Melody had already begun steeling himself for his departure. She wouldn't — couldn't — ask him to stay again, she couldn't bear to hear the rejection outright when she'd been so ridiculously foolish as to hope he might stay. Instead, Melody would keep her spine stiff and her emotions shoved as far deep within herself as she could manage with such short notice, and watch as he chose to leave them again. After all, hadn't she been determined to listen to him better this time? Hadn't she forced herself to accept his choices with whatever shreds of dignity that remained to her? No. Ben would leave and Melody would allow it without a single complaint. It was the least she could do for him after all the pain she'd caused.

Only, as she turned to face him with her goodbye already forming on her lips, the opposite happened. Ben hadn't chosen to leave at all, he wasn't set to sink the final nail in the coffin of their marriage. No, Ben had chosen to stay, however reckless a decision it was.

Her surprise lasted long enough for her to feel a shred of panic that he might think the kiss was unwanted before she began to move in time with him. Months of frustration and grief fueled her as she pulled him closer. Weeks of uncertainty and desperation guided her as she pushed up enough to sit on the counter behind her.

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   Philomena Sprout