On that Sunday Afternoon

Amber could cut the tension in the car with a knife. All packed away in their car driving back to New York on Sunday afternoon, Jess and Rory had been snubbing each other the whole way.

"Turn here," said Rory emotionlessly and extremely calm.

"I know," replied Jess curtly.

They had been that way during the whole drive, neither saying more than necessary. Amber just leaned back into her seat and turned on her walkman, she would figure out what was going on eventually, she always did. Both of her parents were horrible at being subtle and keeping secrets, as evident in Amber's ninth Christmas.

When the arrived home later that day the unpacked in silence, it was almost uncanny. And though Amber knew that she would learn what was dividing her mother and father in time, she really did not real like wasting her remain weekend in the middle of it.

"Hey Mom, Dad?" said Amber getting their attention when she walked into the living room, where they were listing on opposite ends, reading.

"Yes?" replied Rory, looking up from her book.

"I'm going to go hang out with Cassie at the mall, if that's okay."

"Do you need the car?"

"No, she's picking me up."

"Just be back by curfew, it's a school night."

"I will…bye."

"Bye," said Amber, almost releasing a relieved breath as exited the war zone before the battle broke out.

A few minutes later the estranged couple heard the door close behind their daughter and the silence that ensued was anything was soothing. It wasn't long before one of them snapped.

"Rory," said Jess in tone that clearly said he could not stand the tension, as he put down his book on the desk beside him.

Rory glanced over the top edge of her book with an anything but forgiving look. "I don't know what to say to you right now Jess."

"You've been shutting me out," Jess persisted. "We need to talk."

"Yes, we should have," said Rory angrily, setting down her book. "Last night in fact, but one of us, clearly, had nothing to say."

"Oh, don't do that. You shocked me. I wasn't expecting that, not in a million years."

"I might have been a little upset if you said you didn't want another child," started Rory spitefully, "But saying nothing at all…that hurt, Jess. More than anything else."

"What do you want from me!" asked Jess standing up.

"I want to know what you think about another child!" yelled Rory, standing up herself.

"I don't know," replied Jess loudly, voice cracking slightly.

"You don't know," repeated Rory in skepticism, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I don't," said Jess, calmer than before. "I never thought about it before. I never even humored the idea."

"You haven't?" asked Rory, tilting her head to the side in more or less disbelief.

"No," answered Jess, taking a half of step toward her. "Amber sort of just happened, you know. I never planned on having a kid before."

"Well, I want to have another baby. I want to see him or her growing up. I missed that the first time around," said Rory earnestly.

"Well, whose fault was that?" said Jess, regretting the moment it came out of his mouth. He cursed his sarcastic habits.

The anger that had faded from Rory's face suddenly filled it again, with time mixed with indescribable sadness. "I thought," spoke Rory in a hoarse whisper that slowly built up to a strong voice, "That we had gotten over that. I thought it was in the past and that you had forgiven me…but I guess I thought wrong." Her eyes filled with angry, hot tears, but none fell.

"Ror," said Jess in a soft almost begging voice, stepping forward reaching out his hand toward her arm, the whole time hating himself for the way he had lashed out. Rory stepped back away from him shaking her head with a sickened look on her face as though she could not speak for fear of letting the tears that had welled up in her eyes fall.

And Rory continued to back up, out of the living room and then she turned around and went down the hall to their bedroom. Jess heard the door close. It was not slammed nor did he hear the lock click. He knew he didn't have the courage to go in.

It looked like Jess would be spending another night on the couch…

Next chapter- it's entitled, 'A date, a Jess, and a Conversation'…speculate as you will