𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙸 𝙶𝙾 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙲𝙷𝙾𝙾𝙻 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ,, xo kitty

002 | don't you want me baby?

Amelia-Laura frowned, reaching for her daughter's hand. "Sweetheart, maybe this is what you need. When your father and were having our own problems, we went back to Sicily for a year, stayed with your Nonno and Nonna for a year. We brought Lachlan with us, and it did wonders."

"Have a kid." Lachie Rizzoli piped up, tromping up the patio steps with his son in his arms, Bodhi playing with the strings on his father's fishing hat. "It worked wonders for Hazel and I."

Lachlan was six foot and had spent his childhood playing every sport imaginable before getting into college on a cricket scholarship. He was a hell of a hitter until he ruptured a tendon in the regional finals and had come back to the coast from Brisbane with his tail between his legs. Shortly after that, he met Hazel, and the rest had been history. There was almost four years between Lachlan and his sister, but you wouldn't be able to guess from the way they acted with each other. There was no sibling rivalry, only love and the occasional bad joke.

"You named your kid Bodhi. Bodhi Rizzoli, he really must get picked on at primary school." Bonnie laughed.

"Uh, his namesake was a total badass, and he will carry that energy for the rest of his life."

Bodhi's name, in case you didn't already know, was a reference to Patrick Swayze's surfer-god-turned-bank-robber character in 'Point Break'. Lachlan would always argue that 'Point Break' was the best film of the nineties, whereas Bonnie always argued in favour of team 'Scream'.

"What do I do, mom? I don't want to lose him. I'm scared of being alone again."

Alex was Bonnie's first serious relationship. He changed the way that Bonnie saw herself. She wasn't even supposed to be at the marina that night, resigned to her fate as a cat lady before Lachie had forced her out of the house, said he had a date for her, something to force her out of her shell, make her test the waters. She never had been good on her own, and had been petrified of never finding the one.

Now she had 'the one', and she was scared of losing him.

"I think you should go with him, Bonnie. Take some vacation time, god knows you have a lot, and see if the change of scenery can help you two remember why you fell in love with each other in the first place."

Hazel grinned. "And have a hell of a lot of hot sex. They're into some funky stuff over there."

"Woah, that's my sister you're talking about." Lachie gagged. "La la la, can't hear you !"

"Hazel, you know Alex and I aren't kinky."

"And maybe that's your problem!"

"And I'm cutting this conversation off before I lose my sanity." Bonnie laughed. "Now, let me spend some quality time with my nephew!"

But deep down, Bonnie knew her mother was right. Marriage was about compromise. And right now, it seemed like compromising meant packing her bags and going to Seoul. They could sub-let the apartment or rent it as an Airbnb for the first semester, see how it went, and then decide from there.

A change of scenery could be good, a chance for them to reconnect. Korea was as new to Alex as it was to her, they could bumble their way through it together. Like an adventure.

Bonnie had always loved adventures.

Some things in life were worth fighting for. Alex Finnerty was one of those things.

+

THE HOUSE WAS STRANGELY SILENT WHEN BONNIE CAME HOME, OPENING THE BABY BLUE FRONT DOOR AND HANGING HER KEYS ON THE WALL. ALEX WASN'T HOME, A RARITY ON A SATURDAY.

Dropping her bag unceremoniously to the hardwood floor, the blonde crossed into the kitchen for a glass of water, a feeling of melancholia seeping into her bones. When had things first gone wrong? She heard footsteps on the back deck, a welcome pang of something nearing contentment, a watered down feeling from what she usually felt when she knew Alex was home.

Alex dropped his rugby ball to the deck, pulling his sweat-soaked jersey over his head before hanging it over the railing to dry, slipping out of his dirt-caked cleats before he came inside the house.

"Hey, Bon. You're back earlier than I thought."

"Lachie and Hazel brought Bodhi, it was getting to be a little much." Bonnie frowned pensively, a blush rising on her cheeks.

Her husband parading around shirtless post-rugby game would never get old. It was criminal how attractive she thought he looked, glasses-free and hair slicked back, the sun shining off his chest.

"I'm sorry I missed the game."

Alex shook his head. "Don't even worry about it. You needed some space, I get that. We played like shit today anyways." Alex was a part of a local intramural rugby league, where the only prizes for the winners were a plastic trophy and gift cards to Salsa's Fresh Mex grill. It kept Alex busy, and Bonnie would never complain about an activity that her husband looked hot participating in. His team had won last year's cup, but were a little off their game as they fought to defend the title.

"I'm also sorry about the way I acted last night. I was being a bitch when I should have been happy for you." Bonnie sighed, stepping away from the counter and moving closer to Alex. "We're going to Korea, that's a big thing. I hear teaching standards are stricter there. You must have really impressed someone if they want you to teach in Seoul."

"You don't have to be sorry." Alex shook his head, taking her hands in his. "I should have told you I was going to be late. I know we'd had dinner planned for weeks. I promised that I would never make you feel like that, and I did. I'm the one who should be sorry, Bonnie."

She wrapped her arms around him, drawing herself closer to his sweaty skin as she leaned up to kiss him gently. "I want to come with you." She said softly. "Korea is just our next big adventure. I'll go anywhere as long as you're there."

"Thank you, Bonnie." Alex said quietly, pressing a kiss to her hairline. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She replied, kissing him again. Her voice dropped, getting huskier as she said: "I love how tousled and sweaty you look after a rugby game."

Alex laughed, palming at Bonnie's backside as she jumped up, wrapping her body around the lanky man like a koala. They were both giggling, smiling into kisses, trading banter back and forth as Alex kicked the bedroom door shut behind them.

This is what intimacy was like for them. It may not have been adventurous or kinky or risky, but it was full of laughter and love and comfort and safety. Because if a man and a woman couldn't be silly and goofy while they were at their most primal and vulnerable, how could they be anywhere else?

Lying in bed afterwards, with satin sheets wrapped around their bodies and soaked in sweat, Bonnie felt content to stay wrapped in Alex's soft embrace, the radio hummin an Ed Sheeran song softly in the background (Alex's choice) and the soft sea breeze coming in from the sliding French doors, blowing the lacy curtains around as it came into the room.

"Did I hurt you?" Alex frowned, looking at a hickey forming on his wife's neck. "Babe, that looks like it's going to hurt."

"I'm fine, Alex." She reassured him, kissing the tip of his nose softly. "That's what the spoon in the freezer is for, yeah?"

Alex didn't look convinced, but also didn't push the issue, cuddling into his wife's side as he pulled her closer. "Let's make this a priority in Korea. A fresh start, with time to reconnect. I've missed this."

"Me too." Bonnie sighed, sinking deeper into his arms. "I think Korea is going to be good for us. Just you wait and see."