SCARLET MEETS MILA

10

Mila

I run my fingers through River's hair while he sits between my thighs. He's watching a movie, at peace with the world while mine falls apart. I check my phone. No calls, no texts. She's late home by almost two hours, and I have no excuse other than her being busy. River cried when she didn't show for dinner, and he threw his toys at the wall until I convinced him that Spider-Man was playing on Netflix.

We agreed to stick to a routine for our family to thrive. She is good at it, fantastic even. While in conflict, she forgets her way, and our commitment to the daily chaos dwindles. It's painful. We're stuck in a rut that I have no idea how to get out of. I'm not even sure she does.

When she returns, it's almost ten. River is fast asleep between my legs, and Maisie went to sleep early in hopes to cure her headache. I've never taken a swing to the cheek, but I'm sure the symptoms are bad if she's able to tear herself away from her phone.

Scarlet places her bag onto the counter and finishes up a call before looking into the lounge. She smiles, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she approaches us. Her eyes meet River, his curled up body so out of it he barely twitches when she grazes his thigh.

"He's up late?"

I shrug. "He was waiting for you."

"I had some pretty intense meetings today." She chuckles, as if not in breach of our family code. "I'm sorry. I couldn't miss them."

"You can take him to bed." I pull the blanket from his body and watch as he squirms. "The other two are already knocked out."

She nods, bending down to scoop him up as if still a baby. He is. He's our baby, and despite his shocking arrival, he was the addition everybody needed. He has a vibrant personality. The fire in his eyes burns brighter than most, and even as a baby, he was a much needed breath of fresh air.

Scarlet took a while to come around. At first, she'd avoid him and hand him off when he'd cry. When reality sank in, however, he became the light of her universe. He'd make her smile when she'd cry, and he'd pull her from the darkest of moods with just the power of his charming giggle.

He saved her.

"Come on you." She kissed his cheeks and carries him to bed. I watch as they leave, and my heart thumps with both agony and longing.

Some people say that love fades after time. They say the spark that connects you dies and dwindles into a small buzz of energy. Many believe they were more attracted to their partner during the first few months than they are after ten years.

The rule has never applied to us.

To this day, I still find Scarlet just as mesmerising as I did when first meeting her. She still gives me those untameable butterflies and makes my body swoon when she dresses up for work. When she returns home, a wash of adoration overcomes me, even now, in our moment of crisis, I'm smitten with her presence.

It's hard to fight those feelings when you're angry. It's like turning away a billion dollars just because your enemy handed it to you. She's not my enemy, but right now, I'm caught between devouring her and screaming at her.

"He's dead to the world." Scarlet announces, now half naked in a bra and pair of black spandex shorts. I look her up and down, forced to look away in case my mouth overrules my heart. "They all are."

I pull the blankets over my thighs and huff. "Maisie had a headache, and Teddy was strangely tired." I explain. "Must be something in the air."

"Yeah, us." She chuckles, fiddling with a lighter to ignite my favourite candle. "They know something's up."

"How do you know?"

She stands in the centre of the room, her hands folded over her chest. "Maisie called me at work." She begins. "Told me River was having a meltdown because I missed dinner, and Teddy is upset that we're not sleeping in the same room."

I shake my head and laugh sarcastically. "I wonder why."

"I get it." She sits on the beanbag opposite the couch,  her hair now pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head. "This situation sucks, and yes, I am handling it terribly, but Mila, you have to believe me when I tell you I'm going to fix this?"

"Fix what, exactly?" I cock a brow, and I can tell my tone brings her a great deal of discomfort by the way she wets her lips and contorts her lips. "We have more than one issue on the table right now."

"I know." She clears her throat. "I'm working on all of them. I had some meetings today and I'm pretty sure that I've found some solutions."

"What?" I laugh. "To hide me?"

"No." She replies sternly. "If anything, I want to show you off. You're my wife, Mila? I know I've been stressed this week, but I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now?"

"I'm not." I huff, reaching to stand from the couch. "I don't think you understand how much you've hurt me? Cutting me from the campaign tops everything, but my god have you been a dick!"

I storm to the kitchen and make myself a glass of water. She follows, calling after me as if not still in the same house. "I understand, Mila!" She scolds. "I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it."

"Then why won't you stop?" I yell, never once breaking eye contact as she rounds the counter to meet me. "I would never have done this to you! We had a solid routine of talking shit out and being honest. We agreed no more hiding but here you are, withholding things from me with the intent to fix this mess? What, you're gonna erase my mind and make me forget how fucking careless you're being?"

"Stop!"

She reaches for my shoulders, but I push her away with a grunt. "No, you stop!" The lump in my throat begins to bulge. "I can't take this, Scar? The pushing and pulling, it hurts! You may think you have this all in hand, but you don't, because the one thing you promised to put first in life is standing right here on the back burner of your stupid fucking company!"

She steps back and closes her lips.

"Stop telling me you're fixing this when you're only out to fix your reputation." I snarl. "I fell in love with you because you were honest. Lately, you've been a coward!" She looks down at the ground and sniffles. I try to keep my cool, but hearing her stumble and cry aches my heart. "Scarlet-

"Don't!" She snaps, stepping back with bloodshot eyes and a raspy tone. "I know, ok? I know how much this is hurting you, and I'm sorry! I don't want to fight with you. I don't want any of this, but I panicked, ok? I saw what Hunter was going to do and I panicked!"

I clamp my jaw and rub my hands against my thighs in an effort to keep my cool. "You're an intelligent woman, Scarlet." I add. "You built a company from scratch and perfected your craft before you were even old enough to drink."

She stays silent.

"I didn't think I'd need to be giving you life lessons, but there is a very clear difference between panic and betrayal."

"I didn't betray-

"You did!" I assert, itching to run and give her a tight hug. "You immediately drove to your reputation and thought nothing of making me feel like shit! You're ashamed of me. You can't even look at me right now, all because some jumped up lunatic spoon fed you information that shouldn't have even mattered to you."

Silence.

"I don't know how you intend to fix this, but you best do it fast."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She stammers.

I chuckle sarcastically. "It means, if you don't fix this soon, you could break something between us that may never be repaired." My eyes water. "Push someone hard enough, they'll either bite or run away."