Falice 2

Let Her Go

Polly watches as her mother kisses her boyfriend in the kitchen. The sight of the man in her presence only reminds him of her own late boyfriend.

After her parents divorced, her mother found comfort back in her old lover's arms -- FP Jones. Jughead and Betty have made peace with their relationship. They weren't entirely happy about it, but if they were happy -- and it didn't interfere with their relationship -- they were willing to let it slide. Polly, on the other hand, was not as accepting of them. She wanted her mother to leave him.

Alice giggles as FP tries to pull away. She continues to yank him back in, making him laugh.

"I have to go, Al. I'm already going to be a tad late. And it's going to piss off Pop at some point."

"He's always loved us. He'd understand if my Jonesy were to be a minute or two late for making muah happy."

FP chuckles. "Not if it's an everyday occurrence, babe."

Polly rolls her eyes when she hears their pet names for each other. She turns back out of the kitchen.

FP offers her one last, quick kiss before exiting the kitchen. "I'll be back home tonight. We can watch a movie or something in bed. What do you think?"

"I'll make the popcorn." She says. "Bye, honey."

"Bye, Al." He props the silly uniform hat on and passes Polly on the way out the front door.

Once he leaves, Polly enters the kitchen where her mother is placing dishes into the sink.

Alice hears her come in. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Why do you even like him?" She asks without hiding her judgment.

"What?"

"Him. Why him?"

Alice frowns. She knows she's not taking their relationship well, but she hopes she'll come around to it soon enough. It took some time for Betty and Jughead to warm up to them. They thought they would be the harder to break the news to, but they thought wrong. Polly refuses to accept them. Jellybean is with her mother, so she doesn't have a bone to pick about it. However, she was initially rooting for her parents to get back together.

"Polly-"

"No, I'm getting sick and tired of seeing him here. It's already bad enough he moved in. It's like you replaced dad without a care in the world."

"Your father was not a good man to us. Need I remind you what selfish choice he was making for the both of us? We lost out on having your brother in our lives. Do you know how much pain that has costed me the last twenty five years? I'd never want that for you or your babies."

"What? I'm supposed to thank you?"

Alice is hurt by her behavior. She doesn't know what to say.

"I preferred when he" Polly refers to FP in a disgusted manner. "was in prison."

"I understand where your anger comes from, but he wasn't the one who killed Jason." Alice tears up. "He was coerced into what he had done to protect Jughead from suffering the same thing."

"Why are you defending him? He still disposed of his body like Jason didn't matter!" Polly seethes. "I loved Jason! He deserved to be a father to my children!"

"So did he, Polly! He deserved to be a father to our son!" Alice cries out. "Nothing could ever make up for the loss I caused him. The secrecy and lies." She shakes her head. "Finding him together now probably won't even be enough to deserve his forgiveness."

Polly storms off. "It's us or him, mom!"

"Polly..." Alice begs her to not have her choose.

Polly nods. "I see how it is." She scoffs. "I'm leaving then. I don't want my kids around him."