The Difference She Makes

Explanations Lead Nowhere

Explanations Lead Nowhere

John speeds home, not even caring about work, or Allie, or anything. Bow could he have messed up so bad? How could he have ruined a second marriage with this girl? Allie is nothing but trouble. She probably made the whole daughter story up. The whole cancer thing. He was blinded by lust and now, he was fucked.

Pulling in the driveway, he finds her car and sees it's pretty much full with her stuff. She comes trudging back from the house an piles more shit in the car. She can't even look at him. When he tries to talk to her, she ignores him. He doesn't blame her. How could he? She caught him. For all she could know, he's been cheating on her since day one. He wasn't, but he could have. Going inside he finds Jack sitting with a big dog. He looks apart it and finds a beer in the fridge. He pops it open and takes a long draw from it.

When Emma has all her things packed she hugs Jack goodbye and then finds John in the kitchen, slouching over his beer and small tears rolling down his face. She so badly wants to punch him in the face or whip an appliance at him, but she doesn't. She places her ring on the table in front of him and walks out of the house and gets in her car.

What is he doing?

"Emma! Wait!" He sprints from the house and follows her out of the driveway. "Emma stop!" She drives passed the house. Sprinting down the the ally across the street, he has to stop her. He sprints between the high wooden fences, around the corner and down some more. He sprints and his legs feel like jelly. As he here's a car coming, he runs out in front and SMASH!

John goes up the hood of Emma's car and back down an falls to the pavement. A car coming the opposite way stops and veers away from him so not to run him over. Emma quickly gets from the car along with the other driver. John quickly rolls over onto his front, holding his side. Blood covers the pavement and there's a huge cut on his head.

"Are you FUCKING insane!" She kneels down beside him.

"Mam, should I call 911?"

"Yes." She looks back at John, who is on all fours and spits blood from his mouth. "seriously what the FUCK is wrong with you!"

"A lot! I love you..."

"Stop! Stop that right now!" She wants to cry. How could he hurt her so badly?

"I love you and I'm a fucking moron. I shouldn't have cheated. That woman, she conned me, legit! That doesn't mean, I'm not an asshole! It's jus...man, you drive fast..." He becomes dizzy and rolls onto his side and then his back. She leans over him. "I love you Emma. And I don't expect you to forgive me after what I did. I wouldn't. But I do love you and I don't want to lose you in my life..."

".....Well, you just did." She stands up and leans against the front of her car. He deserved that. No doubt. The police and an ambulance drive up to the scene and John slowly gets up. The EMTs help him on a gurney as policemen take both statements.

"Sir, do you wanna press charges?" John looks at Emma, who doesn't try to plead her case. He looks down. He loves her so much and he doesn't know what he's gonna do without her.

"No. It was my fault. I shouldn't be running out into major road ways. I'm a fool and that woman there, she did nothing wrong." The policeman nods and walks back to tell Emma. The Ambulance closes up and Emma just stays against her car. She watches them drive him to the hospital and she goes back to the house. She can't leave Jack there unsupervised.

At the hospital, they stitch up his head, check his lungs and everything. He has a small fracture on his left arm and a broken left leg from where he was hit. A cracked rib, and concussion, John lays in his bed, guilting himself. A few minutes later, Jack comes running in and hopes onto the bed.

"What are you doing here, Buddy?" John questions Jackson's appearance. Then he sees Emma leaning against the door frame, purse in hand, head looking to the floor. "......"

She walks in and closes the door behind her. John can't help but feel happy she came. She sets her purse on the chair and stands by the window. Turning back around, her arms are crossed and tears are in her eyes.

"What's the damage?" She's shaking slightly.

"Fractured left arm, broken left leg, cracked rib and a concussion. So nothing bad." He tries to smile, but frowns as he sees tears pour down her face. "I'm sor..."

"Don't." She stops him. Jack is running back to her and she picks him up. He gives her little kisses and she just kisses and hugs him back. John truly feels terrible now. He knows by him screwing up, she can only see Jack as her student now and nothing else.

"Emma..."

"John, why the fuck would you runout into that road?!"

"I was trying to stop you..."

"So this was part of yer plan? Get hit and make me the bad guy and feel like shit! Cause congratulations I do!"

"That wasn't what I wanted. I just want'd to talk. I thought I could just stop you at the ally, but you were speeding and I was kinda already running and..."

"Stop!" She sets Jack down and her tears are more heavy. "I can't... I can't do this! It's bad enough I'm stressing over the baby, and Jack, and work! And I found you fucking another girl! And then I hit you! This isn't fun! I feel sick all the time and I just... grrr, I can't do this!"

She wraps her arms around her waist. She just released all the energy she had. And finds John's face in shock. He readjusts himself in the bed and sees her tears grow bigger. Had he heard her correctly?

"Baby?.... Wha.....what baby?" Emma turns her face to the window and leans her face against it. She hadn't told him yet. She was going to in a few days.

"Baby?" Jack walks up to Emma and tugs on her pants. She turns and both Jack and John's face are full of worriment and confusion.

"I was gonna tell you at the office after we adopted Tug. The dog.... " John can't believe she's pregnant. He's so happy, but at the same time sad cause she ended it.

"Emma, when did you find out?"

"A few days ago.... but John, it's over. I can't be with you after what I saw! It's not fair..."

"Have you been to any appointments yet? Did you......"

"Stop! It's over. John, I don't know if I can trust you ever again. I'm sorry I ran you over, but that doesn't change what you did. I can have yer babysitter come pick up Jack. I couldn't leave him home alone. Goodbye!"

"Emma wait! Emma!" She's gone. Leaving John and Jack in the room, John feels more empty inside then when his wife died.

"Baby?" Jack looks at John, who starts to cry a bit.

"No... not for us Jackson."