History Repeated Part 22: Loving Enough To Leave
Nick and Sally hadn't said a word to each other since leaving Drovers. Both were tired and cranky.
Alex had gone off at Sally for pushing things too far with Tess, and Sally had gone off at Alex for defending Tess.
It was all a big mess. Sally believed that Alex's loyalty was misplaced.
She looked over to her husband as he sat on the couch with the laptop, "Alex thinks I pushed Tess down those stairs."
Nick stopped what he was doing and looked up at his wife as she continued.
"And I could have too Nick - god knows I wanted too... She told me some things..."
"What sort of things?" Asked Nick. Sally didn't often get angry - she was a pretty tolerant person... But when it came to Tess, things were never rosy.
"I asked if she had come back here for you. Nick, I was so... I probably should have gone about it in a different way, but I needed to know. I guess I said some things that I shouldn't have... Nick, she said that you made it clear how you felt about her... when you were in the city."
Nick shook his head and stood up. He didn't know what to say. His head was all over the place now. He didn't know up from down, and he didn't know what his heart was telling him. The reality of the situation was that his heart belonged to both Tess and Sally.
"You were ready to leave weren't you?" She asked softly.
There was no response from Nick. He couldn't bear to answer the question.
Sally looked away, knowing the answer even though it hadn't even come from Nick's lips.
"She turned you down, so you came home," Sally would have laughed at the situation if she wasn't the one involved.
"Sally-"
Sally turned back to Nick, shaking her head. She was calm and collected as she realised what had been the case for years, "There isn't any need to explain. I know you love her - that you've always loved her. And I know you love me too... But Nick, I can't handle you going back and forth like this anymore. I can't live like this, and I won't have the kids live like this either."
Nick knew what was coming. Sally was making a decision. Sally was being the brave one and doing what they both knew had to be done.
"This marriage has always had three people in it, Nick. Even though Tess hasn't been around, she's always been stuck between the two of us. I think we need time apart."