(An AU House story, involving Lydia's return to Princeton. Written for SweetSauceMD on )
She stared at the stick in her hand. Somewhere in the house, her six year old son was wreaking havoc. She slumped forward, leaning her head against the cool glass of the mirror that was hanging above the sink. This wasn't happening.
"Fuck." The cry echoing and careening off the bathroom walls along with with the hardened plastic test stick as she threw it towards the shower. She picked up her head and glared balefully at it as it skittered in the tub, coming to a halt in the against the drain.
How many times had Gustav cheated on her? She had no concrete proof, choosing to get rid of it when she came across any. Wash the lipstick out of his shirts, a color she knew wasn't hers, throw away business cards she knew weren't kept for the numbers on the front but the hastily scrawled ones on the back. She wasn't stupid, just chose to ignore them because Gustav kept his affairs neat and always came home to her and Ben. The one time she strayed, and it was only the once, twice that night, but only the one time, her whole world gets turned upside down. This affair couldn't be kept quiet or neat. It would have earth shattering consequences for not only herself, but her husband and her son. 'Don't forget about Greg,' she thought. She slammed her hands against the sink, tears beginning to fall in earnest.
"I want to forget him. Why can't I just be allowed to forget him?" she pleaded tearfully with her reflection. The last thing she wanted to do was involve Greg after sending him away a few months ago. She had meant what she said, she wanted to work things out with her husband. Gustav had been promoted. A new job, a new town....a fresh start. She would change things, put her foot down about the cheating, try to be what Gustav wanted and needed as a wife. She had married him for more than a way to stay close to her best friend. She loved him, at least she was was trying to convince herself of that. Greg had been a moment of weakness. That is all.
"Forget who, Mommy?" A child's voice at the door broke her reverie.
She jumped, startled, and reached for a towel at the sound of her son, Ben. Thankfully the door was still closed and she wiped the tears from her face before opening the door. She smiled and knelt before her son, mussing his hair up. "No one. Now go and get cleaned up for dinner. Daddy will be home soon."
Ben shrugged and pulled away from her, running, a model plane in his hand, heading for his room, dodging the large boxes they were using to sort the stuff they would take to Arizona with them in. His earlier question already forgotten. She sighed, wishing she could forget so easily as well.