Perfected for Sin

2:8

"Put in another support at 17 inches."

Tanner directed her workers as she picked up her phone.

"Hey baby."

"When are you coming home? You're like two hours late, mom and dad are already here."

Tanner took off her hard hat stepping away from the workers.

"I'm trying to get this frame up, love. You're not the only one with a schedule."

"I told you two weeks ago that they were coming today and you told me you'd be home!"

"I forgot okay!"

"Of course you did! Finish your fucking frame it doesn't even matter anymore."

"Autumn."

"Bye."

"Do no-"

The phone went silent as Tanner threw her hard hat.

"Fucking wives."

"Go home boss. It's not worth it."

"I need pictures of the finished frame."

Tanner drove in silence to the house where she saw Mac's car.

"Does this kid ever go home?"

The tattooed fingers gripped the hard hat and tool belt in her hand as she walked into the silent house. Everyone stared as she walked up the stairs to hang up her gear.

There was her wife in the middle of their bed with tears rushing down her face.

"Baby don't cry. I'm here and I'm sorry I was late."

"All I asked was for you to get home an hour earlier then normal but you can't even do that!"

"I forgot."

"Stop lying to me Tanner! I wrote it on a sticky note in your truck, right beside your speedometer. I'm sorry I'm such a fucking burden to you!"

"Baby no, you're never a burden."

Tanner sat down in front of her hysterical wife taking her hands.

"I love you more and more everyday. I'm sorry that I was late, I'll make it up to you."

"You can't even remember to come home on time, how will you remember to make it up to me. If there was a fire you couldn't even remember how to put it out."

Autumn left the room as Tanner just sat there, hurt.

With her work gear and duffel bag in hand the tattooed girl made her way down the stairs.

They were at the dinner table talking about Minnesota local news.

She kissed her youngest daughter's forehead before moving to talk with Danny.

"Call my office or my cell phone of you need me for any reason."

"Momma where are you going?"

"You got Mac, mom, and grandpa, you'll be alright?"

"Tanner what are you doing?"

"You obviously aren't in love with me anymore, since I'm different. So I'm going to go."

"Tanner wait."

"Love, you've said all you need to. I may not be able to remember what my name is sometimes or the fact that both of my parents are dead but I know when my wife wants me gone. Just send the papers to my office. You can have the house, but I want weekends with our girls."

"Tan-"

"I'll go so you can finish dinner. I love you guys."

The door closed and Tanner was gone, along with Autumn's heart. The moment the words left her mouth she knew she fucked up.

"I'm sorry, girls, this is my fault."

"Momma chose to leave, you didn't."

Jasmine has tears in her eyes as Mac took her upstairs.

"Why did Momma leave?"

Mac laid with the youngest Sin watching some shitty movie.

"You know that your Momma gets confused and forgets, you also understand that it's hard for your mom to cope with all of it."

"Yeah."

"Sometimes we hit our breaking points and we say things we don't mean."

"Is she going to come home?"

Mac clenched her jaw trying to decide what to say.

"It's really up to your Mom now."

"I want to be with Momma."

"Right now let's just give her some space, she needs time to be upset on her own."

"Will you take me to see her tomorrow after school?"

"As long as you close your eyes and try to sleep."

Mac and Jasmine drove towards Tanner's office in silence.

"Hey kiddo, what are you doing here?"

Mac looked around the office noticing the blanket and pillow on the small couch in the corner.

"I wanted to see you."

"Well I'm glad you're here, I've missed you."

"Will you come home?"

"I will but I just need a few days by myself."

"Can I stay with you?"

"Sweetheart I'm sleeping on my couch."

Jasmine got quiet as Mac closed the door.

"It's okay to ask her, Jas."

"Are you and mom going to stay married?"

Tanner pulled the framed picture of her and Autumn from her drawer, sitting it beside the other framed pictures.

"Yeah we will, we just hit a rough road."