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Iris awoke surrounded by the calming warmth of her husband's arms. Not wanting to ruin the moment, or leave the bed, Iris tucked her head into the crook of Barry's neck. She stayed in bed for about a half hour, staring at Barry's sleeping form. Suddenly, Barry's arms tightened around her and his head began to subtly move. At first, Iris thought he was waking up, but then Barry's arms became dangerously tight and he began to thrash in his sleep. Iris forced herself out of his arms and shook his arm almost violently in an attempt to wake him up. That's when Iris realized what Barry was saying, "Iris, sorry, don't want to go, not again, I'm sorry". Barry, now awake, jumped up in his bed breathing heavily. Iris wrapped her arms around his distraught form and guided his head onto one of her shoulders.
"Its okay babe, your okay, it was just a dream", Iris whispered gently to her husband while running her hand through his hair. Barry wrapped his arms around Iris, leaning into her entirely. Surprised by the fact her husband was letting her comfort him, Iris flinched. This made Barry unravel his arms from around her and face away from her, holding his head in his hands. "I'm sorry", he lightly whispered in a tone that implied he had done something wrong.
"Honey, you have nothing to be sorry for", Iris replied in an endearing whisper while moving across the queen size bed to sit next to and wrap her arms around her husband.
" I left." Barry abruptly stated in a near shout, his voice harsh enough to make anyone freeze in their tracks. " I. Left. how on earth can you keep looking at me like I'm this amazing husband who is always there for you? I'm not. I left." Barry's voice was shaking as he said this to his beloved wife.
Iris had no clue what to say to her husband. It was true he did leave, she broke down having to deal with the loss of her husband. Iris laid her head on Barry's shoulder. "you came back" iris said firmly in an attempt to console her husband.
"Mabie I shouldn't have." Iris jumped up in shock after hearing Barry say this. She had no clue on what to say, did he not love her anymore? Was he planning on leaving again? " The only thing that I have ever done for you has hurt you. I should have never come back, I should have died in that hell". His voice was stone cold.
Barry stood up forcing Iris off of his body. He walked over to the closet and grabbed a bag stuffing a fair amount of clothing in it. iris stayed sitting on the bed a shocked look on her face as she watched what her husband was doing. Barry put on pants and shoes and walked downstairs in a slow, saddened manner. Iris then shot out of bed running down the stairs to stop her husband from leaving and possibly doing something even worse. Not to Iris, and their marriage, but to himself.
Just before he opened the door Iris grabbed Barry's arm, "Please, don't do this Barr." Iris begged. When Barry turned his head around to look her in the eyes, Iris could tell there was no getting him to stay. What she saw when she looked at him was a broken man, shattered entirely. There was no trace of the man she loved left in those eyes. Without responding Barry removed Iris's hand from his arm, opened the door and walked out.
The heartbreaking sound of the door shutting haunted iris forever. The next time she saw Barry he was dressed in full black. The gravestone read, "loved by all", Iris thought to herself, "all but himself".