Present Time// August-

Jessica scurried around the house getting herself ready. The kids were asleep in their rooms, enjoying their last few days of sleeping in until school started.

Jessica slid into her black dress and heels. Danny laid in bed on his phone, typing quickly.

"Is this too dressy for court today?" Jessica asks Danny. She looks at herself in the mirror turning in different directions.

Danny was too distracted by his phone and didn't respond.

"Daniel?" Jessica huffs

"Huh, what?"

"Is this too dressy for court?"

"No, district attorneys always dress nice." He didn't even look at Jessica, he only kept his eyes on his phone.

Jessica let out a soft sigh and walked into the master bathroom. She fixed up her hair and applied the last of her makeup.

"Remember to remind Sean he has work at twelve. I say wake him around nine. And remind Olivia to finish up her summer reading."

"K" Danny says quietly

Jessica turns to him at the doorway and notices he was still on his phone.

"Bye, love you." She quietly says

"Love you too."

Jessica walked down the hall. Her body hung low from how upset she was. She wished that her and Danny's relationship was like old times. They rarely ever talked, it was months since they had intercourse, Danny was never home and always out with friends, and things just didn't feel the same.

Jessica needed more from Danny. She wanted to feel like a wife again. Right now, she felt like they were just two people living in the same house.

**

"Good morning Jessica, are you ready for court?" Jessica's co- worker Neil says walking besides her.

"I'm ready, so you have all of our evidence prepared, opening statement, and DNA files ready?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Great, this guys going down. If he doesn't get at least five years prison time, I'll be one unhappy camper." Jessica quickly walks down the halls of the court house.

Everyone watched her as she walked past. Jessica was well- known. Everyone knew her. She was one of the greatest district attorneys there. She was fierce, she won lots of cases, and always had everything figured out. She always gave the judge a good case.

"With our evidence to prove that he is guilty, there's no chance for him."!Neil says trying to catch up with Jessica.

"Great, confidence. We need this!" Jessica nods as she opens the doors to the court room.

"Let's do this."

When Jessica was at work, she was in her own little world. She loved her job, she loved working, and the feeling of starting a new case. Jessica missed the kids when she was gone, but work took her mind off things from home. She never stopped being a wife or mother while at work, but it helped distract from things that were always on her mind like her marriage.

**

Around six, Jessica was able to leave work. She grabbed her briefcase and headed for her car.

As she was about to step in, Neil came up behind her.

"Nice job today, Jessica."

"Thanks Neil, you too." She smiles putting her briefcase in the passengers seat.

"Tomorrow's another day, we are getting closer and closer to winning this."

"That's right.

Listen Neil, I better get home to the kids."
Jessica smiles trying to avoid a conversation.

"Alright, you take care. Tell the kiddos I said hi!"

"I will."

**

Jessica drove home, she was back on wife mode, turning off work mode. As Jessica drove a song called Say You, Say Me came on the radio. It brought Jessica right back to her wedding night. It was he first song Jessica and Danny danced to as a married couple.

Gosh, do I miss those days.

I try so hard, but he just won't budge. We've both been busy with work. Things are crazy right now. I love Daniel, he loves me. I know he does. He's happy, he just has a lot on his mind like I do.

We are happy, we always have been and always will be. I just need to try a little harder. But he does too... or does he not realize that things are strange between us. I don't know anymore. You know what, maybe everything's fine, I'm just overthinking this.

Jessica grabbed her briefcase and walked up the walkway to her house. She stopped right in front of it and looked at her beautiful, white, Minnesota home. All the lights were on, candles were at each windowsill, and her curtains were open. She took a deep breath and smiled as she looked over to all the cars in the driveway.

"Hello, I'm home!" Jessica smiles sliding off her heels and dropping her briefcase.

There was no response.

Jessica walked through the house, no one was down stairs. All she saw was dirty dishes, and food laying out on the table from when the kids ate dinner that night.

"Isn't it just great to be home." Jessica sighs and walks over to the sink.

A couple minutes later Olivia runs down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Hey, you're home?" Olivia stops and looks at Jessica.

"I've been home. Where is your brother and dad?" Jessica slides off her cleaning gloves and turns to Olivia.

"Dads on the phone downstairs and Sean is watching football in his room."

"Oh, okay...

Want to help me with the dishes? What did you guys have for dinner?"

"Dad made pasta." Olivia walks towards Jessica and starts drying the dishes.

"Oh, I see." Jessica nods

"How was your day?"

"It was good. Did you finish some of your summer reading?"

"Yes mom, it's all done."

"Good, how about we have a movie night tonight? We haven't had one of those in a while."

"Okay, sure!"

As they do the dishes Sean comes running down with his keys.

"You're home!" He says opening the fridge.

"I am. I've been home." Jessica smiles

"Oh, nice.

Hey mom, I'm gonna go to aunt Ann's, Joshua is having a pool party."

"Can I come?"

"Sure, grab a suit."

"Wait a minute! Is aunt Ann going to be there?"

"Why wouldn't she be, it's her house." Sean shrugs his shoulders.

"Livy, I thought we were going to have a movie night. Besides, a bunch if high school kids will be there. I don't think it's a good idea." Jessica says tilting her head.

"Mom, come on! Heather will be there, and Joshua's pool parties are always so cool. And I can meet high schoolers, I start in just two weeks!"

Heather and Joshua are Ann's eldest kids. Joshua was eighteen and Heather was seventeen.

"Sean, watch your sister. Don't do stupid things. Drive safe, have fun, and be home by twelve."

"Well do, see ya!" They say running out the door.

"Wait, can I at least have a hug or something?"

They both run over and give Jessica a quick hug then run out the door.

Jessica looks around the empty house and sighs. She still didn't eat yet.

Jessica decided to go downstairs and see what Danny was doing. She didn't feel like eating.

"Hey" Jessica says sitting down next to Danny.

Danny let out a soft sigh and looked at Jessica with a smile. "Hi"

"How was your day?" She asks

"Good, lots of patients."

"Nice..." Jessica says awkwardly.

They sit there for a few minutes. Danny didn't say a word. He just watched tv.

"Hey, meet me upstairs in ten?" Jessica smirks

"Uh, sure."

**

Jessica runs upstairs and takes off her black dress. She closes the door and looks in the back of her closet. She pulls out a red silk dress that Danny got her for her birthday a few years back.

Jessica then pulls out some candles and dims the lights. She messes up her hair and lays on the bed until Danny walks into the door.

Ten minutes later Danny opened the door. He was shocked to see Jessica dressed in lingerie.

"What's this for?" Danny says setting down his wallet. He looks away from Jessica and fixes his shirt.

"Well, the kids are gone. I thought we could have a little night to ourselves."

Danny was quite. He cleared his throat and looked over to Jessica.

"I didn't know the kids were gone."

"They are at Ann's, but we have time." Jessica smirks.

"Listen Jess, it's a nice idea, but I was planning on meeting up with some of the guys and play some pool."

Jessica's heart sank quickly. She felt so embarrassed. She stood up and rapped her robe around her.

"I'm sorry..." Danny says quietly.

"It's whatever, Daniel."

"Jess, come on. Another night?"

"Just go." Jessica turns her back to Danny and hides her tears.

Daniel nods and leaves.

Jessica felt sick to her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her body and clenched on to her skin tightly. She began to sob.

Danny was always pushing her away. Jessica tried to avoid the fact that their marriage was failing. She did try, but Danny just didn't get it.

It had been months since they had a sit down family dinner, went on a family vacation, Jessica and Danny were alone and having intercourse, and nothing was awkward.

Jessica changed her clothes and went downstairs.

The house was quite and Jessica was alone. She decided to do some work to occupy herself.

She sat in front of the tv with a glass of red wine, her computer, and had a chick-flick playing.

This can't be normal. A marriage shouldn't be like this. Danny should be here...

What am I doing wrong, someone please tell me! I try so hard.