Justin spent the entire night lying awake on James' couch. He didn't know what had come over him the previous night. He just couldn't go home with Fiona as he needed to clear his head. So he went straight to James, who welcomed him right away without asking any questions.
When Justin was finally up, James cornered him. "What happened between you and Fiona?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself? You guys seem to be forming a great bond." Justin told him enviously.
"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?" James gave him a frown. "Look, don't you dare take out her anger on me."
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Fiona has gone nuts." Justin stood up from the couch and stormed into the kitchen.
"Nuts? What exactly did she do?" James asked his best friend again. Emily was the only nutcase he knew.
"She had been starving herself for over two months. Her ego is so god-darn big that she refused to use anything in our home. She had not cooked a single meal in the kitchen." Justin said angrily.
"That's extreme, even for Fiona." James was taken aback. He didn't realise the impact of Justin's actions on her until now.
"Extreme? This is ludicrous." Justin was beyond frustrated.
"Justin, why do I feel that your rage has more to do with something else than what Fiona did?" James' statement made Justin shut his mouth. "Look, go and talk to her. It is about time you both stopped running from each other. You might just part ways in the end, but at the very least, there will be no misunderstanding between the two of you. Who knows, you guys might become good friends."
James tried to show his friend a different light on the situation. He couldn't figure out any other way to make both Justin and Fiona's life easier, even though he hoped that none of them would go through with the divorce.
Justin knew where James was coming from. They couldn't force themselves on each other.
"I don't want to give up, James. I don't know why, but I can't just let go of her. I am furious, and there is no denying that. But my anger is at both of us. Every time we take one stride forward, we take fifty steps back."
"It's a start, at least. Initially, you guys had taken no steps towards each other. But now, you guys are talking. Hell, even argument is good for a healthy relationship. Your anger towards her is justified, and it only shows that you care. But sometimes, you also need to speak your heart out verbally, especially in your case where there has been too much non-verbal communication between the two of you. Sure, your foundation for marriage is unlike any other I have seen, but there is still a chance for both of you. I know that, and so do you. You just need to figure things out."
"Perhaps you are right." Justin sighed and exhaled.
Justin was about to add something else when James' phone rang. It was Fiona. He gave a glance to Justin and showed his phone to him. "This doesn't look fifty steps backwards to me."
"Do not answer the phone," Justin told him.
"What? Why?" James asked him in confusion.
"Just don't. I will go home and talk to her."
"No, Justin. Don't. I know what you are playing at." James warned him. He knew that Justin understood his previous words, but his rage was still raw.
"Fine. Then go ahead and do what you want. I am going home." Justin stormed out of the kitchen, taking his car keys from the living room's centre table and heading for his house.
James really hoped that his friend wouldn't do anything rash. He was about to call Fiona back, but his phone battery died the very moment, so he went to charge it. Justin would be going home, so Fiona would be fine.
They both should be fine.
Fiona was pacing around, worried sick. She couldn't get through Justin. Neither James picked up her call. The entire night she was tossing and turning in her bed, but sleep wouldn't come to her.
Her anxiety level reached a peak when Justin's mother, Sarah, called her. Her immediate thought was that Justin had told Sarah everything, and now their separation was final. But when she answered, it was worse. Sarah was likewise unable to contact her son, so Fiona was forced to fabricate an excuse for Justin that he had to work all-night at the workplace.
Just when Fiona decided to go to James' place to find Justin, she saw her husband entering his home. Relief washed over her.
"Where the hell were you, Justin?" She asked him angrily.
"As if you give a damn." He snapped.
"Justin, don't you dare," Fiona warned him.
"At least, now you will understand how one feels when someone disappears." Justin fixed his focus on her.
Fiona wanted to bash him, but she had another important matter that she had to tell him about. So, she took a deep breath and gently said to him. "Justin, you need to pack your bags. You need to go home, now."
"You got to be kidding me. Just because I am mad at you doesn't mean I am going to let this marriage fall apart."
"It is not about us. It is about your grandmother." She told him. Despite what she was about to tell him, she was overwhelmed that Justin still wanted to fight for them.
"Of course, it is about my grandmother. Instead of pushing me to ask you on a date, she bloody blackmailed me into marrying you." Justin rolled his eyes.
"Push? You wanted to go out on a date with me?" Fiona asked him with wide eyes. But then she realized their fragile relationship could be dealt with later. "God! Stop distracting me. Justin, your grandmother had an accident."
Instead of being concerned, Justin gave out a chuckle. "Fiona, my grandmother, is the mother of all actresses. It is just a charade to get me to talk to her."
Fiona wanted to slap the guy in front of her. But against her better judgement, she walked towards him. "Justin, your mom called. She tried calling you and even dropped a message, but you didn't reply. So she dialed my number. It is not some ploy to get you to talk to her."
Justin fell silent when he noticed Fiona's tone of voice.
"Wait, she got herself into... How?"
"Yes, but she is somewhat all right now. She was riding her bike in the morning when she lost her balance. Fortunately, nothing serious happened from what your mom told me. Fractured leg. So she is out of danger." Fiona elaborated.
"Why am I getting the feeling there's a but here?" Justin asked her as he processed what Fiona had said to him.
"Because, well, there is. Your grandmother could go home tomorrow, but she refused to do so unless you paid her a visit. So you need to go to Windshire. You must pack your bags now." Fiona rubbed his shoulder.
"That dumb woman. She just won't give up, and it is WE, not you."
"You want me to come with you?" Fiona asked him, but one look from her husband, she said. "I will also pack my bags."
They headed downstairs to travel to Windshire after forty minutes of hurried packing and getting ready. Before Justin could sit in the driver's seat, Fiona stopped him. "Justin, I am driving."
"Fiona, don't. I cannot deal..." But she didn't listen to him.
She snatched his car keys from his hand. "You are in no state to drive, and you look exhausted. It is nearly a two-and-a-half-hour drive."
"You look tired as well." Justin pointed out.
If he looked closely, he could clearly see the heavy circles under her eyes, and if looks could deceive, she had also been crying.
"But not as much as you. Please, listen to me." She told him softly, to which he nodded.
Fiona was not wrong; he was drained from last night, and Grams' accident had put him in a state of shock.
The entire ride, Justin was deafeningly quiet. In the middle of their voyage, he switched on the music. Fiona was really worried about him. She didn't know how to help him, but she promised herself to try. Instead of going to Justin's parents' home, they went straight to the hospital. When they arrived there, it was one-thirty.
They spotted Justin's parents seated on the chairs outside the room where his grandmother was being held. They hugged their son- and daughter-in-law as soon as they saw them.
"Is Grams inside?" Justin asked them worriedly.
"No, the nurses have taken her for testing. But don't worry about her. She is fine." Sarah assured his son.
"You both look tired. Why don't you go home? Fiona and I are here." Justin said to them.
"I don't think I can go home just yet. But we will go to the canteen to grab some coffee. Do you both need anything?" Daniel's dad asked.
Both shook their heads in response.
When Sarah and Daniel went to fetch something to drink, Justin and Fiona sat on the chair across from Justin's grandmother's room. He breathed and put his head on the wall behind him. He had his arms folded and his eyes closed, but the frown never left his face.
Fiona couldn't think of anything to say to Justin, so she gently rested her hand on his shoulder. That one touch communicated millions of words to him.
In answer, he moved her hand gently and clasped it between both of his.
"She will be okay." She tried to reassure him, to which he nodded.
"Do you want me to get anything for you?" She asked.
"No. I need to see Grams first. Why don't you grab a bite? I really doubt you ate anything. I mean it sincerely, no snarky way..." But Fiona didn't let him complete.
"I know. Don't worry about that. Your grandmother is more important." She told him.
"Thank you, Fiona." Justin meant it.
Even after the quarrel that they had, and most likely to happen again in the future, he appreciated her being with him without any qualms.
Justin's grandmother was brought into the room after ten minutes.
"Go and meet her." Fiona encouraged him.
"Last time I spoke with her, it was bad. I..."
"Regardless of your talk with her, she loves you, Justin. Go and meet her. She will be happy to see you."
Fiona gave him the confidence that he needed.
Justin got up from the chair and was about to move forward. But then he stepped back and spun around. He extended his right hand for Fiona to take.
She had a puzzled expression on her face. Creases covered her brow in bewilderment.
Justin took her hand in his and gently lifted her up. Fiona had a tender expression on her face, and they both went inside to see the famous Cynthia Grams.
Cynthia Grams, the one who was partially responsible for Justin and Fiona's marriage.