After talking to his kids, Perry decided to make a trip home the following weekend whether he could or not. He walked into the house and was surprised by his wife's reaction. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to spend the weekend with my wife."

"Why?"

"Why?" Perry was confused.

"I haven't seen you for almost two months. Why come home now?"

"Well, the kids..."

"Ah," she said, "there it is. You didn't come home to spend time with me. You came home because the kids guilted you into doing so."

"That's not true."

"Perry, why haven't you been home?"

"I've told you, work."

"Why do you always reject the idea of me coming down?"

"I just figured Gordon would give you hell for taking time off."

"Really?"

"All he does is work you like a dog."

"Sound familiar?"

"I don't think I ever worked you that hard. You went home when you needed to. Took off as much time as you needed and stayed home with the kids when necessary. You spend more time with Gordon at work than you ever did with me."

"You're jealous?"

"What? No," he said. "I just don't see why you have to work so much."

"Says the man who's spent two months away from his wife because of work."

"Okay, I deserved that."

"So, you don't trust me anymore?"

"What?"

"That's why you're jealous. Admit it," she said.

"Fine, I figured that I had made a terrible mistake, you were angry with me, and probably moved on."

"I can't believe you'd think that I would cheat."

"I don't know what to think anymore."

"Are you cheating on me?"

"Now you think I'm cheating?"

"Doesn't feel good to not be trusted, does it?"

Perry sighed, "taking this judgeship was a huge mistake."

"Perry, you deserve that position more than anybody. The mistake was my taking this job."

"Della, the entire time we've been together, it's always been about my job. Maybe it's time that it's about yours? No, it's past time."

"Perry, all I ever cared about was being with you. Besides, it was about my job. I was the one running the practice. Look, go back to San Francisco. I think that now that we know where the other's thoughts are, we can consider our options and make a decision."

"Are you talking about splitting up?"

"Perry, let's be honest. We've already split up. Now we just have to decide if we're willing to sacrifice our careers to be together again."

"I don't want to leave," he whispered.

Della's eyes were watery, "you have to. You've already committed to the job."

"Della..."

"Perry, please, just go."

"I love you," he whispered before leaving.

"Not as much as I love you," Della said when he was out of earshot.

The next day, Peggy went to visit her mother. She found the woman on the couch, in regular clothes, with an empty bottle of scotch on the floor. "Mom, what happened?"

Della slowly sat up and looked at her daughter, "what time is it," she moaned as she placed a hand on her head.

"It's two in the afternoon. Where's daddy?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say San Francisco."

"I thought he was coming back this weekend?"

"He did," she said, "and I told him to leave."

"What? Why?"

"He only came here because you kids called him."

"I'll go make coffee," Peggy went to the kitchen to make coffee and call her siblings. They arrived one by one but waited outside for everyone to get there. Then they went inside.

"Is this an intervention?" Della asked.

"In a way," Nicky said.

"We called daddy because you were so depressed," Violet said.

"Yeah, I mean, you were drinking more and eating less," Max added.

"So, now I have a drinking problem?" Della asked.

"I didn't say that," Max said, "although the empty bottle of scotch doesn't help your case."

"I had just told my husband of twenty-five years that we had to decide if we wanted our careers or each other. I told him we would remain separated until that decision was made. Basically, I put divorce on the table. Of course, I downed a bottle of scotch. I don't think a glass of wine after work is a big deal."

"It is if you're not eating."

Just then the door could be heard opening. "Looks like you all had a party," Perry said from the doorway.

"I thought you went home," Della said.

"I am home."

"What?"

"I went to a hotel last night because I knew you didn't want to see me. Last night, I sent in my resignation."

Della stood, "Perry, you've always wanted to be a judge."

"Not as much as I've wanted to be your husband. I won't sacrifice the best thing that's ever happened to me for a job."

Della's eyes were watering. She rushed to her husband and threw her arms around him. The kids all high-fived each other. "Looks like our work here is done," Vince said.

"Wait, dad, are you coming back to the practice?" Nicky asked.

"The one that has my name on it? The one that I started?"

"Yeah," Nicky said.

Perry looked at his wife, "not for a while." He looked back at his kids, "you all know where the door is. Make sure to lock it on your way out." Perry lifted his wife and carried her upstairs.

"Well, at least they can't have anymore kids," Maggie said.

"Let's get out of here before we hear anything. I don't have time for therapy," Max added.

The kids left while their parents continued their reunion. Perry told Della to keep her job with Gordon and that he'd figure out what he was going to do. However, he'd live to regret that decision.