Robert couldn't believe Cora had gone to New York. Why did she need to go. She could have gone, once Daniel was dead, for the funeral. But no, she needed to be with her ex to support him. John had called to invite him over for dinner, they got home early from their trip.

"Why aren't you in New York with Cora?" Anna asked.

"She didn't need me there." He answered.

"Ok? When is she coming back?"

"Tomorrow."

"I can take over for you at the office, so you can pick her up" John offered.

"That is not necessary, I will work from home, so I will be there when she comes home. And Ava will be home too, instead at the day-care" Robert said taking a sip of his wine.

Later that evening he overheard Anna saying to John. 'I hope everything is alright between them." and he wasn't sure if everything was alright. He started to doubt his decision to not pick her up.


Cora was waiting for her luggage; she was still over thinking the conversation she had with Victoria. Victoria had questioned why Robert wasn't with her in New York. Her sadness turned into anger. Why wasn't he there for her, why didn't he trust her. Was her moving to London, marrying him and getting pregnant not enough proof? She needed him, but he was absent.

She got in a taxi, Robert said he didn't have time to pick her up. When she walked into their home, Ava came running. "Mama!" She held up both arms. She looked adorable, with her dark hair in two pigtails. Her dark brown eyes were looking at her, and it still amazed Cora how, two blue eyed people could have a daughter with those intense dark eyes. Cora picked Ava up. "Hello darling, I have missed you." She snuggled her little girl against her, soaking up the warmth of her body.

Robert walked over and gave her a quick kiss on her cheek. "She is happy you are home." Cora gave him a look.

"That's good." She said, putting Ava down. "I will unpack my suitcase." Without giving any more attention to Robert, she walked to the bedroom. Ava followed her.


"Dinner is ready." Robert popped his head around the corner, when he saw Cora laying on the bed with Ava next to her. Both were asleep. 'Ava will not sleep tonight.' He thought. So(,) he walked over and carefully tried to wake up Ava, without waking Cora. Of course(,) he failed and Ava started crying the moment he picked her up. Cora sat up straight.

"Robert!" She stretched her arms out to take Ava from him, who was more than willing to be in her mother's arms.

"I am sorry to wake you, but Ava will not sleep tonight if she sleeps too long now."

Cora looked at the clock. "You are right. Come darling." she said to Ava. "We will start dinner."

"Dinner is already waiting on the table." Robert said.

"Thank you." Cora got up and walked past Robert to the kitchen.

At the dinner table, Cora was feeding Ava and talking to her. But she didn't exchange a word with Robert.

"Cora?" Robert started. Cora didn't look up, but he continued. "We need to talk."

"Indeed we do, but not now!"


The rest of the evening Cora had ignored Robert and after putting Ava to bed, she disappeared into the bedroom. She wasn't ready to talk to Robert, so she focused on her book. When later that night Robert entered their bedroom, she closed her book and got into bed on her side. Turned off her bedside lamp and turned on her side, with her back towards Robert.

He crawled in and scooted closer to Cora, but before he could touch her, she said, she wanted to sleep. So(,) he returned to his side of the bed. "Can we talk tomorrow?"

"Maybe, we will see."


Cora was woken up by Ava's little hands on her face. "How did you get out of bed?" she brushed her little girl's hair. She looked at Robert, he was still sleeping. "Come we will go to the living room, so daddy can sleep."

She gave Ava breakfast and made some toast and juice for Robert. She figured he would be up soon, and she was right. She was just rinsing the juicer when he walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you for making me breakfast."

Cora took Ava out of her highchair and brought her to the living room and put the television on. She hated giving Ava screen time early in the morning, but she and Robert needed time to talk.

"Are you ready to apologize?" She started when she got back into the kitchen, leaving the door ajar, so she could hear Ava.

Robert gave her a puzzled look. "Me? What about you? Going off to be with your ex-husband, leaving me and Ava behind."

"I asked you to come, but you didn't want to. I needed you there. But you were too busy being jealous to notice my needs." Cora felt tears stinging, but she fought them back. She was not crying, not now.

"You didn't need me there, did you? Pretending to be the perfect little family."

"If you must now. Seeing the man, you lived with for 22 years and loved for 5 years, dying, that is hard. Seeing your girls grieve over the loss of their father, that is hard. Not having your husband there to lean on, THAT IS HARD." She said with rage. "I needed you, and all you did was thinking I was cheating on you! You still do."

Robert's face got white.

"And then when I called you, to tell you I missed you, you still didn't trust me. You just didn't trust me and that hurts. That really hurts." Cora couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She stormed out of the kitchen, put a jacket on Ava and herself and walked outside. She needed fresh air and couldn't be in the presence of Robert.

"Mama?" Ava said with an unsure voice, when the elevator doors closed.

Cora got down and gave her girl a hug. "Mama, will be fine darling. You want to go to the playground?"

Ava's whole face lit up and she totally forgot the tears on her mother's face.


Hours later, Cora returned. She went to get some lunch with Ava, Robert had called her cell phone several times, but she ignored it. She knew it wasn't fair she walked out. When she opened the door she saw John and Anna. "Anna? John? I didn't know you were coming?"

"We weren't, we are here to pick up Ava." John said.

Anna had walked over to Cora and said: "You two need a good talk without having to care for her." She tickled Ava, who burst out laughing. She took Ava's hand in hers and the three of them then walked out. Leaving Cora and Robert alone.

"You want something to drink?" Robert asked. He didn't know how to start. He knew deep down he was wrong.

"Just water." Cora sat down in the armchair, making sure Robert wasn't able to sit next to her. She didn't want his affection. She would break the moment he touched her. When he returned ,she said: "So, in which camp are Anna and John?"

"Neither." Robert said.

"Oh?" Cora looked at Robert, who was still standing.

"No, they didn't pick a side, because they aren't part of this. The only thing, that Anna made clear to me, that I behaved like a real jerk. And I am sorry for that."

"Too bad, you needed Anna, to see this."

"Cora, I am sorry. And yes(,) I needed her insights, but I saw it now, isn't that enough?"

"No, I don't know." She lowered her gaze, she felt her voice trembling.

"Cora?" Robert sat down on the couch and took her hand in his. And exactly what Cora was afraid off, happened. She started crying uncontrollably. Robert sat as close as possible, his knee touching hers and with both hands he was holding hers.

Cora tried to stop her tears, but she wasn't able to. It was the first time she was crying after Daniel's dead. Robert had gotten up, sat on the armrest and wrapped both arms around her. "Let it out, darling. Let it out. I am sorry I wasn't there for you. I was a real jerk. I should have trusted you and know you didn't go there to hurt me. Of course(,) you needed to be there, for your girls, but also for yourself. I should have realised that and supported you."

Cora buried her face in Robert's chest and let out all the grief she felt over the last week. Seeing her girls in distress had broken her. Being back in New York, without Robert hadn't felt right. But now he was here, holding her. She needed to let go of her anger, it wasn't helping her. She clinged on to Robert, his body warmth was pulling out all the pain. His heartbeat calmed her down. She knew this was where she was meant to be.