Teri woke to the clang of a garbage can being knocked over and tires screeching. A car door slammed. What the? She went to the window and peered out. Jack's SUV was parked crookedly in the driveway, and the man himself was…Peeing in the bushes? He shook himself off and stumbled towards the house. She could hear faint snatches of singing.

If I could read your mind, love

What a tale your thoughts could tell…

Gordon Lightfoot? Okay, that was just weird. She hadn't listened to him for years, and Jack had never been a big fan. He tripped on the patio step, knocking over a watering can. "Shhhhhh.."

Jus' like a paper back novel,

The kind the drugstores sell.

The screen door opened, and she could hear him fumbling at the lock to the back door.

And when you reach the part

Where the heartaches start

The hero would be me…

He was in the kitchen, banging open cupboards. She went down the hall, furious. He was mopping up some water he'd spilled when she flicked on the light.

"Jack."

His head swiveled. "Oh, hey, sweetheart."

"Jack, be quiet! Do you want to wake Kim?" She was amazed he could even stand.

"Right! Right. Shhhhh…" He moved his finger to his lips with some difficulty and stumbled over to her, backing her towards the bedroom.

"Please tell me you didn't drive yourself home."

"Nah, baby. I didn't drive – I flew." He leaned back, spreading his arms. "I fuckin' flew." He chuckled.

"Jack! You could have killed someone." Teri felt sick to her stomach. She'd never seen him like this.

He stared at her. "I could have…" He tossed his head back and laughed again, wildly, manically. "I could have killed someone." He threw up his hands. "Oops! Dead." The motion knocked him off balance and he reached out for the wall to support himself but missed, his shoulder falling against it with a thud. "Wouldn't want anyone to get killed. That would be baaaaad." Jack laughed until the tears started running down his face. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as his laugh grew ragged, almost like sobbing.

Teri could not believe what she was seeing. Who was this man? What had he done with Jack? Her husband had gone away to "training" a few months ago, and she hadn't seen him since. She missed him so much she ached, and it was getting more and more difficult to live with the person who'd come home in his place.

Jack took a deep breath and blearily tried to focus on her. His eyes were strange – glassy and dead-looking. "Man, you look awesome. C'mere, baby." He steadied himself off the wall and stepped towards her. He reached one hand under her t-shirt as he sloppily tried to kiss her. She pushed him away.

"God, Jack. You smell awful."

"Aw, c'mon. Don't you want a little fun?" He grabbed for her ass.

She pushed him away again, harder this time. "Where the hell have you been? It's three in the morning!"

"Out. Around." He shrugged elaborately and tried to kiss her again.

"Stop it." Her tone pulled him up short. Anger flashed in his eyes and he raised his hand to the back of her neck, gripping it firmly.

"What's the matter? Can't a man make love to his wife?"

"Stop it, Jack. You're scaring me." Teri slapped his hands off of her and took a step back, her face twisted in fear. Jack's hand fell back to his side. He slumped against the wall, crumpling down until he was sitting on the floor, head resting on his knees.

"Shit, Teri. I'm sorry."

Teri opened the linen closet beside her and tossed a pillow and blanket at him. "I think you'd better stay out here tonight."

He nodded, reaching for them, afraid to look at her. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm going back to bed. We'll talk in the morning." She almost ran to the bedroom. The click of the lock was the sharpest sound he had ever heard.

He stared at the floor of the hallway, singing in a soft whisper to himself.

…But heroes often fail.

And you won't read that book again

Because the end

Is just too hard to take.

Clutching the pillow and blanket, he crawled to the couch and managed to pull himself onto it. He lay there, staring across the room at the family pictures that lined the shelves, barely visible in the darkness.