Chapter 7:

MarleyPOV:

I can't believe I'm actually going to talk about this. I just hope I can get through it without falling apart. As I look up from staring straight at the wall I see Ryder looking at me, he seems to be trying to not look at me too expectantly, trying to not push me into anything I don't want to talk about.

"Marls, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out where I want to start." I don't want to jump right in, I need to start from the beginning.

"Take your time, Marley. I'm not going anywhere." He whispers to me softly.

"I guess it started when Mike was turning three. I was talking to him about his birthday party and Andy got a bit annoyed with his indecisiveness." I start, flashing back to the first incident.

Flashback:

"What kind of party do you want Mikey?" I ask him happily. He shrugs his shoulders and urns back to the toy cars he is zooming across the kitchen floor.

"Do you want a car theme?" He shrugs again. "Mike, I need you to cooroperate with mommy, we have to pick a theme for your party before daddy gets home."

"But I don't wanna pick one!" He screeches. At the same time, Rachel starts to cry in her room. I walk down the hall to get her, telling Mike that I'll be right back. As I reach for Rachel in her crib, I hear the front door open and Andy get home.

"DADDY!" Mike screeches once more.

"Hey buddy, did you pick a theme yet?"

"No daddy, I didn't like any of mommy's ideas." Of course he would throw me under the bus on this whole thing.

"Well that's too bad, buddy. Where's mommy?" Andy asks Mike.

"She's with Rachie. She was crying again!"

"Let me go talk to her, you stay and play with your cars."

"Okay!"

Next thing I hear is Mike making revving noises as he plays, and Andy's feet on the hardwood. When he reaches Rachel's room he stands in the doorway, watching me with Rachel, a stressed look on his face.

"Hard day?" I ask sweetly. He's been trying to get his boss to give him a promotion but it's not getting through.

"You wouldn't even believe it. Why won't Mike pick a theme?" He asks. Everything seeming completely normal.

"I don't know, I even suggested just doing cars, but he wasn't feeling it."

"Marley, why can't we just pick the theme for him? "Andy asks me, I can feel his anger rising.

"He is old enough to pick a birthday theme by himself Andy, he doesn't need his mother to pick it for him."

"Well, obviously he does, because he can't just pick a damn theme!" As he starts to raise his voice, I put Rachel back in her crib, ready to take a stubborn stance on how to raise our children.

"YOU CAN'T JUST FORCE HIM TO DO SOMETHING HE DOESN'T WANT TO ANDY! YOU HAVE TO LET HIM MAKE CHOICES!" I yell at him furious with him now.

"AT LEAST YOU'VE STOPPED BABYING HIM FINALLY, MAYBE NOW HE'LL GROW SOME BALLS!"

"YOU CAN'T SAY THING LIKE THAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN ANDY!"

"I CAN SAY AND DO WHAT I WANT! YOU'RE SO STUPID!" He yells, and before I know it, I feel a burst of stinging pain across my cheek as I fall to the ground. I can't believe that just happened. I never thought I'd be the wife with an abusive husband.

End Flashback

After I had finished telling the story of what had happened the first night Andy hit me, Ryder reached down and wiped away a tear I didn't know had fallen. He looked down at me with concern, but not the pity concern the others had looked at me with when they found out; he still looked at me the same, just with more worry in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, baby… no one should go through that." He whispered as he kissed my hair. "How many more times did it happen?"

"A few." I say without explanation, he wants more and I can tell.

"Marley, baby, how many more times?" He asks again, more forceful. He's not going to let this go until I answer.

"It happened three, maybe four more times… The last time he hit me was the night before he left." I whisper.

"Why didn't you leave him baby? I don't understand why you put up with it."

"I didn't know what to do Ry; I was scared of what would happen to me and the kids if I left. I didn't want to be alone…"

"That makes sense… I think all that matters now is that he's gone, and you're safe."

For a while we just lay there, not talking. We didn't need to, and I was glad for the silence that he let be. I didn't know what I'd do if he pushed me for more answers or stories. I couldn't do more questioning, and I think he understood that. He always knew that with me, sometimes the silence was okay.

"Are you okay, baby?" He asks softly, breaking the blissful silence.

"Yeah, actually, I feel a whole lot better. I think I needed to talk about it you know."

"I get it, sometimes you just have to get out your demons… and don't worry, I'll always be here to listen."

"I'm counting on that." I tell him, letting the silence over take once more. As I snuggle into him I hear the door creak open a bit and see a little figure pause at the open door.

"Momma?" Rachel's voice comes through the darkness.

"What's wrong babygirl?" Ryder says before I have a chance to respond.

"I don't feel good again."

"what kind of don't feel good Rachie?" I ask starting to get out of bed. As I do this Ryder turns on the lamp by the bed and I get a better look at Rachel. She looks a bit green again, she's been fighting the flu for a week now, and she hasn't gotten much better. As She walks forward to me, she gets greener and stops for a second. I know what's coming.

"Ryder, she's-"I start but he's way ahead of me.

"I got her." He states as he bolts up and grabs her by the waist and jogs her to the bathroom, just in time. During the commotion, the phone rings, probably Sam or Santana or Rachel calling to ask about the meeting, and Mike starts to cry because of the noise. I look at Ryder in despair.

"Go answer the phone, and check on Mike, Marley… I've got her." He says.

This is when I realize that it's going to be a long night… but I also realize that Ryder is always going to be here to help me through all the crazy ups and downs.