"Alex, help me get my bag out of the car!" Jackie snaps at her daughter, who is hastily making her way into the house as she tows her own bag.
"I'll just get Dad," Alex says, disappearing into the front door.
Jackie scoffs and begins wrestling with a piece of heavy luggage. The car ride wasn't awful, but she was beginning to feel slightly uneasy about the things she had told her daughter.
"Come on, you son of a bitch." She tugs on the black suitcase until it finally relents and one side of the handle tears off. She sighs in frustration. "Cheap ass suitcase."
Her husband appears in the doorway and makes his way over to her. "Let me help you with that." He wraps his arms around her and gives her a kiss. "Missed you, babe."
"I missed you, too," Jackie admits.
Daniel notices the broken handle and raises his eyebrows at his wife. "I had no idea you were so strong," he jokes.
"Yeah, if I were strong, I would've been able to get the damn thing out," Jackie mumbles.
"Maybe if you didn't pack like you were spending the entire summer there, this wouldn't have happened," Daniel points out as he pulls the suitcase out of the trunk. "How was your trip?"
"It was nice," Jackie comments. "Nice to get away." She grabs her purse out of the front seat and heads into the house, eager to see Justin. "Where's my baby?"
Daniel trails behind her after slamming the car trunk and enters the house. "He's with Oliver." He drops the suitcase on the floor and notices his wife glaring at him with her hands on her hips.
"You've been smoking," Jackie states.
"No, I had Ken over and he was smoking," Daniel lies.
"Bullshit." She sighs and grabs her suitcase by the busted handle, wheeling it down the hall into their bedroom. She can hear Daniel's footsteps following her, and she wishes he would just leave her alone.
"You're already mad at me," Daniel comments, standing in the doorway. "That didn't take long."
"You know, if you didn't give me a reason, I wouldn't be mad," Jackie tells him, irritated.
Daniel rolls his eyes. "Sweetheart, I told you what happened."
"Why would you let Ken smoke in the house then?" Jackie asks, raising her eyebrows at him. "You know I wouldn't allow that."
"You know the guy; he lit up before I could say anything." He frowns at her. "Why do you always have to find a problem? You just like yellin' at me?"
Jackie groans. "No, I know how you are and I'm simply trying my best to keep you in check." She hears the door open. "Justin, honey?"
"Hey, Mom." Justin enters their bedroom and his mother rushes over and embraces him. He grimaces as she places a kiss on his head, but he's secretly happy that she's home.
"You miss me?" Jackie asks him.
"I guess," he mumbles in response.
"Well, I'm sure you stayed busy with Oliver," Jackie states. She eyes her husband for a moment and then looks back at her son. "You and Dad have fun with it being just you two? Or, wait, did he have friends over?"
Justin gives her a weird look. Is she paranoid that his dad is cheating again? "No… why?"
Jackie gives Daniel a knowing look.
"Jackie, what the hell?" Daniel asks, sitting on the bed and smacking the mattress. "You can't ever let anything go?"
Justin gives his father a concerned look, wondering what he said, while Jackie steps closer to Daniel.
"No, I just would appreciate it if you didn't lie to me!" Jackie snaps. "And you can never admit you're wrong, either! You always get way too defensive, and—"
Justin has had enough, and he sneaks out of his parents' room as the arguing continues. He strolls past his sister's room and notices the door is open.
"Hey," he greets her, noticing her lying on her bed looking frustrated.
"And so it begins," Alex comments, nodding toward the direction of their parents' bedroom. "That didn't take long."
"I knew it would happen," Justin admits. "He was being dumb the whole time."
"Dumb like how?" Alex inquires, curious.
"Drinking and smoking," Justin tells her. "And now he's lying about it, I guess."
Alex rolls her eyes. "They're both so annoying. Like, just get a divorce." She leans her head back on her bed.
"Yeah," Justin replies, pretending to agree. "So why aren't you with Matthew already?"
"He's was at his dad's," Alex reminds him. "I mean… I was gonna call, but then I remembered that. I don't know when he'll be back."
"Oh." Justin looks down and hears the arguing escalate. "You think we should say something?"
Alex scoffs. "No way. I don't want to get mixed up in that." She pauses. "Hey, did you steal my headphones?"
"Oh… yeah," Justin replies. "I'll go get 'em."
…
An hour or so passes and Alex picks up the phone, dialing Matthew's home phone number despite the late hour.
"Hello?" he asks, picking up instantly.
"Hey," Alex says softly into the phone. "I'm glad you're up. When did you get back?"
"About an hour ago," Matthew tells her. "I saw your mom's car was back… kinda was waiting for you to call."
"Yeah, well, it's late, so…" Alex trails off. "I just need a distraction right now. My parents are having disgusting, loud make-up sex."
Matthew chuckles. "Gross." He pauses. "The ride home okay?"
"I guess," Alex replies. "It's just, like, I get home and everything's back to normal."
"Is that a good thing?" Matthew asks, and then thinks about her parents. "Oh, never mind. I guess it's not."
"Yeah," Alex mumbles quietly.
"I missed you," Matthew admits. "A lot… kinda sucked that I had to go to my dad's this weekend. I wanted to call you."
"Yeah, well… it was a busy week," Alex tells him.
"You have fun there, though?" Matthew asks.
"Mm… I guess." Alex thinks about what has happened and feels insanely guilty. "Never realized how similar Michigan and Wisconsin could be. There's nothing to do in either place."
"Well, at least I'm here," Matthew jokes. "God, I… I really miss you. Can't you sneak out or something?"
"Matthew, you know my dad would kill me," Alex reminds him.
"Yeah, well, your dad is pretty busy right now," Matthew points out, and Alex scoffs in disgust.
"I just feel bad for Justin; his room is right next to theirs," Alex says.
As if on cue, Justin appears in Alex's doorway.
"Can I borrow your headphones again?" he mumbles.
"No," Alex snaps. "They're all mine for the night once I'm off the phone."
Justin sighs and sits on her floor, while she continues talking on the phone.
…
Lying in bed, Daniel snakes an arm around his wife's waist. Jackie swats it away.
"Don't touch me," she utters sharply.
"Really? After all of that?" Daniel asks, a small grin on his face.
"Yup." Jackie closes her eyes, hugging her pillow.
"Sweetheart." His voice is soft. "I'm sorry, okay?" He replaces his arm, and this time she lets him. "I missed having you here with me."
"Yeah, well…" Jackie trails off for a moment. "Keep lying to me and I'm gone, okay?" She turns to face him. "I'm serious."
"I'm not gonna let that happen," Daniel responds, stroking her hair. "I'm not gonna lose you."
"Yeah, you are," Jackie tells him adamantly. "This… this needs to change… soon."
Daniel softly kisses her on her head. "I promise it will this time."
"You've said this so many times," Jackie points out.
"I know, baby." Daniel gives her an earnest look. "But losing you is not worth it. I know… I know you're gettin' fed up with me, and…" He trails off and she can see the hurt in his eyes.
"You make me believe you every time," Jackie states, inching closer to him.
"It's 'cause I mean it," Daniel tells her.
"But you never follow through," Jackie replies.
He pulls her close to him and she buries her face in his shoulder. "I will this time."
"You'd better mean it," Jackie mumbles into him.
He says nothing, just holds her tighter. She exhales deeply.
"I missed you," she says, moving her face up slightly.
"I missed you more, baby." He kisses her forehead. "I love you… don't leave me."
"Don't make me," she responds, her voice sleepy.
"I won't," he promises, stroking her hair again. "Fall asleep in my arms like you used to, alright?"
"Mm-hm," Jackie mumbles, already half-asleep.
He smiles and holds her close.