Working threw the pain

Vincent and Tessa hadnt seen each other in six months, and six months before that. The past two years theyd go 3 or 6 months without seeing each other even though they were married. The only time they got together was when their daughter was home from school. Elena was a sophmore in college she came home then for summer break, so her parents were together. During the time she was home for the three month summer one would make up an excuse to go away for a few weeks then the other so they had to spend very little actual time together when they did see each other. 

To Elena they were still her parents she grew up with, her very happily inlove family. The rest of the people in their lifes they had pushed away unable to keep the sharade up year round for them. Pretending for Elena was the one thing they still cared about, she lost so much too they didnt want to take her happy parents away from her too. 

Tessa had been living in Florida for the past 6 months but was now moving back to her and her husbands home in Georiga for the three months their daughter would be home for the summer. She got back to Georgia the day before Elena was supposed to come home, while Vincent was at work. He would stay there as late as he could to avoid her which was just fine with her she could unpack in peace. 

She arrived with her bags and struggled to open the door going in the opening door dropping her bags. She was suprised to hear the sound of dishes from the kitchen, she hadnt expected anyone to be home. She went into the kitchen to be met with Vincent who stopped looking at her, he hadnt expected her so soon. "Elena called shes going to be another week or two she went to Mexico with her friends" Vincent said confused as to why she was there because Elena had told him, he assumed she had told Tessa too. 

"She didnt call me" Tessa said pulling out her phone then sighed, of course she didnt. She assumed her dad would tell her mom because she assumed they lived together year round. "My lease was up I cant go back" Tessa said and Vincent straightened. 

"This is your home too Tessy" Vincent said, his old nickname for her. 

"Why are you home" she asked not a question she wouldve normally asked, but she was confused on why he was home if Elena wasnt coming back. 

"Just wanted a day off" Vincent lied, which after 20 years together Tessa could tell right away. It instantly made her mad though she knew she didnt have a right to be mad.

"Okay youre right you dont have to tell me" Tessa said going to turn to get her stuff.

"I got let go at work" Vincent said so she turned back to him.

"Im sorry I know how much work means to you" she said and meant it. 

"Its okay time for a change anyway" he said while pulling out the makings for a sandwhich, he also meant what he said which seemed to shock Tessa. Vincent was a archetech and always loved his job so for him to just be okay with it shocked Tessa. Though she didnt know what to say to it so she took her stuff upstairs and carefully and slowly put her stuff away. After nearly two hours though she ran out of things to do and was hungry so she returned to the kitchen. Vincent was sitting there reading something on his tablet, he looked up at her then put his attention back on his tablet. He quietly read while she made herself a sandwhich and sat down across from him. She nibbled on her sandwhich while he read and glanced up at her every so often. "I been seeing a therapist" Vincent said after a very long silence.

"Good" Tessa said.

"I think we should see her together" he said getting Tessas full attention.

"What for" she asked. 

"Its been two years Tess were still married but were not a married couple" he said. 

"for our daughter" she pointed out. 

"And I think that was the right thing to do at the time but the longer we live like this the more we grow apart. The longer we stay stuck in that depressive rut, the longer were unhappy" he said standing up and walking aorund the table towards her as they talked. 

"Ill never be happy again" she said going towards the door but he rushed ahead of her putting his hand on the door to keep it closed.  

"Our son is dead we arent" he said very calmly but she pulled the door open. 

"I wish I was" she said then slipped out of the door. Her reaction shook him into the realization why there marriage wasnt working. She blamed herself for their sons death, she even likely wished she had died too. He started thinking while she was gone that she may even think he blamed her. Nothing could be further from the truth. They drifted apart yes but not because he blamed her.

After their sons death Tessa cried pretty much all the time, when JTs (Joseph Thomas) name came up, Tess cried for days alone in her room. It got to the point he and their daughter Elena knew not to bring JTs name up. When Elena went to college the house was like a morgue so Tessa took a six month assigment in California. When she came back he had been looking forward to time together maybe reconnect but by time Elenas spring break was over Tessa had already taken an assignment in Utah for another six months. Then she came home for the summer with Elena and he had a 3 week assignment that he had to take. He had no real choice in the matter so he took it and by time he came back Tessa was gone. She left a simple note saying, "ill be back when Elena gets home." That was how it was no discussion just one person moving away all the time and the other waiting not sure what way to turn. So he stood still in the time his daughter and wife were away. 

What changed for Vincent was a co worker lost his daughter, the guy was an emotional mess. He cried and swore broke things just totally out of character. Vincent had tried to consol him by telling him of his sons death, thinking it would be comforting. The guy lashed out telling Vincent he was like a robot he had no emotion, and it struck Vincent as true. He hadnt cried when his only son died, or when his wife decided to spend 6 months at a time away from him. He drank a 6 pack a night just to fall asleep instead of crying his eyes out. It made him realize he wasnt feeling anything and that scared him, so he went to a psychiatrist. 

Of course the psychiatrist put him on an anti depression medicine, they assumed the depression was making him numb emotionally. Then a therapist was a requirment for the psychiatrist something he thought would be totally useless. Heck he was raised to keep his emotions in check, he tried to teach his kids the opposite but never unlearned the lesson himself. So talking to a therapist was a foreign concept to him but he didnt know what else to do so he gave it a shot. The second appointment she had him crying like a baby, the flood gates were open for emotions. He spent many a nights since then crying for his only son. Others for his wife and son, with that came the realization he still loved his wife.

Actually seeing her come back every six months just to make their daughter happy made him love her more. He knew all the time apart wasnt good though and he wanted to change that. He didnt know how but he wanted to, he just hoped he got a chance. He had no doubt that Tessa likely wouldnt be coming back, not till Elena came home anyway. Then normally they would go about the charade of their happy marriage till Elena left and then Tessa would leave. 

Vincent wasnt going to let that happen this time he wanted his wife back, and if he couldnt have her he had a right to know it was completely over. He paced the whole night pretty much, he was getting angry as he paced. The longer her abscence went the madder he got. It was 5 am when Tessa finally appeared, when she thought he would be asleep. 

"Do you want me to think you're dead" he yelled at her stunning her, Vincent never been the type to yell not in 20 years.

"my stuff was here" she said softly not sure why he even cared. 

"Why do i even care" he asked as if reading her thoughts, though he couldnt. "Because I still love you and I miss my wife" he said. She turned to him then to a picture of the four of them on JTs 15th birthday, his last. 

"You cant love me"

"Why cant I" he asked his eyes following hers to the photo. "I dont blame you for JTs death" he said.

"How can you not its my fault" she said touching the picture softly.

"It was an accident" 

"that wouldnt have happened if JT wasnt driving. He was only 15 what was I thinking letting a 15 year old drive" she said starting to cry.

"He was bugging to drive, he was about to get his licenses anyway. I wouldve let him drive if he bugged me to let him" Vincent said. 

"But i was his mother its my job to tell him no when he wants to do things he shouldnt" she said stubbornly. Vincent approached her putting his hands on her forearms. "Id rather him hate me and be alive" Tessa said so Vincent wrapped his arms around her. She started crying loud and hard collapsing against him. He lowered her to the ground and held her as they cried together.

"I dont blame you for his death" Vincent repeated after a few minutes, she continued to cry. It seemed like hours that they were crying till Vincent kissed Tessa the first time in a year. The kissing led to touching and clothes being removed then love making. It seemed to get the tension and frusteration out of boths body, they didnt even care that they were on the floor in their livingroom. 

After Tessa lay in Vincents arms on the floor and they were mostly quiet, till there daughter Elena came in the front door. "Oh my god" Elena said seeing her parents. 

"Wait outside for like 5 minutes" Tessa said grabbing her shirt to cover her breasts, Vincent grabbed his to cover his groin. Elena didnt need to be told twice she was out the door within seconds. Tessa and Vincent slowly got dressed more embarrased about being caught then having sex. Vincent went to the kitchen to get a drink while Tessa went to the door to let Elena back in. 

"Are you guys back together" Elena asked upon entering the kitchen with her mom behind her.

"What do you mean we were never apart" Tessa lied, while Vincent seemed more interested in getting things out of the fridge. 

"mom im in college now im not stupid everytime I called dad you werent home he would say and i could call you five minutes later youd say dad wasnt home but you were. Thats how it was all the time I figured you werent ready for me to know but are you" Elena asked looking to the livingroom and away again as if she could still visualize her mom and her dad being intimate there, she gave a dramatic shiver. "like together or not" Elena elborated. 

"Were working threw it" Vincent and Tessa said at the same time, then looked at each other and smiled.