Today Mary doesn't rush down the hallway. She's managed to convince her boss to switch her hours with Denise's so that she gets off two hours earlier. It still isn't enough to get to Ember's school on time, but it makes a great difference and she's happy that she doesn't have to have Harry watch Ember for so long.

Harry and Ember are surprised when she walks in at five instead of six-thirty. Ember is practically bursting with excitement. She's missed her mommy and she gets to go home earlier than the day before.

She runs across the room and throws her arms around her mother just like she does every time she sees her. "Mommy!"

Mary smiles and smooths Ember's hair, "Hi, Emmy! Did you have a good day?"

Ember releases the hold she has on her mother's legs and beams, "Yes! Mr. Styles gave us cookies!"

Mary looks to Harry with raised eyebrows, "Oh, he did? Were they good cookies?"

Harry folds his arms over his chest and leans back against his desk with a smile, "I thought they deserved a treat for being so well behaved these last two weeks."

He lets Ember answer the last question because he didn't eat any of the cookies himself.

"Yes! They were...um...sugar cookies with lots of pretty sprinkles!"

She's so excited that Mary puts on a brighter smile and a cheerier tone, "Wow! I bet those were really good! Maybe I'll buy you some for desert later. But you have to promise me that you'll be good for the rest of the night."

Ember nods excitedly and it's almost so fast that Mary thinks she might give herself whiplash, "Yes, mommy!"

"Good. Now, go pack up your things so your poor teacher can go home and relax!"

Ember runs off without another word and starts to pack up her books and crayons that have somehow managed to be scattered all around the classroom. Mary smiles as she watches her run around and gather her school supplies. She never thought that she wanted children, but now that she has Ember she knows what she would have been missing. She can't imagine life without her sweet little girl and she hopes that she'll never have to.

Harry speaks suddenly and she nearly jumps, "I didn't report anything. I...uh...I know that it's hard for the two of you right now, and I know that having to see someone about it can sometimes make things worse. I don't want to put either of you through anything more, especially Ember because I know how those sessions go and I don't want to let her experience that as well."

Mary turns to face him, disbelief written all over her face. She can't believe that he's gone out of his way to keep this between the three of them. She knows that talking to someone about it might help Ember in the end, but she also knows that it might just make things worse for her. The motherly instinct inside of her is overjoyed that he's left the decision in her hands.

She's looking at him with slightly glossy eyes and a gentle smile that's usually only reserved for her daughter, "How are you so sweet? Did your mother feed you daily doses of pure sugar when you were growing up?"

Harry laughs and shakes his head. He's not sure that his mother did that at all, but he is sure that she raised him to be like her. It was her kind heart that taught his to always do its best to be kind to everyone, no matter how badly they've hurt him.

"No, I don't think so anyway. But she did raise me to be like her, so I guess you can say I got daily doses of kindness."

She nods because that makes perfect sense. Mary's embarrassed that she asked the question in the first place and she can feel the flames rush up her body and claim her cheeks. There are so many ways he could have learned how to be kind on his own, and she feels silly for automatically equating it to his mother.

"Of course. Well, please tell her that she did a wonderful job."

Mary is incredibly happy that he's Ember's teacher. She knows that a lot of the other teachers aren't as kind or as forgiving as he is and it really makes all the difference. Not many of the other teachers would give up their time to watch Ember for her while she figures out how to pick her up on time. They'd probably make her sit up in that big office all by herself—twiddling her thumbs as she sits in an uncomfortable chair, because if she moves the lady behind the desk will tell her to sit still.

She's about to divert her attention back to Ember when he speaks again, this time with less confidence, "Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

The question is so sudden and so unrelated to their conversation that it takes her a moment to think about what he's just asked her. She's not sure what she should say. It sounds like he's asking her on a date and she's married, not to mention that he's Ember's teacher. Would it be wrong to say yes? What if it really is just dinner?

So many conflicting thoughts of right and wrong are waging a war in her mind. She really wants to accept the offer. She's so tired of dwelling in her thoughts at home and she misses the company of another adult, but is it wrong of her to agree? Alec started his affair having dinner with another woman, who's to say that she won't do the same thing?

Mary's thinking about it for too long and her cheeks have burned a shade darker without her permission.

Harry realizes that it sounds like he's asking her on a date and clarifies, "As friends, I mean. I thought it would be nice to get to know you and to give you a break from taking care of your very active daughter. If you don't want to, it's alright." He does want to take her out on a date, but it wouldn't be right of him and he knows his limits.

Mary thinks that it won't hurt anything. Alec doesn't ever come home and she's almost sure that her mother won't mind watching Ember for a few hours. So, she agrees because it's been years since she's gone out and done anything with anyone. And it doesn't hurt that he seems to know how to cheer her up without even trying. It's a little dangerous though because she thinks that she's starting to like him more than she should. But she can't seem to make herself say no. After all, it's just dinner. What could it hurt?

"That sounds nice. Yes, I'll have dinner with you tonight."

Harry's smile is much less awkward and his eyes light up with something that she recognizes but can't quite put her finger on.

"Great! Is it alright if I text you the details?"

Ember is almost done now and Mary's attention shifts to her bubbly daughter as she speaks, "Of course."

Almost as if an afterthought he adds, "If you need to bring Ember, that's alright. I won't mind at all."

Mary smiles to herself. She knows that he'll mind if she brings Ember, but it's nice of him to pretend that he won't. Children always change the dynamic, especially if you're around them all the time. She doesn't particularly like being away from Ember like that on a weekend when she's got time off, but it won't hurt just this once. He's done so much for her in just a day and he deserves her full attention.

"Thank you. I'll let you know if she'll be tagging along."

Harry nods as Ember runs over with her backpack on her shoulders and a bright smile on her face, "I'm ready, mommy!"

She meets Harry's gentle eyes once more and smiles, "I guess I'll see you later tonight."

There's something that she's unsure about and he can tell. Her husband has probably cancelled or run out on her before, and it looks like she's wary of him keeping his word. "Most definitely. Have a good night Ember. And enjoy your holiday, alright?"

Ember knows that something will be different tonight by the way that her mommy and her teacher are looking at each other and talking about dinner, but she doesn't know what it is and keeps the thought to herself. She's happy that her mommy has a friend and that's all that matters.

"You too! Bye Mr. Styles!"

They leave without any more conversation until they make it inside the car. Ember talks about the new slide that the playground has and all her friends, and Mary is happy. She doesn't seem to be letting the discord between her parents affect her personality at all.

She listens and asks questions every now and then because she's forgotten some of her friend's names and who likes who. Honestly, there are so many kids and parents to remember that they all seem to blend together and form this giant mass of unidentifiable names and familiar faces. Ember happily clarifies for her and before she knows it, they're pulling into the driveway.

Mary helps Ember out of the car and she practically runs to the door because it's the weekend and she's allowed to play since she doesn't have any homework. She's stuck at the door though, because her mommy has the keys and her daddy isn't home so the door isn't open.

While her mother is catching up to her, she decides to ask the question she's been thinking about since she heard her talking to Mr. Styles.

"Mommy? Do you like my teacher?"

Mary's eyes widen and she stops fumbling with the keys. To Ember, it looks like she's just been caught. She's surprised and her cheeks are pink. Mary's just a little embarrassed that her little girl thinks that she likes her teacher.

She does like Harry, but she isn't going to admit that to her five-year-old daughter. And she certainly isn't going to act on it. Alec can be unfaithful for as long as he wants, but Mary refuses to break her vows because she meant them when she said them. Their marriage is broken, but it isn't over yet even though it's dangling over a cliff and threatening to break away at any moment.

She does her best to compose herself as she resumes looking for the house key on her key ring. There are too many keys that aren't good for anything and she still hasn't gotten around to throwing them out yet. "Yes, I like him as a friend. Just a friend. I'm with your daddy and he's the only one I like, like."

Ember knows that her mother just lied to her. She knows that her mommy doesn't like her daddy like she used to. And she knows that he doesn't like her like he used to either. If they did, they wouldn't yell at each other so much and her mommy wouldn't cry every night. And she knows that her mommy is doing something with her teacher tonight. She looks at him like she used to look at her daddy.

"Okay, mommy."

Mary finally finds the key after what feels like a century and unlocks the door as quickly as she can. Ember is itching to get inside so she can play with her toys. As soon as she opens the door Ember goes flying up the stairs and into her bedroom to get her stuffed Elephant Miss Elly and several action figures and princess dolls.

She keeps them in her room because sometimes her mommy plays with her in her bedroom. But she usually takes them downstairs because she knows that her mommy doesn't really like being upstairs.

Mary sets her purse on the table and leaves her coat on the rack by the door. The warmth of the house is a nice welcome from the cold air outside and she lets herself adjust for a moment. She hates that she's like this now.

The cold used to be her favorite and now she can't stand it because she's been stuck in the arctic for so long. Now, she anxiously awaits spring and summer because she has this stupid hope that the weather will warm her frozen heart and, maybe, she can learn to love the cold again.

When she's decided that she's as warm as she's going to get, Ember is already in the living room playing with her mixture of dolls and action figures. Alec used to argue with Mary when she bought the action figures for her because he doesn't think that girls should do boy things and he thinks that the other kids will make fun of her. Mary's glad that she never listened to him. There's nothing wrong with liking something that's usually associated with boys. If Ember's happy, she'll buy her whatever boy toys she wants.

She's so caught up in watching her daughter create a world of her own with her toys that she almost doesn't notice her phone vibrating in her purse. This time, she isn't so afraid to check it. And she needs to look anyway because she has to call her mother and see if she'll watch Ember for the nights.

Mary pulls her phone out from her purse and smiles when she goes to unlock the screen. Harry's texted her with details about dinner.

Harry: Hello again! There's this nice little pizza place downtown called Bite Me (That's the real name I promise) is seven a good time for you? I know it's cliché and everything, but I want to make sure that you have time to do whatever it is that you need to do.

Another text comes in as she finishes reading the first one.

Harry: If you don't want pizza we can go wherever you'd like or I can make something at my place. It's up to you, just let me know! : )

She's smiling at her phone like an idiot. It's ridiculous how sweet this man is. Or maybe he isn't terribly sweet and she's been away from nice people for too long. Ember is talking to herself in the living room as she plays. Mary's a little disheartened because she knows that if her mother agrees to watch her for the night she won't be able to watch a movie with her daughter or tuck her in for the night.

But she knows that she needs this. She's been trapped in her own mind and in her own home for far too long. She needs to talk to someone other than her daughter. She needs a friend.

Mary texts him back saying that pizza at seven is more than alright and then she calls her mother. The line rings a few times before she picks up and Mary wants to sigh in relief. She wasn't sure if Claire had spoken to her yet and convinced her to shun her until she divorces Alec. Claire has always had a sway in family matters and Mary really doesn't think that her marital problems need family involvement. Support is fine, but war over her marriage is going too far.

"Marigold! It's been a while! How are you sweetheart?"

Mary smiles and leans against the wall that faces the living room. "I've been okay. What about you?"

"I'd say great, but I've been worried about you and Ember. Claire called me the other day and told me that you two got in an argument about your marriage again."

She sighs because she knew that this was coming and she knows what her mother is going to say about it in the end. Leave Alec and find a better husband. It isn't that simple. Nothing has ever been that simple. Especially because Ember is part of the family too. She can't just take away her daughter's father.

"It was more like she told me that my life decisions were wrong and that I'm stupid for choosing to stay with Alec. Mom, can we please not talk about this? I've had enough talk of it in the last two days and I just—I really don't want to talk about it."

She knows that no one in her family agrees with her decision to stay with him, but it's not up to them and she's tired of hearing it. Somewhere deep inside, she knows that they're right. But it's her decision. It's her marriage and her heart. They've been right for a while but the eternal optimist inside her doesn't want to accept it yet.

Adeline sighs on the other end and she has to get her final say in before she changes the subject.

"Alright, alright. But honey, you know this isn't healthy for you. Or Ember for that matter. I just want to see you happy."

Mary closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. Her good mood has just taken a turn with the discussion of her broken marriage. Regardless, she called for a reason.

"There's something that I need to ask you. Would you mind watching Ember tonight? Just for tonight, though. A friend of mine asked me if I'd like to go to dinner and I really need this. You can say no, she can come, I was just hoping to have an adult type of night just this once even though I love her to death."

Adeline takes a moment to answer and Mary isn't sure if it's because she doesn't want to watch her, if she can't watch her, or if she was making sure it was alright before she gave her a definite answer. Sometimes her father swayed the decision and, even though he loves his granddaughter, there are days where he just wants to watch TV and go to bed without having to worry about anything.

"Of course! I haven't seen my little Ember in so long! Are you two coming with us to Alaska for the holidays?"

She deliberately left Alec out of it. Her mother doesn't want him to come and she knows that he doesn't want to come. Everyone in her family has hated him since they found out about the affair and how it continued even after marriage counseling. And really, who can blame them? They're just trying to look out for Mary and she gets it, but it's her wound to mend and not theirs.

Mary knows that Alec wants them to stay home—even though he won't be there very much at all—but she's going to spend Christmas with her parents whether he likes it or not. He can stay home and continue to massacre their marriage, she's not going to give up time with her family for him anymore.

"Thank you so much! I'll drop her off in about forty-five minutes, if that's alright with you? And yes, Ember and I are going to spend Christmas with you and dad in Alaska. Alec will probably stay here, but what difference does that really make?"

"Sweetheart..."

Mary stops her mother before she can say anymore. She already knows what she's going to say. She's going to say that she should leave him if it doesn't make a difference. But she can't do that because she still loves him. It's not as easy to stop loving your first love as her parents seem to think that it is. The affair should make it easier, but it doesn't and she doesn't know how to convey that to them without sounding like a complete and utter fool. That's all anyone seems to think she is nowadays.

"I know, Mom. I know. I'm...I'm working on it. Thank you again, I'm sorry for springing this on you last minute."

"Alright, sweetie. I won't push you anymore. Don't worry about it! I love any opportunity I get to see my granddaughter! I'll see you two soon!"

Mary smiles to herself, "See you soon, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart."

She hangs up and Ember's different character voices are suddenly much more prominent. Mary walks into the living room and sits down cross legged in front of Ember and her toys, a warm smile on her lips.

Ember stops playing with Captain America and one of her Barbie's to smile at her mommy, "Do you want to play?"

Mary shakes her head, "I have a question for you."

Ember looks at her expectantly and she continues, "Would you like to spend the night with grandma? Her and grandpa miss you and are they're hoping to see you tonight."

She practically lights up at the mention of her grandparents, "Yes! Are you coming too?"

Mary shakes her head, "Nope, just you. But we're both going to spend Christmas with them in Alaska this year."

Ember's excited until she realizes that her mommy hasn't mentioned that her Daddy isn't coming with them. "What about daddy? Is he coming?"

Mary can't maintain her smile anymore and she frowns as she shakes her head, "No. I'm sorry, sweetheart. But we'll be back for New Years, I promise."

That's enough for Ember and she smiles because that means she can surprise him with a Christmas present when they come back. With her mommy's help, she's made him a new coffee cup. She even painted it herself.

"Okay, mommy."

She smiles at her daughter's strength and takes her hand. "How about we get these guys put up and pack your bag for tonight?"

Ember agrees and they get everything put away and pack her bag in about ten minutes. Mary is picking out some comfortable clothes to change into, or course with Ember's help, when Alec walks through the door. She's too surprised to say anything and Ember is already running across the room and jumping to hug her father.

"Daddy!"

Alec is startled to see Ember and it takes him a long and awkward moment to finally smile and greet her like he should have done from the start. He doesn't know what to do with her because he's never home to spend time with her.

"Hi sweetie! What's going on?"

Ember beams, "Mommy's taking me to grandma and grandpa's!"

He sets her down with a frown and completely ignores her to interrogate Mary, "Why are you taking her to your parent's house?"

Mary sighs as she lays the maroon sweater that she has in her hands on the bed. There's no point in lying to him. He's going to be angry with her answer regardless of the reason. "I'm having dinner with a friend and I didn't think you cared to come home tonight."

He's angry that she didn't tell him and he continues to ignore Ember as she talks to him about school. The light in her eyes and enthusiasm in her voice dims with each passing second. "You can't just take her places without telling me."

Mary's eyes harden as she turns to face him, "The hell I can. You aren't ever home and you haven't acted like her father since she was three-years-old. She's going to my parent's house tonight because she wants to and because I can't trust you to actually watch her."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

She tries her hardest not to snap at him, but she ends up raising her voice to match his nonetheless. "It means that I can't trust you, damn it! I can't even trust you to stay faithful, so why would I trust you to watch my daughter?"

Everything is silent. Alec is staring at her and she's staring right back. Ember's given up trying to make her father pay attention to her and now she's running to hide behind her mother because he's yelling at her and she's scared of what he's going to do. She's never seen him like this.

Alec's jaw clenches and unclenches, his blue eyes are burning with anger and maybe even a bit of pain. "She's our daughter."

Ember's crying and Mary picks her up and kisses her forehead to try and comfort her. She feels horrible for having this conversation in front of her, but it's too late now. "It sure doesn't feel that way, Alec."

He doesn't say anything for a while and she continues, "She's spending the night at my parent's house and I'm having dinner with a friend. End of story."

Mary ignores him to focus on her little girl, "You're okay sweetie. You're okay."

Ember sniffles and Mary gently pushes the stray strands of blonde hair behind her ears. She knows that Ember will cry for at least an hour unless she finds some way to calm her down. So, she smiles warmly and speaks softly, "If you stop crying in the next ten minutes, mommy will buy you some ice cream on the way to grandma and grandpa's house. Does that sound good?"

She hates to bribe her with sweets, but what else can she do? Her father has just blatantly ignored her and started yelling at her while she was still in the room. And poor Emmy is just like her mother, once she starts crying, she'll cry for hours.

Ember sniffles again and wipes her nose as she nods. Sugar sounds great even though she knows it won't fix whatever's wrong between her parents. She wishes that it would. If sugar could fix everything the world would be a much better place.

Alec isn't satisfied. He decides to press Mary for answers since she didn't specify which friend she was having dinner with.

"Who are you going to dinner with?"

Mary wants to scoff because she knows he thinks that she's having an affair with someone just like he is. If she wanted to be with someone else, she would have left him years ago when he started seeing that waitress.

But she doesn't. She's not going to subject Ember to anymore arguing if she can help it. Instead, she sticks to telling him the truth. "Ember's teacher, Mr. Styles."

Alec shakes his head, his jaw set like cement that's been sitting in the sun all day. "Absolutely not. He can call you if he wants to talk to you."

She thinks this whole thing is ridiculous. She's a grown woman and she can damn well go to dinner with anyone she wants.

"It doesn't matter what you think Alec, I'm going."

Mary grabs her sweater and hear jeans with her free hand and carries Ember past her father and downstairs where her bag is already waiting by the door. Alec has no right to tell her what to do and he can get as angry as he wants. She's going to do this because she needs a friend, and she knows that Harry won't tell her what she should do with her life or that she's made bad decisions.

Alec tries to stop her on her way out and Mary doesn't let him. She decides that she'll change at her parents' house because her work clothes are incredibly uncomfortable and she doesn't want to be overdressed.

Mary apologizes profusely to Ember on the drive to her parent's house. Ember tells her that it's okay, but she knows that it isn't. She feels terrible for putting her in that situation.

Once she gets her ice cream she's back to being cheery and she's telling Mary everything that she hopes to get for Christmas this year. Mary listens intently and she's grateful that she's got a good memory because Ember deserves everything that she wants, and she's going to try her best to get those things for her.

Her parents are happy to see the two of them and it takes longer than she thought to leave their house and start the drive to the pizza place that Harry mentioned. There's one thing her parents have always been good at, keeping her busy at the house while she's got plans elsewhere.

By the time she makes it to the restaurant it's already seven fifteen and she feels absolutely horrible. She should have sent Harry a text to tell him that she was running late.

She hopes that he hasn't left yet as she pushes through the restaurant's doors. The place is lit with cute little white Christmas lights, and it's a little dark so she can't see as well as she would like to. The comforting smell of Italian food already has her mouth watering and her muscles releasing tension.

For a moment, she can't find him in the semi crowded space. There are a ton of people that seem to take up the entire building even though they sit relatively far away from each other. With a heavy feeling in her chest, she turns to leave, but she's stopped by a familiar voice calling her name.

"Mary!"

Something strange happens. Mary feels like flowers are blossoming in her stomach. Suddenly she's nervous. She hasn't felt this way since her wedding. He's waited for her and he's still there. Alec stopped waiting three years ago.

Harry's hand catches her wrist and she turns around to face him with shimmering eyes. "You waited for me."

Harry looks confused, but he's smiling nonetheless. "Of course I waited for you."

Crimson bathes Mary's cheeks and Harry drops her hand before leading her to a table just near the back of the restaurant. He's saying something about how he didn't know what drinks she likes, so he ordered some water while he waited. She's not really listening to him. Her mind is still stuck on the fact that he waited for her.

The last time she'd been out to dinner was with Alec. It was their anniversary and he'd told her to meet him at this incredibly nice restaurant on the outside of town. She showed up exactly on time and ended up waiting for an hour before deciding to leave and cry in her car. For some reason, she expected Harry to do the same because, if Alec couldn't show to a date, how could he?

It doesn't help that he's really cute and super sweet. She knows that this isn't as friendly as he tried to pretend that it was, but she can't really say that she minds. Maybe this is what she needs to finally break away from Alec. Maybe she needs someone to show her there's better love out there, just waiting to be discovered. Maybe, one of these days, he'll end up convincing her that she's got enough love for somebody else, and that somebody else wants to love her more than she thinks that they do.

Mary snaps out of her daydream when she takes her seat. She's remembered that she's made him wait fifteen minutes for her and she hasn't even apologized or given him an explanation yet. And she's also married.

"I'm sorry for being so late. My husband came home and he upset Ember. And then my parents talked forever before they finally let me leave. Thank you for waiting, I'm sorry for embarrassing you."

Harry smiles and shakes his head. The idea of being embarrassed hadn't even crossed his mind. "Mary, you didn't embarrass me. I know what it's like when you have kids. Hell, I watch them all day and it's still a struggle to get them to do things on time. I'm sorry about your husband. I hope Ember's alright."

For the hundredth time in two days, she wants to cry. He's being so patient and understanding with her and he's not pressing her for details like everyone else usually does. She's wondering how a man like him is still single and she can't seem to keep the thought in her head.

"How are you still single?"

Harry smiles down at the table and stirs his drink with his straw. No one has asked him that before and he likes that she's not afraid to speak her mind. "I guess just haven't found the right woman yet. But let's not talk about me, I want to talk about you. Who are you, Marigold?"

She hasn't been asked this question in years and she has no idea where to start. After a minute of self-deliberation, she starts with her fears and ends up telling him everything from her love of sunsets to details about the strain on her marriage that she's kept hidden from everyone but Claire. She doesn't mean to tell him so much, but there's just something about him that makes her want to tell him everything.

And he listens. He listens to every word that she says, even when the bright things begin to tarnish, he hangs on her every word without interruption. Of course, she doesn't just talk the entire time because they do order pizza and drinks and he says a few jokes every now and then when she pauses to catch her thoughts.

He looks at her like she's the most beautiful thing that he's ever seen and she knows that it's wrong, but she doesn't want him to stop whatever it is that they're starting.

By the time that they call it a night, the restaurant is closing and the stars litter the sky in endless patterns. Harry's a gentleman and he walks her to her car. He says goodnight, but he's staring at her lips and he doesn't really hear what she says in response. He's caught up with trying his hardest not to kiss her and let her know that he cares for her. There are already too many complications.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Mary bites her smile as a soft blush rises to her cheeks. "I said thank you for tonight. I really needed this."

Harry smiles like he's just won the lottery. All she's done is let him know that he's helped her feel much better and that means everything.

"Thank you for coming. I really enjoyed your company."

It's incredibly hard not to kiss her, but he manages even though his heart feels like it's about to jump out of his chest and run a marathon.

"Drive safely and have a good holiday."

By now she knows what he's trying not to do and she's incredibly flattered that he's restrained himself. Part of her wishes he'd just do it.

"You too. Goodnight, Harry."

His head lowers and his eyes are on his feet. If he looks at her, he'll kiss her.

"Goodnight, Mary."

She doesn't stop smiling until she walks through the front door. Alec immediately jumps at the chance to accuse her of cheating.

"Just dinner, yeah? Last I recall, dinner doesn't take three hours, Mary."

Mary hangs her coat on the rack and locks the front door with a stony expression. She knew that this was going to happen when she came home, but she didn't know that talking to Harry would make her so happy. And now she feels incredibly sad because her husband can't even welcome her home, let alone ask how dinner was. All he wants to do is catch her in the act that she's already caught him in.

"It doesn't, Alec. We were talking."

Alec shuts the TV off and rolls his eyes. Talking is the worst excuse she could come up with and he doesn't buy it for a second. "Don't give me that crap, Mary. I know you didn't just talk to the man."

Her lips form a tight line as the anger starts to seep into her bones. "Are you accusing me of cheating?"

Alec doesn't say anything and that's all she needs to know to know that that's exactly what he's doing. Apparently, it's alright for him to cheat, but it's a sin for her to do so. It doesn't matter anyway because she hasn't cheated on him and she doesn't plan to. She meant her vows when she said them and only a divorce would allow her to break the chains she bound herself in. A divorce that she keeps postponing in hopes that he'll come back to her.

"Alec, I just had dinner and talked with the man."

He slams his fist down on the coffee table and she flinches. He's never hit her before, but then again, she doesn't know him anymore. "Bullshit!"

Mary snaps and every ounce of calmness she has in her is obliterated. She doesn't understand how he has the audacity to accuse her of cheating when he's been having an affair for just under four years. He's the one that ruined their marriage, not her.

"You're what's bullshit, Alec! You've been cheating on me since Ember was three and you continue to try and lie to me like I'm stupid! I know, okay!? I've known since the first fucking night you spent with her! Don't make me the bad guy when all I did was have dinner and talk to someone my age! He's Ember's teacher, for Christ's sake!"

He's about to argue with her but she stops him with a shake of her head and tears in her eyes. "No. You don't get to talk. You have absolutely no right to accuse me of cheating when you cheat on me every day and act like our daughter doesn't exist, you son-of-a-bitch. I've done nothing but love you and all you do is break your vows and treat me and Ember like we're garbage. Don't you dare accuse me of cheating again because I will never do that to anyone. Even you. Although, you've cheated on me for four years and you certainly deserve it. Sleep on the couch. I don't want you anywhere near me tonight."

Mary wipes her eyes and makes her way up the stairs quickly, leaving him speechless in the middle of the living room. Tonight, as she lays down, there are no tears in her eyes. She falls asleep dreaming of green eyes and a dimpled right cheek.