Emma sat in bed, sleep no where in sight as she stretched.

Maybe a cup of tea, she thought and pulled herself from bed, inching outside the door to not hear anything. Odd.

Her father came home twenty minutes ago, she remembered hearing the roar of his truck and pat of his feet coming up the stairs. She'd pretended to sleep as he peeked in and came about to kiss her head as he always did before he went to their room.

It was dead silent.

A pin could drop.

She wanted to peek, but hell, they could be quiet sometimes, and she did not need a repeat of the anatomy lesson she got when she was nine, and eleven and fourteen. She just started ignoring their bedroom if the door was closed after that.

The stairs squeaked as she went down the firs two and the bedroom door opened and her mother was standing there.

"I knew you were awake," Melinda yawned.

"Why are you still up?" She asked.

"I can't sleep either," Melinda sighed and followed her daughter down the stairs.

"Ooh la la," she laughed and continued down the stairs. "I wish that was my problem."

"Your father has been asleep since the moment he hit the bed the past week," Melinda laughed. "What's up with you?"

"Too much," she sighed.

"I'll get the kettle," Melinda rubbed her daughter's back.

Her mom always knew what to say.

Emma sat beside her mother on the couch with a steaming cup of tea as she talked about the most recent problem at the shop.

"I feel so bad for this girl, she wasn't any older than you and she just wanted to get this art decor lamp for her sister's house warming present." Melinda explained. "So I told her I'd give her a call and she could come pick it up once her check cleared and it didn't. It bounced and I just don't know how to call her and tell her that, she was so excited to give it to her."

"Mom," Emma took a sip of her tea and looked at her.

"And when she came by today to ask about the check," Melinda rambled, swirling honey into her tea.

"Mom," she said again.

"I just told her I hadn't heard anything because maybe she could get the funds together and it wouldn't bounce if I put it through again..." Melinda explained. "But it did, so I'm gonna have to call her tomorrow and it's gonna suck."

"I think Griffin has a thing with one of his students," she muttered into her mug.

"What? That's why you're up," Melinda sighed. "What's going on?"

"Griffin took me out for dinner tonight and we were talking about how his day went and he mentioned a student. Fiona, she left him this letter expressing the feelings she has for him." Emma explained. "And he talked about how smart and caring she is. She has these two siblings she practically takes care of because her parents are drunks or something. I don't know, but he was flattered and I stormed out before he could say anything else."

"I probably would've too," Melinda said. "But I think the key part of this is that you're avoiding confrontation with him now because otherwise you would've called him by now."

"Mom, don't-" She sighed.

"No Emma, you need to know that fights don't end after marriage, after having children. That ring he put on your finger doesn't make you immune to problems sweetheart," Melinda explained. "I'm bad at it too. I avoid confrontation about everything. I haven't mentioned to your father that I'm pissed that he hasn't thought about what I want in a week, but have I told him that? No. He's asleep, upstairs."

"It's two in the morning," she muttered, twisting her engagement ring..

"I know," Melinda replied. "And we should both be sleeping. You should be at Griffin's, but you're here because you're stubborn and too nervous to talk to him."

There was a knock at the door and Emma took a sip of her tea.

"I need this to be coffee if we're gonna keep talking about this," Emma grabbed the blanket and wrapped herself up. "It's two in the damn morning... who's at the God damn door."

She opened the door and Griffin was there, still in his jacket and tie.

"Emma," Griffin slurred.

"Fin, you're drunk." He walked in the house and leaned against her. "How long have you been out there? You're freezing."

"Too long," he laughed. "I made you angry, about that stupid letter."

"Mom, why don't you go upstairs?" She looked over at the couch and Griffin fell to the floor when she let go of him. "Fuck, Fin! MY dad's trying to sleep."

There was a few footsteps and Jim was at the second landing, scratching his head, still in his scrubs.

"Hi daddy," Emma smiled and then went to help Griffin take his shoes off. "Mom's on the couch. Griffin just fell, he's a little drunk."

"Mel? Why are you down here?" Jim nodded, knowing Emma had her situation under control.

"Our daughter's having relationship problems and we're having sex problems. We were talking," Melinda muttered as she walked toward him with her mug. "You talk things out with him before he nods off."

"Yes ma'am," she mocked and helped Griffin take his jacket off and hang it up.

"We're having sex problems," Jim yawned as Melinda pushed past him.

Melinda ignored him and Jim followed, with more questions.

They'd be fine in twenty minutes. Emma just knew.

She looked at her drunken fiancé and pinched his rosy cheek.

"Come on," she huffed and guided him toward the stairs.

"You love me, right?" He asked. "Enough to want to marry me still?"

"Yes, Fin." She replied. "You just say the wrong things at the wrong times."

"Like Fiona," he replied.

"Yes," she answered.

"She'd not just some hot bimbo cheerleader, you know." He explained.

"You're not helping," she replied, pulling him up the stairs.

"She's intelligent and smart and too nice, like you." He said. "And I am kind of flattered because I'm like... Emma I'm not that special, alright? I'm a twelfth grade physics teacher, Emma. And she's some seventeen year old who makes sure her brothers get to school on time and have food in their bellies every meal. She works two jobs and goes to school full time with four AP classes and two college classes. This girl could go somewhere, but she won't because her brothers need her. And that's the only thing attractive to her to me because I have a beautiful fiancé, you see?"

She looked at Griffin and heard her mother moan, ruining the mood.

"I cant take you seriously with my parents going at it right there. At least someone's getting a good night sleep." She laughed. "Can we please get into my room?"

"Okay," he breathed.

They got there quicker once Griffin moved a bit more and she locked the door and sat on the bed beside him.

"Fin," she smiled.

"Yeah?" He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"You're special to me," she whispered. "You believed me and didn't think I was crazy for having this gift of mine. And that's saying something."

She noticed he was asleep and just kissed his head and laid down next to him.

They were gonna be okay, and so were her parents.

They'd all get a good night's sleep. At least tonight they would.

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