It took a month for Della's back to heal. A month and a half into the separation, Della and Perry had still not spoken to one another. Maureen was still avoiding her father to care for her mother. The girl had gone to take the trash out. After setting it at the curb, she heard Nova barking. Maureen turned and saw the dog pawing at the window in the living room. The sixteen-year-old started to run back towards the house and inside. She found Nova in the living room, lying on the floor next to Della. "Mom," Maureen began to panic at the sight of her unconscious mother, "mom, mommy," she gently shook her mother until the woman's eyes started to flutter.

Della looked and saw her daughter's fearful face, "what happened?" she groaned.

"I don't know. I was taking the trash out and heard Nova going crazy. I ran inside and found you on the floor."

Della moved to sit up and Maureen helped her, "I'm so sorry, sweetheart."

Della sat against the couch on the floor. Nova crawled over and laid her head on the woman's lap while Evie lay on the couch next to where Della was seated. They all just sat there in silence until Della was ready to stand up. Maureen helped her to sit on the couch. Nova climbed onto the couch and returned her head to Della's lap while Evie laid down on the back of the couch by the woman's head. Della had known that things needed to change, but after seeing the frightened look on her daughter's face, she decided that she couldn't wait to change things any longer.

Three months after the separation, Della and Maureen walked into the school. Both were surprised to see Perry there as well. The secretary had the three go into the principal's office. "Mr. and Mrs. Mason, Maureen, I'm glad you could make it. Please, have a seat." The three sat in the chairs in front of the desk. Maureen sat in the middle, "I suppose you both know why I've asked you here."

"Actually, we don't," Della said.

The man was confused, "I don't know how you couldn't know that Maureen has missed three months of school."

Perry and Della's eyes widened, "what?" Della asked.

"Why are we just hearing about this?" Perry asked.

"I mailed a letter to your house two and a half weeks ago," the principal said.

"I never saw it," Della said.

"Look," Maureen stood and started to pace, "what's the big deal? I've been keeping up with my work. Mom called me off for two weeks when she hurt her back."

"You hurt your back?" Perry asked.

"The week after was spring break," Maureen said before her mother could answer.

"Yes, but you haven't been called off much. Now, why have you been skipping school?"

Maureen looked at her mother for a moment, "I'm sorry, sir, but it's none of your business."

"But it is mine," Perry said.

"Yes, but it's not for me to tell."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look, I had to stay home. Mom needs me."

Perry looked at his estranged wife, "you kept our daughter home for your own needs?"

"Of course not," she said with irritation, "you know I would never do that."

"Mom did know," Maureen said, "she couldn't have."

Della realized what the girl was doing. She was protecting her and risking getting in trouble herself. "Maureen, it's okay. You don't have to protect me."

"What's going on?" Perry asked.

Maureen sighed, "after you left, mom started drinking, a lot. I'd be up with her all night and then I'd be too tired to go to school in the morning. I never remember to even pretend that I'm her to call myself off. After the first week of the separation, mom hurt her back. She stopped drinking, but she was too depressed to get out of bed. Vivian went to Miss Adams to tell her what was going on. Miss Adams called that afternoon and we talked about it. She agreed to not report my absences if I kept up with my work. Viv gets my work and brings it to me. I do it while mom's asleep and then Viv takes it back. Mom started drinking on and off again and I just need to be home with her."

"If she wasn't reporting the absences, then how did you find out?" Perry asked the principal.

"I called Maureen down to the office a few weeks ago to ask her about advanced classes for next year. That's when I found out she had been absent. I spoke with Miss Adams who told me that you hadn't been in class, but you had been keeping up with your work." The man turned to Perry, "now, what did Maureen mean when she said 'after you left?'" the principal asked a bit confused.

"We separated three months ago," Perry said, "I haven't been to the house."

"I put the mail away so mom didn't see the letter. Dad's been taking care of the bills, so there was nothing she needed to see. I knew she'd make me go to school, but she needs me to help her get through this part."

The men looked at Della who felt ashamed. "I'm sorry, Maureen. I never should have opened up to you that first night," she said as she started to cry, "this is what I meant about not making my problems a burden to you." She looked at the principal, "I'm sorry. Maureen will be back in school immediately." Della turned to Perry, "maybe she should stay with you?"

"She can stay with me, but..."

"No!" Maureen yelled. "You're both doing it again. You're making big decisions that affect all of us without even asking what we want. We didn't want you to split up. We don't want to leave mom. We just want our family back. We've heard all of your fights and there's been nothing so big that you two couldn't work it out. You've been avoiding each other for three months. Start working on your marriage and fixing our family."

"What I was going to say," Perry began, "was that you could stay with me, but I can come home." He looked at his wife, "I'm so sorry, Della. I acted childishly. You see, a guy I went to high school with, he and his wife just divorced. They were a lot like us. No one saw it coming and I began to worry that if it could happen to them, then it could happen to us."

"What? You mean this has all been because of another couple?"

"Della, they're just like us."

"But they aren't us."

"I just kept thinking about how maybe if you spent more time at home, we'd be less likely to get sick of each other."

"You should have said something to me," Della said.

"I know, but instead I tried to change our relationship without talking to you. I'm so sorry and I hope you can forgive me."

"Of course, I can," she said, "if you can forgive me for my behavior these past three months."

"Always," Perry said.

"So am I still in trouble?" Maureen asked.

"We'll talk about it at home," Perry said. "You are going back to school on Monday."

"She could return tomorrow," the principal said.

"She could," Perry agreed, "but I'm giving her a little break before returning. Like you both said, she's kept up with her work. Now, I'm going to go to get my things so I can start putting my family back together." The three walked out together and Perry saw Maureen's car instead of Della's. "Is something wrong with your car?" he asked.

"I hid mom's keys the day after you two separated so she couldn't drive."

"You can give them to me when I get home."

Della smiled at her daughter who had a guilty smile on her face, "I'd have to remember where I put them first." Her father stared at her, "what? I wanted to make sure mom couldn't find them, and I did. I just also made it so I couldn't find them either."

"Well, I can't be mad at you for being responsible. I'm not sure I can even be mad at you about being forgetful." He saw Maureen walk around to the driver's side, "wait, you're driving?"

"Yeah," Maureen said.

Della and Maureen got into the car before Perry could continue his questioning. The two drove home while Perry went to the office to get his things.