As he gazed down at her, it crossed her mind that they should probably sleep in separate beds. He brushed a lock of hair back from her face and then traced her jaw with a finger. When he leaned down to kiss her again, she eagerly returned his affection. His fingers softly traced down her neck - to her breast and then down until his hand rested on her waist. An inconsequential little voice said she should stop this because it was nothing more than lust on his part. He hesitantly pulled her toward him and the voice became silent as she moved to meet him. She needed him more than she needed air to breath. Slipping her arms around his neck, she boldly molded her body to his lean frame.
His lips left hers briefly and then he whispered softly against her neck.
"Let's not jump into this thing - this divorce. Let's think about it."
She pulled back and studied his face. What caused his second thoughts - a moment of passion? Sure, she was willing enough to forget the idea, but then, she was hopelessly in love with him. Was there a chance to salvage their marriage?
She snuggled against him. "I love you so much."
He stiffened and didn't respond. Maybe she shouldn't have said it, but it was something he should know if they had a chance. He slowly relaxed and kissed her neck again.
They made love then, as if nothing had ever come between them. All was forgotten in her mind, but apparently not his.
She woke in the morning to discover she was alone. She showered and dressed in dusty blue slacks and a lacy tunic. Pulling her hair into a pony tail, she secured it with a blue ribbon. Alex hadn't returned yet, so she began packing.
Last night was as good as it had ever been with them. It wasn't simply sex. It was a connection - a joining of spirit. More than a declaration of love, it was a statement of commitment - or was she merely fooling herself about that? What made him change his mind? There was no need to ask her to reconsider. Even when she was angry with him and numb with shock, she didn't consider asking for a divorce. They would make it. They always had. He was the one who bolted. Was it merely all the stress?
She closed the suitcase lid and snapped it shut, staring into empty space. A memory bloomed into a realization. He had asked if she would consider adopting. He was talking about Alfonso. He was sworn to secrecy, but he was still asking for her input in the only way he could. Was that what triggered his decision to leave? Probably not. He said he was tired of the fighting. In actuality, he was tired of not being in full control. He was overwhelmed, but he wasn't ready to delegate - not to her, anyway. That was something they needed to talk about. When they were first married she said she wanted him to wear the pants, but that wasn't the truth. She thought it was at the time, but an independent person never actually wanted someone else to make all the decisions. When Mom & Dad died, she had been plunged into responsibility up to her neck. Like Alex, she had been overwhelmed by grief and burden of finances. Unlike Alex, she had been willing to delegate. No, actually she had been willing to dump it all in his lap. No wonder he felt the need to teach her to be independent. In her eagerness to feed his desire to control, she had been willing to give up the independent spirit he found attractive. Neither of them had been being true to themselves. Katie must have noticed they were not satisfied with their relationship, but how could she know why they were unhappy when even they didn't know?