The disagreements and ANGST continue the morning after-nothing is settled (at this point).
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The next morning Andy went downstairs early, started the coffee maker, and removed breakfast ingredients from the refrigerator. Sometime later Robert descended the stairs, dressed in running, shoes. tank top and long shorts. "You're still here: WHY?" he remarked, uncapping and draining a bottle of water.
"I felt weird about how we left things last night...this morning, I mean...and I thought the least that I could do is to make you breakfast-US breakfast."
"Why are you STILL HERE Andrea? I don't want any breakfast; what I want is for you to leave."
"Would you...look, Robert," Andy faltered. "Could I just...I don't know what else I can do: I've apologized and weathered your scorn-and that of most of '19'...I'm seeing Diane about some of my worst inclinations...I'm honestly trying."
"Good. Great. Excellent. 'Bye." He mumbled something else that she didn't quite catch.
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"What?"
"I said, "It's my own fault; I was warned about you."
"Warned about me...can I ask by whom; what was said?"
"Ripley. Gibson. Others."
Stung, his ex-wife muttered "Then why did you propose if I'm so rotten?"
"THAT'S what I regret-proposing."
Suddenly nauseous Andy clutched her stomach with both arms and slid to the floor, her back against the icebox. "Do you...mean that?"
"Yeah."
Andy gasped "I. Can't...Breathe...R-Robert"-
He went to her, scooped her up, and quickly went up the stairs and into the guest room. He told her to rest for a while and that he'd call an UBER for her in a few hours. He turned to leave and she said "Would you...could you stay with me for a while?"
He stopped but didn't turn. "I need a meeting."
"PLEASE? Just a little while."
Reluctantly he moved an easy chair several feet away and plopped into it. "After my Dad's cancer returned, and Ryan was killed...and we found all of those letters and birthday cards I-I shouldn't have tried to push through on my own...If I had been in my right mind I would have listened when you said it was too soon to come back to the station or left without even a note...or waited eleven months to 'have the fight' that you asked for. I wouldn't have called that divorce lawyer"-
Interrupting Robert grated "I don't believe you, Andy! It's my turn not to believe you !! It's always someone else's fault, huh Lieutenant Herrera?! Nice touch with the process server serving me precisely during shift change between A and B shifts: maximum humiliation...kudos."
