Hello, everyone. Thanks for your lovely reviews. I apologize for taking so long to continue this story. I've been inspired to pick it back up again. Enjoy.

There she was, her eyes glowing with rage, instead of the joy he had so fondly remembered. At first he was utterly relieved to see her, but in the next split second wished he could crawl into the manhole a few feet away. He felt disgusting, like he should be among the waste trailing in the pipes beneath it. He suddenly remembered the stickiness of the lipstick mark on his cheek, where that drunken waif had smeared herself, and watched in horror as Tiana's hazel eyes fixed upon it. Quick as lightning, she charged at him, her hand poised for the blow.

He pitifully cried her name. Something in his voice, something in his face, stole the anger from her body just as she pulled back to strike, leaving it limp and defeated. For Naveen, seeing this was far more painful than being beaten. What she said and did next was like a kick to a fresh bruise.

"I know you're better than this," she breathed, her eyes lowered. She gestured weakly toward the whorehouse across the street. That tore him up. That she still had the audacity to believe in him, even though she thought he had done the worst.

Tiana finally raised her eyes to his. They were so tired, but in them he could see a faint glimmer of hope.

"What were you doing?" she asked, her voice nearly cracking. She reached for his face, involuntarily, it seemed, for her hand came to rest on his chest.

Naveen drew a ragged breath, and closed his eyes to find the words. He would tell her everything, and hope for the best. His voice was a rasp.

"I was playing. Just playing. On the corner of Storyville and Iberville. I never went anywhere else, I swear to you, Tiana. I swear it. And this," he pointed to his cheek, "was from a drunk girl who passed by and decided to shove herself on me." This was the part he knew he had to admit, but it pained him so much to say it. "I must be honest with you Tiana. I didn't exactly tell her to go away. I let her approach me. I even…led her on a little bit. I don't know why." He choked up. "Goddamnit, I don't know why, Tiana."


She gripped to his suspender as if it was her lifeline. It took all her self-restraint not to let his confession hurt her. She could see the guilt and pain on his face as plainly as if she could read his thoughts, but that still didn't change the fact that something had prompted him to do it. Something in their relationship had made him dissatisfied enough that he needed to run away from home to get the instant gratification of an adoring audience. How did that not reflect back on her?

"How-," the words started to fall, but she slammed her mouth shut and turned away, hands to her temples. Her brain was a jumble of emotions that she couldn't put into words, for fear she wouldn't say what she meant. She tried to access the clarity of compassion she had felt in the taxi, but just couldn't right now. With a sigh, she turned back to her husband, looking him straight in the eye.

"Let's go home, I can't talk about this right now. Or else we'll both hurt each other more."

Naveen held her gaze, guilt radiating from his eyes. Finally he looked down, nodding assent.

"You are right."

The driver of Tiana's taxi had been idling nearby, predicting he would be needed again very soon. This came true when Naveen hailed him down. As he drove them home, resigned silence hung over the car. Quick glances in his mirror told him the young couple weren't angry, just sad and tired. Lord Almighty, if he had a dime for every sad face that passed through his car, he'd be a bonafide millionaire.