Whatever Decision

"My mom said she was going to New York for a few days and it's been a week now." Thea laughed a little, sitting down on the sofa beside Dominic, finally getting a chance to talk to one another once the kids were in bed.

"Should we be worried about that?" Dominic turned to her.

"No, I just… I hope it doesn't mean that Jude is really struggling more than she's letting on." Thea said, "It's probably just that my mom can't bring herself to leave yet." She figured as Dominic nodded.

"You spoke to Jude recently?" Dominic asked her.

"No, I guess she's been occupied with my mom." Thea said, "Cassie is free next weekend from work so I think we're gonna go to New York then."

"Does Jude want you two coming out there?" He teased as she shoved him.

"Of course she does." Thea scoffed, "She might not show it. But she does." She nodded confidently.

"So it's just me and the kiddos next weekend." Dominic nodded.

"Sofia will hate me." Thea sighed a little.

"Why?" Dominic turned to her.

"I feel like I keep bailing on her." Thea admitted, "I keep telling her we're gonna do these things when I get a day off but then something comes up. Feels like I'm letting her down sometimes." She sighed a little.

"No you're not. Don't be ridiculous." Dominic shook his head.

"I still find it really tough to find a balance between being a mom and working… and staying sane." She rolled her eyes, "Cassie has that shit figured out to a T."

"Cassie has one kid. You have three. It's a big difference." Dominic reminded her.

"I know." Thea nodded, "I don't know, I feel like it's been sweeping me away lately. I don't know if it's work or maybe everything going on with Jude that's kinda got me down." She said as Dominic wrapped his arm around her, giving her access to cuddle into him.

"Well talk to me." Dominic told her softly, kissing her head.

"I do talk to you." Thea insisted, "You hear it every night when I'm cursing Sean out. It's like my nightly ritual now." She shook her head.

"Are him and Jude still not talking?" He asked.

"As far as I know." Thea nodded, "Gosh, I don't blame her. How the hell is she supposed to handle this situation? I know my sister and… regardless of what she decided, she's gonna suffer anyway."

"In a perfect world they could… work things out." Dominic said.

"They could and then Jude is just waiting her whole life for him to do it again." Thea sighed, "Cause that's what she'll do. You know how much of a worrier she is."

"I know but… that's on him to gain her trust back, right?" Dominic nodded, "Which I can imagine will take a lot of time."

"Understatement." Thea sighed, "I'm just so sad for her. She doesn't deserve this. I know how important he was to her. He was her rock. I mean, she's told me countless times that no one has seen her the way he has. Not even us." She shook her head, "With everything she's gone through."

"I know." Dominic sighed.

"And I can't stop thinking about what it takes to actually cheat on someone. Think about it." She sat up looking at him directly, "There's initiating, then there's kissing, then there's… taking off clothes, and then there's… whatever." Thea sighed, "And not once did he think about Jude?" She questioned as Dominic looked at her.

"It's hard to understand, I know." He nodded as she cuddled back into him, "I don't know what he was thinking. Cliché but he probably wasn't thinking at all."

"I don't know what this is going to do to her." Thea said, "I just know that she never thought he would hurt her. So now what?" She shook her head.

"Just gotta be there for her, whatever she decides." Dominic nodded.

"I think she's gonna divorce him." Thea nodded, "I don't think she'll be able to forgive him. Understandably, it takes a lot for Jude to trust someone. So once you're out, you're out."

"Sounds like your dad." Dominic scoffed.

"Well she's a lot like him in that respect." Thea nodded, "He just meant so much to her. She for sure thought he was gonna leave when she was attacked. I think they'd only known each other for a couple months then."

"Do you think she'll start doubting their whole relationship because of this?" Dominic feared.

"Probably." Thea sighed.

"It's not like he's gonna disappear out of her life, though. They've got the girls." Dominic said.

"I know which makes it ten times worse." Thea shook her head.

"Is this why you've been to therapy twice this week?" He asked her.

"Yeah, that and I just feel a bigger weight on me recently." She said, "You know it can just hit me out of nowhere." She sighed as Dominic nodded. She did her best to maintain her mental health but sometimes it just knocked on her ass, which then followed this horrendous feeling of guilt that she wasn't being a good enough mother.

"Sofia doesn't hate you." Dominic assured her as she looked up at him, "Newsflash, little girls like to spend time with their moms. Especially if they're as cool as you." He nodded, "But she knows you gotta work. She's old enough to recognise that now." He nodded.

"At least I don't have to worry about James. I think he thinks he's too cool to hang out with me." Thea admitted as Dominic chuckled.

"Can you believe he's gonna be thirteen soon?" Dominic shook his head.

"No, don't." Thea said, placing her hands over her ears as Dominic chuckled.

"How the hell do we have a teenager, huh?" Dominic chuckled.

"It's scary." Thea nodded, "He's the sweetest. I feel kinda bad for giving him two demonic sisters."

"He loves them." Dominic nodded as Thea smiled. She was grateful that her best friend just so happened to be her husband. She wasn't sure what she would do without him sometimes, and so to put herself in Jude's shoes, she simply couldn't imagine it.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He replied, kissing her head.

"So when is April actually coming back?" Dean asked, sitting at his kitchen table with his brother who had stopped by for some dinner since AJ was still in New York.

"She told me she was looking at flights for tomorrow but she also told me that a couple days ago." Punk said, "I know how she is, she'll hate to leave Jude." He nodded.

"She said how she's been doing?" Dean asked.

"April just told me she's doing ok. Broke down a few times but… carrying on as normal." Punk said, "I don't know what she's gonna do. What did you say to Chrissy when she got divorced? I know it was under different circumstances but still?" He looked at his brother for advice.

"I just told her that things would get better and whatever decision she was making, we'd back her one hundred percent on it." Dean nodded, "And now she's the happiest I've ever seen her." He said as Punk nodded.

"I know how much she depended on Sean." Punk sighed, "Maybe that's what's getting to me. I'm a good judge of character and when I met him I… I knew he cared about her." He shook his head.

"Maybe there's a pressure that comes with that." Dean said, "Maybe it got too much."

"What pressure? Loving your wife? Not being a dirty cheater?" Punk questioned.

"Maybe someone should talk to the guy instead of us sitting around talking about him." Dean said.

"You really think I can sit down and talk with him?" Punk questioned.

"You could try." Dean nodded as Punk sighed.

"April saw him and said he looked terrible. Like he hated himself. Could barely even look at her." Punk said.

"Well that's better than him screwing any other chicks." Dean shrugged as Punk rolled his eyes.

"I'm just worried about her now." Punk sighed, "I mean I always worry about all three of them but… you know Jude, she's always worrying about something. He was probably like a safety blanket for her with everything she's been through… and then he does this to her?" Punk shook his head.

"I know, it's rough." Dean shook his head with anger, "At least AJ is out with her right now."

"Yeah and Thea and Cassie are going out next weekend to see her I think." Punk nodded.

"Can we trust Thea to not go find Sean and break his jaw?" Dean wondered.

"We can." Punk nodded, "She's oddly been pretty diplomatic about the whole thing, actually."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Dean laughed a little.

"Well… it makes me look bad." He said, half teasing and half being serious as Dean just smiled.

"Jude can handle this." Dean nodded, "All you gotta do is be there for her and back whatever decision she makes."

"Yeah." Punk nodded in agreement.

"Are my muffins nearly ready?" Renee walked into the kitchen as Punk watched.

"You're making muffins?" He asked.

"Yeah." Renee nodded, crouching down to the oven and looking through the glass, "They're rising." She smiled.

"How are you not rolling out the door in the morning?" Punk asked Dean who chuckled, taking out his box of cigarettes.

"I don't eat much of it. She makes it for the girls." Dean assured him.

"You choose not to eat it. You live off granola bars." Renee rolled her eyes, turning around and noticing Dean lighting up, "Oh, would you stop?"

"Leave me be." Dean pointed to her as she swatted his finger away, "I'm a street kid. Of course I live off granola bars." He scolded as Punk smiled, "You should be lucky I'm not hard to impress." He told Renee who just shook her head and smiled.

"What are your other street kid quirks then?" Punk asked curiously.

"He wears the same t-shirt every day." Renee answered for him, "Doesn't spend any money."

"I don't either." Punk shrugged.

"You're both the worst." Renee confirmed.

"I'll stick around for one of those muffins." Punk nodded, "I always end up stress eating when I'm here." He rolled his eyes as Dean and Renee chuckled.