What's Next?

Sleepless in Seattle

Rory stirred in bed. Regardless of the fact that she was exhausted, Rory could find no relief. She checked on her girls; fast asleep. Rory stared at herself in the mirror: was this really her? Looking around the apartment, nothing felt right. Of course, it was a new place. It should feel better in a couple of months, right? Rory didn't know. Suddenly, she wanted to go home. She wanted Jess. She knew she fucked up.

Rory eventually fell asleep but was abruptly awoken by a loud, repetitive knocking at the door. She pulled the hair-tie from her wrist and promptly tied her hair up in a bun. Opening the door, Rory gasped. Jess?!

"Hello, Rory." Jess stared at Rory churlishly. He pushed his way through the door; Rory took a couple of steps back. 

"I never invited you in, Jess."

He snarled. "You think this is okay? Do you think that you can just leave with my children and live somewhere else? What went through your damn mind, woman?" He was fuming.

Rory didn't know how to answer, she glanced around the room. "Can you keep your voice down? The girls are asleep." 

Jess lowered his voice. "What the hell went through your mind? What could I have possibly done to lead you to drive to Seattle without me? I told you that you could just take your job and I'd find something out here. But, no! Little miss self-entitled princess thinks that she can just do what she wants when she wants! And with no consequences. Well, dear, that's where you're wrong. You're going to come home. You are going to come home and we can settle this the hard way or the easy way." He leaned in closer, forcefully grabbing her arm. "I swear, Rory...I swear that if you don't come with me, I'll fight you in every justice system I can find. I have a lot against you. You'll lose custody. What judge gives rights to a mother who ran off with the kids?"

Rory was shaking. This was not the Jess he knew. Well, she wasn't the Rory she knew either. "Jess, please." She gained confidence. "You came home drunk, you yelled at me and the girls. That behavior doesn't look too good in court. What I did was purely self-defense." 

Jess squinted his eyes. "You're going to pay for your shit." He turned away and went to slam the door when he heard a thud. Rory had collapsed on the ground. 

Rory woke to extremely bright light. "Wha-?" She wondered if all of the previous events were just a dream. She looked around at saw that she was in a hospital bed.

Jess was dozing off on the couch in the hospital room. 

"Jess?" She called out.

He shot up. "Rory?" He ran up to the side of the bed. "How are you feeling?" 

Rory rubbed her head, the events of before coming quickly to mind. She remembered Jess yelling at her and grabbing her arm. "I'm okay... I...I think."

"You passed out," Jess showed signs of legitimate worry. "Rory, I overreacted last night. I was so angry. I was pissed off.  I meant some of what I said, don't get me wrong. What you did was terrible. But, I should've never talked like that. I've been a bad husband haven't I?" Jess was not trying to manipulate Rory. He was talking honestly. 

"I haven't been great either," Rory said weakly. 

"I came here wanting to hurt you. All I wanted was to reciprocate the absolute pain I felt when I thought you were kidnapped. When you passed out, that anger nearly vanished. I realized that if you ever got hurt, I would never forgive myself. That anger I felt for you was purely reaction formation." Jess felt the tears on his cheeks. "What I have done to you, no one deserves to go through that."

Rory wanted Jess. Despite the emotional distress he had caused, she needed Jess. She looked at this man sobbing on her bedside. He put himself at such a vulnerable position. "Jess..."

"Yes?"

"I want to make this work. But, you're going to have to go to counseling with me."

"Of course, Rory. I will." 

*****