Option One: Take him to Eliza's house

I look at him and sigh. This was a hard decision, and he knew it. That's why he was pinning it on me, instead.

I shake my head and buckle my seatbelt. "I'm taking you back to your wife's house. That way I'll know. I'll know if you're real or not."

He sighs and buckles up, nodding as he stared out the window in front of him. "Okay.. As you wish, Laurens."

As we drove, I couldn't help but feel bad. I know I shouldn't, but I couldn't help it. He seemed so sad to be going back home, it made me want to turn around and take him to my house instead. But I couldn't do that. I couldn't willingly take him away from his family.

And who knows, maybe someday him and Elizabeth will separate. They'll do it in a peaceful manner, and Alex and I could..

Who am I kidding. That would never happen. Sure, they fight, but he would never want to separate from her. Not while the kids are still around.

I pull into Elizabeth's driveway and look over at Alex. "Are you sure about this?" I ask quietly, though no one was around anyway.

He sighs and looks down at his hands, fidgeting with his ring, before looking up at me with a sad smile. "This is what you truly wished from me, so yes, I'm ready."

"What are you going to tell her?"

"I.. I don't know.. The truth, I suppose."

"You mean the fact that you've been alive this whole time and have been staying away because you didn't want to be around her?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay, so the truth is messy, yes, but when is it not? I have to come clean to her, it's the only way we can fix our marriage."

"Is that even what you want?" I ask, frowning majorly at him. He looks at me in shock.

"Laurens, what kind of question is that? She's my wife, we have to fix it."

"If that's really what you wanted, you wouldn't have left for two months. You would have come back, or at the very least stayed when you came back the first time." I say, scoffing slightly. "You don't really want to make it work with her."

"Yes I do! How could you say something like that to me?" He asks, seeming somewhat angry.

"I'm saying this because I'm your best friend, Alex. I don't want to see you dive right back into something that doesn't make you happy! You don't have to be with her, you don't have to rekindle anything."

He points his finger at me. "You have no right to say those things to me, so no more. I'm doing what's best for my kids, and for my family, okay? It doesn't matter how I feel."

I sit in silence, just staring at him. This is only the second time I've seen him angry with me, the first being when he first came back. Being away from everyone else really changed him, and I'm having trouble believing it was for the better.

I nod slowly. "You're right, it's not my place." I say, turning back towards my steering wheel, looking straight ahead. "You should probably go to your wife now, she'll be happy to see you."

"John, please, don't be upset... This is just the easiest way-"

"It doesn't matter, Alexander. Just go, live your happy life." I say dismissively. He hesitates but sighs and exits my car. He looks at me sadly before turning and knocking on the door, probably so he didn't wake up the kids.

Eliza's POV

I stir awake, hearing a knocking on the door. I figure it's one of my kids coming in to say they had a nightmare, but I realize it was on the front door, not my bedroom door. I raise an eyebrow and sit up in bed, not sure who could be visiting at this hour.

I look to the clock and see it reads 1:23am. I groan and get out of bed, grabbing my blanket and wrapping around my shoulders, walking down the hallway tiredly.

It was probably John, which is why I got up. He was tired when he left, he probably realized he couldn't drive home.

I yawn before opening the door to reveal a young man, but not John. I squint my eyes at him. Something just seemed so familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Can I help you?" I ask, rubbing my eyes a bit.

The man frowns gently. "Liz.. Hi.."

I step back and look at him. The scrappy look, the dark bags under the eyes, the short stature. My eyes widen.

"Alex?" I ask, gasping softly.

He smiles awkwardly/sadly at me, nodding and I immediately run into his arms, hugging him tight. I feel him hesitate, but he wraps his arms back around me, rubbing my back. I had dreamed of this happening, of him coming back into my life and being here for the kids. I never thought it would actually happen, though.

After a little while, I pull away and look up at him. "I-I-I don't understand.. You were- We looked- I-" I take a deep breath. "Come inside, you have a lot of explaining to do."

He chuckles softly and I grab his hand and drag him inside. I go into the kitchen and start making some coffee for the two of us, staring blankly at the coffee machine.

"Where do you want me to start?" He asks shyly, sitting at the dinner table.

I don't turn towards him, I just continue staring at the coffee machine. "January 7th. Two months ago." I state. "After you walked out and left us."

I hear him sigh. "I walked out and went to the river with John. We were drinking, I don't remember much of that night." He says.

"Did John know you were faking it?"

"Liza, dear, let's leave John out of this-"

"No, I don't want to leave John out of this." I say, finally turning towards him, tears in my eyes. "Because for two months now, John has been there for me! He's helped me when you decided to play dead and stay away. I deserve to know if he has been lying to me this whole time."

Alex nods and looks to the table. "He believed I died, just as you did. I did come back to him after a month, though. The day after the funeral, actually."

I hold in my urge to yell at him. I couldn't wake up the kids. Instead, I nod. I just nod at him. "And he's been lying to me since?"

"Well, no. I left shortly after, and he didn't see me again until tonight. He was sure he had imagined me for the couple weeks." He looks up at me. "I had asked him to keep my secret, though. So he was just respecting my wishes."

I lean on the counter and nod once again, inhaling sharply. "And he brought you back now, didn't he."

He nods. "Yes, he did. He almost hit me, and then we talked, and I gave him the option to either drive me home or to his house."

I turn to grab the two cups of coffee, walking over and handing him one before sitting across from him. He sips his coffee and smiles gently at me. I shake my head.

"Why. Why didn't you come back?" I ask coldly.

He rolls his eyes, his smile fading quickly. "Please, do not act like we've been in a healthy relationship these past two years. We have been talking about divorce, it would have been easier on you if I just left, easier on the kids."

"You don't get to decide that on your own, Alex. We're supposed to be a team. Sure, we have been talking about splitting up relationship-wise, but we're parents! We have two children that will keep us together for as long as we both shall live." I whisper shout at him. "You should have come back, and we could have figured something better out!"

Alex groans and puts his head in his hand. "Eliza, I do not feel like arguing with you right now. I know what I did was wrong, and I'm here to make up for it."

"Don't just make it up to me, make it up to the kids! Angelica throws a fit every time she realizes you're not here, and Philip is full on traumatized from this. How are you going to fix this?" I ask, rightfully upset with him.

"I.. Don't know yet. But I will figure it out. Please, give me a chance."

I nod and look to the side. "Fine, but there is something you should know first.."

He looks up at me. "What is it?"

"I've been seeing Maria Reynolds. We've been on a few dates since your death, and we were together for a little bit before then." I say all in one breath, exhaling after I said it. "I'm.. I'm sorry.." I look down and he places his hand under my chin, lifting it up carefully.

I smile with watery eyes, which I'm sure wasn't very flattering, but at this point I didn't care. When I looked at Alex, I saw a bit of the old him. The happy, caring, amazing man I fell in love with. I feel helpless looking at him and I hug him tightly again.

"Love, you have nothing to worry about. Come on, let's get some rest. We can talk more in the morning, and I'll be able to hold my kids again."

I didn't want to let go. I needed comfort, and I needed it from him. But I wasn't sure if we were ready for that.

Option One: Have him sleep in the bedroom.
Option Two: Have him sleep on the couch.

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