Elizabeth flopped down onto the couch, carton of ice cream in hand and sighed. It had been a long and frustrating kinda day and her head was filled with proposals, strategies and Russell Jacksons harsh and somewhat demeaning words. But that's not what was playing most on her mind at that exact moment. It was her husband, or more his behaviour, that was concerning her.

Henry was sitting at the opposite end of their couch, glasses perched precariously on the end of his nose, book in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. He was lost in thought, the wrinkles on his brow quite prominent as he turned the page, digesting the words held there. He took a sip of his drink and his throat contracted as he swallowed, making his neck appear longer for a split second.

His fingers were wrapped around the glass, the condensation from the ice making him move them constantly and his lips were pressed together, his tongue licking the liquor off his lips after each mouthful.

Elizabeth was watching every movement of his intently. They hadn't seen each other all that much over the past week which wasn't unusual. But as her eyes raked over his face and then down his body, the realisation of just how handsome he was flooded her thoughts, a pang of jealousy tinged with fear coursed through her like ice running through her veins. She took a shaky breath and calmed her thoughts before asking…

"Did you have a good day baby? You and Jane seemed deep in conversation when I popped in earlier." Her eyes were still on him as she waited for a reply.

"Hmmm.., it was fine." His head stayed motionless as he continued reading, barely acknowledging her question, the tumbler meeting his lips once more.

Another sigh escaped Elizabeth as she pushed herself up from the cushions, her body feeling heavy and her head full of static as she made her way to the kitchen. There was a time when Henry couldn't keep his eyes, or his hands off of her, but that now seemed like too many moons ago.

Pouring herself a large glass of wine and placing the ice-cream safely back in the freezer, she sat herself at the kitchen table and raked her fingers through her blonde tresses. Her mind took her to a place that appeared to have been lost amidst the monotonous daily grind of work and family life. It took her to a feeling, a yearning for her husband. The visions of his huge hands gripping her hair, the sting on her scalp as he tugged, sending pulses of need to her core. His lips against the skin covering her spine as her back arched into him, needing his presence, wanting his touch, craving his very being. And the immense pleasure he gave her with every swipe of his tongue or thrust of his hips as she clenched around him.

Her thoughts evaporated as Jason descended the stairs, grumbling about the inadequate speed of the internet for his personal needs and how it was now of utmost importance that it get sorted out as there was a fear of his whole future being at stake. Elizabeth swallowed thickly and took a large sip of her wine, a swift shake of her head bringing her back to the present enough to engage with her son.

"I will get your dad to look into it tomorrow, Jase. We've been kinda busy with other things but it will be given the appropriate attention, don't you worry."

Elizabeth watched Jason move around the kitchen, grabbing chips from the cupboard and a drink from the fridge, all the while never taking his eyes off of his phone screen and with nothing more than a mere grunt in her direction, disappeared back up the stairs.

With that little, rather one sided exchange out of the way, her thoughts turned back to her husband, and more specifically, how much she missed him. The way he used to worship her body frequently, the way her name sounded as it fell from his lips and oh… The way he could make her unravel in the most spectacular of ways. Sadly, that version of Henry was MIA and she wanted him back.

She wandered back through to where he was still sitting, his empty glass now resting on the arm of the chair, along with the tie that had been removed from around his neck, dangling over the edge, just hanging there like so many times before. Yet now it brought with it another memory. Her fingers gripping it tightly as she pulled Henry towards her, tugging his head sharply downwards so their lips could lock them into a passionate kiss. Holding him in place at just the right angle for her tongue to slip easily into his mouth. Oh god did he know how to kiss. He always had. But now, a chaste peck on the lips before bed or as they left for work in the morning was all that seemed to remain.

Without thinking, too caught up in her own head to realise what she was doing, her fingers threaded through his hair. Staring at the nape of his neck and making their way to the top, gripping slightly tighter than normal, causing him to wince and look back at her, dislodging her hold.

"What are you doing Elizabeth? That hurt." His eyes were on her, but not in the way she wanted. Not in the way she desperately needed.

"I'm sorry. My head is all over the place tonight, I guess I'm just tired. Are you coming up to bed baby?" She could hear the need in her own voice, but somehow it was lost on Henry.

He had already turned his attention back to the book in his hands "You go ahead, I still have a few chapters I want to get through. I'll be up in a bit."

A defeated nod was all she could muster. Had she become undesirable to him? Had he finally lost interest after so long together? Was there someone else turning him on like she used to? There were so many questions she wanted to ask. So many words she needed to hear from him and so much worry she needed to share. Yet, a simple "Goodnight Henry." Was all that came out.

She carried herself up the stairs, her shoulders hunched and her head dropped, retreating to her bedroom alone. Stripping off her clothes on her way to the bathroom, leaving them exactly where they fell, she was clad in only her underwear as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. With every swipe of the Cotton pad removing another trace of make-up, Elizabeth could barely stand to look. The girl Henry had fallen in love with. The one who set his pulse racing and kept him coming back for more seemed to be gone and was now replaced with someone she didn't truly recognise.

She traced her hand down her body, her fingers splaying across her stomach as she looked down. Three little humans had grown there and the ripped abs that were always peeking through her short tops as she strode through the halls of UVA were now a thing of the past, or so her mind told her. Her belly was still flat and breasts still rather perky but her body had aged and maybe, just maybe it wasn't enough for Henry anymore.

Her hand continued south, pausing at the silk band of her panties, tickling the skin hidden underneath before finding its way inside. Her free hand gripped the counter as her fingertips made contact with a place she so longed for Henry to touch, or kiss. A shuddered breath escaped her as she teased herself, her eyes fused shut trying to imagine his fingers there instead of hers. But it wasn't enough. She didn't want it that way. She needed Henry.

With her hand now removed, she completed her nighttime routine of face washing, teeth cleaning and hair brushing, all on autopilot as she tried to figure out what had gone wrong. When things had become unrecognisable.

Work was tough. The long hours and constant trips away from her family was something she hadn't been prepared for. But as always, they pulled together and got through the tough times, the way The McCords always did. Only, she was now having a crisis of her own and she was all alone. There was no pulling together, no facing things as a team… Because the one who was always by her side, cheering her on, holding her up and making her feel wanted was distant and uninterested. Henry didn't feel like HER Henry any longer.

Pulling one of Henry's shirts from the dresser, she slipped it over her head and climbed into the empty bed. Too exhausted both mentally and physically to think any more. Too scared of the possible reasons for his distance to entertain those thoughts and too frustrated by the whole situation to let herself dream of what used to be. Her eyes closed and sleep took her under, far quicker than she thought it would.

The bed dipped behind her and her bleary eyes tried to focus on the clock beside the bed, just about making out 2.26am. Henry had finally joined her, yet she still felt alone. She wanted to turn and reach for him, but her body wouldn't move. Her mouth, however, was still working just fine and she muttered "I missed you Henry."

She felt his hand run down her arm and for a moment, she wondered if he was going to instigate something. Maybe he'd been wanting her all along but was just preoccupied with work like she was. Maybe he'd been waiting for the right time. But as he squeezed her arm just above her elbow, he whispered "Go back to sleep babe, sorry I woke you." And all physical contact was gone.

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut, blocking out the world from view. Hoping that when she opened them again, things would be back to the way they used to be.