Misaki leaned back into the couch and read over the words typed into her textbook. She had left Raiden to play with his toys on the floor, and she used every free second of her time to do homework or to study.

Raiden wasn't really a difficult child to take care of, he just wanted a lot of attention and it was rare when Misaki was finally able to get him distracted by something other than herself.

After a few minutes, Raiden began to whine since he got sick of his toys and seemingly wanted to be picked up. Bouncing him on her lap, she placed the book over him so he could play with the watch on her wrist and give herself a few more peaceful minutes.

"Book!" Raiden explained randomly and Misaki gaped, slightly taken aback.

"Did you just say book? Wow, you're smart. Good job baby!" She happily bounced him and gave him a kiss on the cheek which made him smile. "Well, at least I think so. I don't know much about babies, I don't even know when you guys begin to talk."

Raiden just smiled and began to babble his baby talk.

Misaki smoothed the hair on his head and continued her homework. This whole babysitting was a piece of cake, Raiden was a delightful baby and she got to bring him home with her which meant that she could see Takumi more. Everything seemed to be falling in place!

/

Misaki sighed for the millionth time and held onto the sleeping Raiden even tighter. Things weren't as smooth as she'd thought it would be.

Raiden was easily a blast, but things with Takumi seemed to become rather... Constant.

Despite her being able to bring Raiden home, she rarely got to see Takumi. In the past week, he had been gone 5 out of 7 days. They went days without having a real conversation, because he'd arrive when Misaki was asleep and she'd go off to school while he was asleep.

There was a breakthrough with the business that required him to do a lot of spontaneous trips to work. And that meant no time together.

Misaki felt the sadness of it all overwhelm her and she had to sit down. She rubbed her hand up and down Raiden's back and thanked God for giving her this job, because God knows how lonely she'd be without him.

It felt as if she wasn't married, she felt like her and Takumi were strangers who just shared a house together. And just when she was going to talk to Takumi about the whole thing, she gets a text from him saying that he has to fly to New York for two nights!

Although Misaki knew it wasn't his fault, she couldn't help but be angry. He leaves her with a text message, one text message! They'll go days without talking and she knew that that text would probably be the first and last until he got back.

Not only that, she got a call from Kimi begging Misaki to keep Raiden overnight. She accepted, of course, since she was lonely anyways. Not like Takumi would be coming back.

Misaki felt tears well up in her eyes and she leaned her head back in attempt to stop them. She sniffled and hugged Raiden close. "I guess it's just you and me, buddy."

3 days pass and nothing from Takumi. Nothing! Misaki paced around the girls bathroom, she was currently at school but she had to leave the classroom or else she felt like she was going to explode!

He was supposed to return yesterday afternoon but he was still nowhere to be found. He wouldn't answer any of his calls and she was worried sick!

"That idiot better be okay, or else I'll kill him," she muttered, slightly pulling her hair.

She decided to call Takumi's assistant one more time and finally, she answered. "Lorraine!" Misaki gave out a sigh of relief. Lorraine was Takumi's American/Japanese assistant of two years.

"Mrs. Walker, how can I help you?" Lorraine replied.

"Is everything alright with Takumi? He was supposed to return yesterday and he hasn't, he hasn't called or texted and nobody would inform me with what's going on and I just need to know that he's fine," Misaki rambled.

"He's fine! Mr. Walker has just been held up with business meetings and dinners. There's no need to worry."

Misaki paused. "Dinners?"

"With Mrs. Sakurai. She's the head CEO of Carolina's industries, she and Mr. Walker have been working together." Lorraine explained.

Misaki rubbed her temple. "Okay. While they have their dinners, Takumi had his phone with him the whole time, correct?"

"Yes, Mrs. Walker. But may I say that he has been extremely busy so I don't think he meant to intentionally ignore you."

Misaki felt her head begin to pound and she just said her goodbyes and immediately shut her phone. She wasn't angry, no, she was furious.

She had managed to keep her patience for more than a week, but when Takumi could have just sent her an update, he chooses not to! He chooses to have dinners with some woman! Not just one dinner, but multiple!

What kind of marriage is this? It's fine for him to do his job and to have dinners for his business but to ignore her and not keep her updated? That was just straight up annoying.

Misaki grabbed her bag and decided to get in her car and leave. She only had 15 minutes of class left before school was over. She drove and drove, past her own house and she soon found herself facing a brown front door.

"Misaki?" Her dad opened the door in surprise and let her in.

"I'm sorry to barge in, it's just that Mom is visiting Suzuna in Tokyo and I needed to get away and I found myself here," she let out, hoping that she didn't look as flushed as she felt.

He gave her a hug and a kind smile. "You're welcome here any time."

Misaki embraced her father and unconsciously, she let a tear slide down her face.

/

"Misa, you know that it's been two days that you've been here and Takumi has been calling like crazy." Her father said, sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Well, don't tell him I'm here. He had the chance to call before. I need time away from him." Misaki replied. Her father was shocked to see how nonchalant she was and he grabbed her hand.

"Is everything okay?" He asked with such care in his voice that nearly brought her to tears.

"Not really. I'm just... I've been wondering if I maybe got married too fast. If it was a mistake," Misaki let out in a whisper, ashamed of the thoughts swarming in her head.

"Hey. Every marriage goes through a bump on the road. Even though you two are young, I have never seen a couple that perseveres and matures like you two. You got it in the bag. You just have to hold on and work at your marriage. Don't let it go."

Misaki felt tears fall down her cheeks and she wiped at them embarrassedly. "Thanks Dad. It's just hard right now."

He pat her hand softly. "I know. But you can get through this. Enough of this sappy stuff, you get your butt off this bed and do something! I have to go get groceries but I'll be back soon."

Misaki laughed and got up like he said. After her dad left, she decided to take a walk around the beach which is five minutes away from her dads house.

Feeling the warm wind blow through her hair, Misaki let out a content sigh and closed her eyes. These past few days had taken a toll on her, and her whole body felt slumped. She missed Takumi more than anything, but she still believed she needed time from him just as he did with her. He could finish his business at work in peace and Misaki could try and think about the future of their marriage.

Misaki felt someone sit at the spot next to her and was shocked to see Takumi sitting there. He was staring straight ahead with a cool, calm face but Misaki being his wife, could tell that he had a storm going on in his mind.

His eyebags were evident, his hair a crazy mess, and the way his eyes drooped and darkened in an angry green color.

"Normally I would comment how beautiful you look with the wind blowing in your hair but right now it seems to be inappropriate," Takumi speaks after a long period of silence. He finally turns to her and Misaki felt goosebumps run down her arms. She could feel his anger radiating off of him, but she didn't forget that she was angry too.

"And normally, a wife would be able to see and speak to her husband AT LEAST once a day, to see how they're doing but right now it seems inappropriate," Misaki retorted and got up to leave.

"Misaki!" He called after her. When she wouldn't stop he grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me," she seethed. He didn't let go.

"I'm sorry I didn't call, I was just busy Misaki, you have no idea!" He let out.

She scoffed. "I have no idea? Okay maybe you were busy, I understand that. But to not call or text me while I was worried sick? You have no idea what it was like to stay up all night wondering how you were doing when you were having dinner with some woman the whole entire time! We need to talk to each other, we need communication!"

Takumi ran his fingers through his hair and normally Misaki would melt at his feet whenever he did that but this time she stood her ground and narrowed her eyes at him.

"It was all business! I'm sorry that you overreacted, but-" he tried to finish his sentence but Misaki interrupted him.

"Overreacted? I overreacted? Worrying about the wellbeing of my husband is overreacting? When he hasn't let me know how he was for 3 days? When he had his phone with him the entire time? Not even a text message saying hello or 'I'm sorry, I'm busy' text? I overreacted for caring about you? Well, I'm sorry if my love for you is an overreaction, I'll be sure to tone it down next time," Misaki spat and ripped her arm out of his grasp. Her blood was pumping and she felt her face flush.

"That was wrong wording, I just, I'm sorry and I won't do it again, okay? I'm just really stressed out with with everything and when I came home to an empty house with no word from my wife, I went crazy. I've been looking for you nonstop until it occurred to me that you made your father lie for you. I was in a living hell. I wanted to fight and yell at you for doing something like that but now that you're here, I'm tired, and I just want to bring you home and have you in my arms for the rest of the night. I really, really missed you." Takumi's voice had mellowed and he stared in Misaki's beautiful Amber eyes hoping she'd sense the desperation in his voice.

"I missed you too, so much. We haven't felt like husband and wife in a long time. I would love to come home with you... But I don't think I can. I need some time, Takumi." She replied slowly, trying to pick her words right.

Panic flashed through his eyes. "Time? Baby, you know that this whole thing was just another obstacle and we can get through it, we'll work around it-"

Again Misaki interrupted him. "No, you don't get it. I actually questioned our marriage. Do you know how hurtful that is to me? That I went as far as to really rethink our marriage. That has never happened before and I think it's a big deal. I won't be able to think clearly with you around me so I'm going to stay here for a few days. You'll go back home. I'll return when I'm ready I just.. I need to be away from you in order to think clearly. But that doesn't mean I love you any less. I love you so much, but everything is just so hectic..." She felt herself choke up so she looked away.

Takumi had this ache in his chest and he knew he had let his guard down and every sadness he felt was shown on the expression on his face. At a loss for words, he took a step toward her, wanting to kiss her or hold her or both, just to make sure that she was still his.

Misaki took a hesitant step back, refusing to meet his eyes. "If you touch me, I'll lose focus and I'll melt. Please go back home. I'm fine here. I'll see you soon, just let me be for a while."

The ache in his chest seemed to grow and he felt like a giant weight had been placed on his shoulders.

Seeing that Takumi wouldn't move, Misaki to the first step away to go back to the house. She began to walk, and checking to see if he was following her, she saw him standing in the same place with the same expression that broke her heart into tiny little pieces.

"I love you," she called out, hoping it would somewhat reach him. "I'll see you soon."

She turned to walk away, forcing herself to keep walking straight and to not turn back around and pull Takumi into a kiss. Seeing him made all the emptiness and numbness in her refuel and it was like the 4th of July instead. She loved him, she knew that more than anything, but was it enough? The rest of their marriage would continue to be like this, him on the move and her always left behind. Which wasn't any of their fault, since they were so young. But maybe, just maybe, if they weren't married this wouldn't be so bad. They wouldn't be like this. Maybe.