"It's two o'clock."

"One forty eight."

"You were supposed to be at home at eleven thirty."

"I tried to call, the line was busy."

"I was paging you."

"My pager's on the dresser."

"I called the hospital, they didn't know where you were."

"I had to go eat. I left a message with that new desk clerk, but she doesn't know anything."

"That's a really sad excuse."

"Are you saying I make up excuses?"

"I'm saying that the new desk clerk doesn't have anything to do with this!" She jumped up and pointed accusingly at him. "You are gone all the time. We never see you! I quit my job to be with you and take care of our kids, Goddamnit! And you're always working!"

"I have to work in order to feed our family!" he cried, turning a finger on her.

"And I'm going to go back and help once the girls go to school!"

"Bullshit! That's bullshit!" He started to put his coat on.

"Where are you going?" she asked, following him to the door. He stopped, his hand on the knob.

"Out, I'm going out." he said, taking his car keys and exiting. She leaned her head against the door, sighing angrily at herself. What was that on her nose? A tear? *No tears,* she told herself, wiping it away. *But I hate arguing with him like this!* Their arguments had gotten shorter and crueler, them arguing only a few moments before he went "Out." To where, she didn't know. Maybe to drink, maybe to be with some other woman. She shook her shoulders defiantly and hurried up the stairs to their daughters' room. She opened the door to find them both wedged into one bed, as they often did when their parents fought. They were identical in looks and, despite their raven curls and pale skin, mostly resembled their father, with their big curious eyes and pretty mouths. She brushed their hair out of their eyes and gently shook them awake.

"Mama?" Kate said, sitting up.

"Mama, is something wrong?" Tess asked. "Your face is very sad."

"I'm alright, honey." she replied. "Mama's taking two lucky little girls on a trip." The twins cheered.

"To where, Mama?" Kate asked.

"I don't know." she said. "Maybe we can go visit Mia in Chicago." The two had only seen Helen Hathaway twice since they moved from Seattle to Aberdeen three years ago. "Now go get your toys packed in your back packs Mama got you."

"OK." Tess and Kate hopped out of Kate's bed and to their small adjoining playroom while their mother went through their dressers, pulling out a few outfits for each and placing them in a suitcase. She then packed some clothes for herself, got their necessities (including Tess's asthma pills.) and a few books and a journal for herself. She zipped and locked up her suitcase and walked to the playroom.

"You girls ready?" she asked, coming into the room.

"Mama, I can't zip it." Kate said, shaking her backpack up and down.

"Honey, you can't take all your Barbies and your dolls." she said, beginning to remove the contents.

"How many can I take?"

"Three Barbies and one doll."

"OK."

"Mama, can we take Ahna?" Tess asked, lifting their miniature spaniel.

"No, Ahna has to stay here with Daddy." she replied.

"Daddy's not coming?" asked Kate.

"No. No, Daddy has to stay here." She glanced at her watch. 2:37. "Time to go, get in the car." The three of them walked to the garage and the twins climbed into their child's seats, buckling themselves in skillfully. She popped the trunk and threw her bags in, walking back inside afterwards. She pulled out a piece of cream-coloured paper headed "Doug and Carol Ross" along with the only writing tool she could find, a purple crayon. She picked it up with trembling fingers.

Doug-
I am so sorry.
Love, Carol.

*****

Chances are, you might have read this. But that one is now a fluke and this one's for real.