Somebody That I Used To Know

Friends

Tom walks up the stairs through the apartment building. His shoes make an echo against the floor. He knocks on apartment 4B and waits for the door to open.

"Hey."

"Hello." Tom says. "Can uh... can I come in?"

"Sure. Do you want coffee?"

"If there's a pot already made."

Denise smiles and pours a cup of coffee, setting it on the napkin on the table. "What happened?"

"Molly and I are... over."

"What?"

"She told me that she wanted to take a break, you know, like we're 16."

"Well, maybe... maybe that's a good thing. It'll be a nice break for you both to collect yourselves and your feelings. Then you can talk about them after being apart. People being around each other all the time isn't a good thing. It's just a small setback, don't worry about it."

"She thinks that it's better to spend time apart... including keeping me from my daughter."

"What do you mean?"

"She wants to reserve days because I have a temper now. She doesn't think that Lily needs to be around me all the time anymore. What kind of shit is that? I'm her father."

"You just all need a little break. Everything will be okay."

"I just can't believe that she'd do this to me."

"I'm sure it's hard for her too."

"What's hard for her? She's not the one with PTSD."

"Tom, I've seen you break down twice. The first once was when I barely even knew you. I... for the next few days I felt sick. I wanted to cry, you know? I didn't even know who were expect for someone who did my class twice. Just knowing how badly they hurt you made me sick. Now imagine being Molly. She's watching her husband constantly have a hard time and have to deal with all of the emotional and physical trauma you've experienced. I mean, I can't imagine what she felt while watching you in the hospital."

"Well I was the one who was going through all that pain. It's selfish to act like she understands."

"Tom, she goes through pain too regarding this. What if someone hurt Molly the way they hurt you? How would you feel?"

"That's different."

"No, it's not." Denise stresses. "You're her husband, Tom, she loves you and hates seeing you hurt like you are."

"Then why did she just leave me?"

"She needs a break too. You have changed but no one can blame you for that. I don't know what you were like before they took you the first time but I certainly know what you were like before you came into my studio drunk off your ass and told me that Matt was hurting you again. She just wants her husband back."

"Well she can't get him." Tom snaps. "I can't get him back for myself so how can I for Molly?"

"It'll take time."

"And you know what, I went through all that pain for her the first time. Matt told me that if I said so, he'd take Molly and most of the pain would be taken away from me. I couldn't do it."

"That's not her fault, Tom. I understand why you feel like this but she never asked you to do it. Some lunatic kidnapped you and... and did what he wanted. So what if he brought Molly into it? Who the hell knows if he would've actually done something. I don't think he would, he was obsessed with you."