Bring Me To Life

All I Ask

It had been two weeks since Jen's hospital discharge. There had been significant improvements in both her physical and mental health. However, she couldn't return to filming Magic Mike until after the baby's birth, which meant she needed to head back to Los Angeles. Jen had already been back in LA, but Ben was absent by her request, as they needed some time apart. Her blood pressure had returned to normal, and there had been no spikes since Ben's absence. Their children understood it was best for their parents to be apart. Fortunately, Ben had been able to occupy himself with his favorite activities, writing and filming.

Jenn's Perspective

I was outside in the backyard, watching the kids have a blast in the pool. I wore a bikini with some shorts, leaving the shorts unbuttoned to accommodate my growing belly; I didn't want to invest in maternity shorts.

Sipping on my matcha latte, I listened to some music. Everything was going smoothly until I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey," Ben said softly as he set down his backpack beside me and took a seat.

I looked over at him and set my matcha latte down on the mini table between us. "Hi," I said without much emotion, scrutinizing every detail of his face. His beard was fuller, more groomed, and he'd had a recent haircut. He appeared to have lost some weight, his cheekbones more pronounced, giving him a leaner look than usual.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Good. Great, actually," I replied.

"Interesting. I noticed a new black Mercedes outside. Do you have someone here?" Ben asked.

"No, Ben. I don't. If you want to restart this and accuse me of things, you can leave. I don't have time for your drama anymore. A lot has happened in the past three weeks, and you weren't here for it. Don't jump to conclusions and come at me sideways as you've done in the past. I'm tired of your nonsense," I calmly conveyed so the kids wouldn't think I was arguing with their dad. The music was playing loudly, but I knew if the kids saw my hands gesturing in his face, they'd realize we were arguing. So, I maintained my composure.

"I was just going to ask if—" Ben began but stopped. "I'm sorry," he sighed softly.

I looked ahead and reclined in the lawn chair, letting the sun kiss my face. Annoyed, I was about to get up to adjust the umbrella, but Ben promptly got up and did it for me. He returned to his seat, retrieved a small, long red leather box from his backpack, and handed it to me.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, scrutinizing the box.

"Open it," he said softly.

"Ben, I honestly don't want anything from you. I don't need anything from you. I can provide for myself and my kids. If I wanted jewelry, I could buy it myself," I said, unaware of how harsh I sounded as I watched him become upset.

"I... I'll just go then. I'll take the kids to school tomorrow," Ben sighed and retreated to the guest room where he'd been sleeping for the past few weeks. I rarely saw him, as he was typically busy, out all day, but he picked up the kids and took them to school. I'd been home alone for the last three weeks, which had been good for both me and the baby.

A few hours later...

I finished making dinner, preparing dumplings, rice, teriyaki chicken, vegetable stir-fry, and broccoli beef. Cooking helped me cope when I had a lot on my mind and felt anxious.

"Whoa, Mom, you made all this? Why didn't you ask me to help?" Cy exclaimed as they observed the feast I had prepared.

"Sometimes I enjoy being alone in the kitchen. It's my way of meditating and healing," I explained to them, smiling softly.