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CHAPTER 44: "Confrontations and Reflection

Even though she was still upset with him, Terri decided she needed to spend some time with her husband. It was Stiles' idea for them to spend some time together alone, even if it was just lunch. They'd agreed that part of their problems could be attributed to their poor attempts at melding their hectic schedules. Terri didn't want their marriage to fall apart because she didn't try, so she decided to give Stiles one more chance.

Terri didn't realize she'd left her phone at home until she needed to call Stiles to let him know she was stuck in traffic; she hoped he would still be at the restaurant when she got there (if he showed at all). She was relieved when the maître de confirmed that Stiles was still there. He offered to escort Terri to the table, but she assured him it wasn't necessary; she missed him telling her he would send the waiter with another place setting.

Terri felt butterflies in her stomach and smiled when she got close enough to the table to see Stiles; even after all they'd been through there were times she still felt like she did when they first started dating. She was happily surprised that he still had that effect on her.

As she rounded the corner she saw that he wasn't alone. When she realized who he was with, all of the color drained from her face. She stood frozen for a moment and then chastised herself for automatically thinking the worst. She got herself together and started for the table again. Just as she was reaching the table she looked up to see Stiles' hand on Kara's face. While she tried to figure out what to do, she saw them hug.

Terri's emotions vacillated between fury and despondency. She remembered what Stiles had said in the heat of an argument a few weeks earlier. "Maybe I should have left you on the island." She spun on her heels and headed for the door then changed her mind and decided to confront them. If he was going to cheat on her she wasn't going to sit back and let him treat her like a door mat. She'd learned her lesson with Jeff.

"Hello Stiles, Kara. How are things with the trial?"

Kara flinched instinctively remembering her earlier encounter with Terri. Stiles started stammering.

"Terri! Hi, I um, we're. . . I ran into Kara at the courthouse. I didn't think you were coming. I still had the reservation so we came for lunch..."

Terri smiled a smile that Stiles knew meant trouble. "So I see. I hope you enjoy it."

Only a few moments before, he was eagerly anticipating his arrival home to tell Terri how much he still loves her. Now, with her standing in front of him and Kara, of all people, he was at a loss for words. By the time he'd figured out something intelligent to say, it was too late.

"Looks like you got what you wanted—he's all yours." Terri attempted a smile, said, 'goodbye,' and walked away leaving the stunned couple staring at her back. What neither of them saw were the tears that Terri could no longer hold streaking her well groomed face as she rushed toward the door.

When his brain finally caught up, Stiles ran after Terri. He caught up with her as she was getting in her car about a block from the restaurant, grabbing her arm.

She snatched her arm from him as she hissed "Go back to your table. Your fiancée waiting for you."

"Terri, please let me explain. It's not what it looks like."

Terri pulled off her wedding rings as she got close to Stiles' face and whispered angrily, "It looks like you're having lunch with a woman you said you no longer cared about, a woman you said was out of our lives. It looks like you meant to say she was no longer in MY personal life."

"Terri, I was just..."

Terri didn't hear him. She was still seeing him with his arms around That Woman. She stopped his plea with a hand in his face then shoved her rings in Stiles' hand as she opened got into the car. "I have nothing more to say to you!"

WHEN Stiles went back in the restaurant Kara was at the door.

"I didn't think you were coming back, what happened?"

Stiles opened his hand and looked at Terri's wedding rings then held them out so Kara could see them. "What happened? She left thinking I've been sneaking around with you all this time." Stiles sighed and hung his head. "Kara, I'm sorry, I do hope things work out for you. You deserve that. I need to go." Terri was his priority and thanks to him she was angry and hurt again.

On his way home, Stiles took a detour and drove around for a while to figure out what to do next.

When Stiles made it home, he was greeted by his mother-in-law.

"Hi Helen, I'm surprised you're still here. Didn't Terri come home a couple of hours ago?"

"Yes, she did, but she left again. She asked me to stay until you got here."

"Oh, do you know when she'll be back?" He wanted to say "if she'll be back" after what happened.

"She took an overnight bag with her."

"What?"

"She was pretty upset when she came home. What were you doing out with Kara? I can't believe you! That was supposed to have been over months ago!"

Once again, Stiles was ducking. Helen didn't have anything in her hand, but she was known to hit with anything available and Stiles wasn't taking any chances.

"Helen, I'm not cheating on her. Is that what she told you?"

"What else would you call it?"

"Did Terri tell you we had a fight this morning?"

"Yes, she did. But what does that have to do with what happened at that restaurant?"

"We were supposed to have lunch, but after she didn't show up in court this morning I assumed she changed her mind. She was pretty angry earlier. I never got around to canceling our reservation so when I ran into Kara at the courthouse and she wanted to talk I. . ."

"You invited her to lunch at the restaurant where you proposed to Terri. What is wrong with you?"

"It was completely innocent. Terri saw us and she was furious. She stormed out of the restaurant before I could explain." Stiles sat down, defeated. "She gave me these. Actually she shoved them at me."

Helen didn't like the sound of this one bit; she was downright worried when she saw Stiles holding Terri's wedding rings.

"You can start explaining to me. You better make things right with her, Mr.! What on earth were you thinking?"

Stiles was sitting on the couch running his hand across the back of his head as though it was a magic lamp. "I don't know. I didn't think it would hurt. Kara wanted to talk, she mentioned lunch and I already had the reservation. It was dumb, but . . . Helen, I don't know what to do. Where is she?"

"She really didn't tell me A.B. She just said she needed some time alone to think. She said she'll be back Saturday."

"Saturday? That's three days from now! What about the kids?"

Helen could no longer resist. She hit Stiles arm as hard as she could. She wanted to slap him, but restrained herself. "What about them? You're going to watch them! They're you're children."

"I know, I know." He sighed. He was so upset he was making a bigger mess of things. "Helen I was just concerned about what to tell them. Do they know she isn't coming home for a while?"

"Of course. She loves those two; she wouldn't leave without saying something to them."

Stiles nodded in silent agreement. At least she'd left the kids—he knew she'd come back if they were there; she'd never leave them permanently.

Helen handed him a note from Terri. Terri told him that she needed some space and some time alone to think. She also left instructions for him to take the kids to the CIA day care since the nanny had previously arranged for time off and a number where she could be reached in the case of an emergency. Terri triple underlined the word emergency.

Stiles stood up and sighed. He'd blown it again. He didn't know how much more their marriage could take. He wasn't sure Terri even wanted their marriage.

THE MINUTE Terri walked into Rosedale Salon and Spa she started to relax. Who wouldn't with the indoor fountains, soft music and excellent service? The first thing on her schedule was a full-body Swedish massage.

"Who is it?"

"Alain ma'am, I'm here for your massage."

Terri answered the door and let the woman in. She was tense and stressed out and definitely needed this time to herself to relax. Things had gotten so bad Terri wondered if they could get any worse; then she saw Stiles with Kara. She was considering returning to Andros with the kids, but before she did that, she needed time to think.

For the next two days she was going to be child-and husband-free getting pampered.

While Terri was gone, Stiles got a little taste of what it was like for Terri to have the kids alone; he gained even more respect for what Terri had done the past three and a half years. The kids were hard work. Even though they fought all the time, he loved her and he didn't want to be without her. He knew he was going to have to come up with something fantastic to get her back.