzy, and her body was heavy. Everything around her became blurry as a wave of exhaustion washed over her. This was not good. This was not good at all, she mused, raising a hand to her temple. She needed to move. Fast. She needed to reach Robert. She had to— "Renee!" Robert's voice rang out clear, loud, cutting through the wind’s noise and thunder. "Renee. I'm coming to you." He was calling out, but it was too late because disaster had chosen that moment to strike. The dark clouds suddenly burst open, and with a deafening rumble, torrents of water rained down. Renee's entire body shook, soaking up the liquid, and her eyes fluttered dramatically. "Don’t close your eyes, Renee. Do not fucking close your eyes. I'm coming..." Robert shouted. He was running to her, his movements desperate as he worked to reach her before the floodwaters took her completely. "I'm coming…" I'm coming. I'm coming. I'm coming. The words echoed in Renee's head. They were a boulder, keeping her from fading away. But… they weren't strong enough. The darkness kept creeping in, engulfing her, and she could feel herself slipping away, her body failing. The force of gravity slowly began sucking the life out of her, but she kept fighting it. She had to fight for her life. For Robert. For that fragile item he’d cradled so protectively, so she could love it the way he did. She—"Renee. I'm here. I’m here now." She heard the voice, the familiar voice of her beloved, calling to her through the darkness. With all the energy she had left, she opened her eyes and struggled to lift her head, blinking against the strange blinding light. In that moment, there was no darkness. There was no rain, no nothing. Just Robert. "I've got you…" He was hovering over her, a broad grin on his lips, his eyes twinkling. "Darling, I've got you." "Yes, Robert." Renee smiled weakly. "Yes, you’ve got me…" And then, finally, she closed her eyes and fell into a blissful oblivion.