Bring Me To Life

Back where you belong

"Wait a moment, am I missing something here?" Jack asked.

"Well, when he was being disrespectful and essentially called me a promiscuous person who couldn't maintain a relationship, I lost my temper. I slapped him. And when he tried to restrain me from leaving, I punched him. I know it wasn't the right thing to do, but I'm pregnant, and he insulted me. My hormones are all over the place. What did you expect me to do?" She justified.

"I don't condone violence, but your actions were not acceptable. I believe you both need to find more constructive ways to communicate when you're upset," Jack advised.

She nodded thoughtfully as her conversation continued, and he offered me some valuable guidance and alternatives.

Back to Ben...

Ben's Perspective

As the final class of the day came to an end, I couldn't help but glance at the clock. Eager to reconnect with my family, I headed back to my room and picked up my phone. I decided to FaceTime Violet.

"Hi, Dad!" Violet exclaimed with excitement, waving at the camera.

"Hi there, princess," I responded, waving back.

"How's your trip going?" she inquired with a warm smile.

"It's going well. And how's your mom doing?" I asked, shifting around the blankets on my bed, trying to find comfort.

"Mom is doing great. She's been relaxing at home instead of working," Violet shared.

"That's good to hear. I miss you guys," I admitted, finally getting comfortable in bed.

"We miss you too, but, Dad, I have a question. The day we had dinner, after you and Mom came out of the bathroom, did you two have a fight? We didn't want to say anything, but we noticed your cheek was really red on one side..." Violet asked, her voice filled with concern.

I sighed and hesitated before answering, "I did, Violet. But I didn't fight back, and I might have said something that upset your mom. We'll be okay."

"Oh, I see," Violet replied with a nod.

Jenn walked behind her and unknowingly kissed her on the head.

"Hi, Jenn," I greeted her with joy in my eyes.

"Hi," Jenn responded, nodding before averting her gaze from the camera.

"Mom, I'm going to the restroom. Talk to Dad while I'm gone," Violet said as she handed the phone to Jenn, who took it reluctantly.

As the door closed, Jenn stayed silent, her face showing her reluctance to engage with me.

"I miss you," I confessed.

"Mhm," was Jenn's curt reply.

"Jenn, please don't be like this," I implored.

"Don't. I don't want to talk to you," Jenn replied, crossing her arms defensively.

"Why? I miss my wife. I want to go home already. I miss holding you and rubbing your belly," I pleaded.

Jenn's tone remained cold as she snapped, "Should've thought about that before you started drinking again."

I sighed, not wanting to escalate the situation. I fell silent and looked away. "Say whatever you want. I'm not the same person anymore. I wish you'd believe me," I stated, meeting the camera with a heartfelt gaze.