Taking Chances

Facade

Steve ended up finding a decent hotel not too far from the beach. He checked into the room and sat his bag down, observing the room.  There was a single queen sized bed, a light blue and white color scheme decorating the room with a painting of the ocean hanging on the wall.

The room wasn't all that spacious but he knew he'd have to get used to it considering it would be his new home until he figured things out.

He took out his phone and sent an email to his assistant  in regards to canceling and rescheduling his consults for the next day. Quite frankly, he was in no shape emotionally to see patients at the moment. Or anyone for that matter. Except DJ.

Exhausted from everything that transpired that day, Steve immediately climbed into bed. He felt lonelier than ever in that hotel room all by himself, so he occupied his mind with happy thoughts of DJ and eventually drifted into a somewhat peaceful slumber.

----

At the Fuller house, DJ had just completed her nightly routine of kissing her boys goodnight and now she was off to bed herself.

Usually, DJ enjoyed going to work but right now she was dreading it. She found it difficult to fall asleep that night with so many thoughts in her mind, different scenarios that could potentially go down after breaking the news to Matt.

DJ hated herself for not doing this sooner. She knew she should have never let things get as far as they did with Matt when deep down her heart was elsewhere.

She got out of bed and crept quietly downstairs into the kitchen to make herself a cup of sleepytime tea. The warmth of the tea brought her comfort as well as the silence. The house was only ever this quiet late into the night and DJ cherished it while she could, considering she was never much of a night owl.

Once she drank the last drop of tea, she yawned. Wow this stuff really works, she thought to herself.

DJ placed her empty cup into the dishwasher then crept back up the stairs just as quietly as she went down.

The woman laid there for a while and she began to feel her eyelids becoming heavy and eventually her exhaustion caught up with her and she was fast asleep seconds later.

——

The next morning, DJ went about her routine like she normally would. She got up, got dressed for work, got Tommy up for Stephanie who's in charge of watching him during the day, as well as making sure her two older boys were up and getting ready for school.

While she was packing a lunch for Jackson and Max, her phone rang. It was Matt. DJ considered letting it go to voicemail, but she knew she'd be facing him soon enough, so she decided to answer.

DJ: "Hello?"

Matt: "Hello? DJ?"

"Hey, Matt. What's up?" DJ held the phone between her shoulder and ear while she continued preparing lunches for the boys.

Matt: "Is everything alright? I've been trying to get a hold of you but no answer."

DJ: "Yeah, everything's fine. I've just had a lot going on over here. But anyways, I'll see you at work soon and we'll talk then, okay?"

Matt: "Okay. See you then"

They said their goodbyes and DJ released a breath she didn't realize she was holding once she hung up the phone.

DJ heard the kids coming downstairs and she quickly pulled herself together.

Jackson, Ramona, and Max filed into the kitchen and each poured themselves a bowl of cereal. While they ate breakfast and chatted amongst themselves, DJ went to go check on Stephanie with Tommy before she left.