Sweet Family Of War - Book 7

The Pier

STEF POV

"The air is nice today." I say to Lena as we take a seat on the bench at the Mission Bay pier we all liked to go to to clear our minds, or to just take walks sometimes after dinner. Of course it had been a very long time since Lena and I had done that and while we worked on our relationship I was hoping we would maybe start doing little things like that again. Granted all of this was going to take time, how long I wasn't sure, but I knew and felt that it was going to be a very long process. For both of us.

As it approaches noon I had gotten a couple hours of sleep but I can see Lena is very tired as she takes a bite into her sandwich and sips her cold iced tea. She was also still rather icey with me but quiet this morning and I was wondering if something else was wrong. I knew she went to the bakery very early since she left me a note, and I was aware it was mostly likely because she couldn't sleep. In the end I still loved her deeply and being the person I was I just wanted her to be ok. Something she still had a hard time accepting.

"It is." She says softly avoiding my eyes and looking out onto the ocean.

"So ummm, do you need to do a follow up appointment with the doctor about your thyroid?" I take a sip of my drink as she still does not look at me.

"Um yes. It's next on my list of things to do."

"Ok, um, if you want me to go with you I can. Just let me know and I'll put a day in or something." I offer as she finally looks back at me and nods her head. "I um, I'm switching back to days. And no I know we aren't having sex or anything but um it's probably better for us, the kids and well my sleep. Unless you feel otherwise, Len."

"Its fine." She takes another sip of of her tea as this conversation much like the one we had yesterday when she was telling me about Jenna still like pulling teeth and I try one more time to see if I can get anything more out of her. Honestly, I didn't want to come off pushy like I usually do but it was hard. Damm was it ever.

"How was the bakery? Julius leaving you a ton of stuff to make?" I laugh sipping my coffee as she takes another bite of her sandwich and clears her throat. Staring hard at her I can see she wants to say something but I'm not to sure what as her eyes continue to look out onto the ocean. "Len, are you ok? I mean I'm trying here. I am."

"The bakery was fine, Stefanie." She says rather harshly as I move a tad closer to her.

"Yeah? You sure? I mean you seem like you aren't okay at all," I push more as she sighs and looks right at me her eyes rather cold as my face continues to soften.

"I'm not ok, I'm not. Okay? I'm just not okay right now." She says snapping at me again as I put my drink down and clear my throat but this time I'm going to say how I feel for this was getting ridiculous. I mean I got she was pissed, I knew I fucked up but she was hell bent on giving me a hard ass time.

"Lena, what is it you want me to do? Huh? Do you want me here to shit on me? Yell? Fight?"

"What?" She looks at me now, and I'm even more annoyed.

"You heard me love...Lena. Do you want me here just to shit on me? To keep reminding how much I fucked up instead of trying to just be civil. I mean do you enjoy being hostile to me? Unless you really don't want to work on us."

"It's a lot of things Stef. I have a lot on my mind besides us, okay?" She sets her sandwich on her napkin as I can see I upset her even more but for the love of god she was going to tell me and freaking talk to me even if she didn't like it or we were never going to get anywhere.

"Ok like what?" I pry even more as she shakes her head sadly and I see a sarcastic look on her face.

"Like you don't know what happened at the bakery."