The Chase Household.
Graham is in his and Pattys bedroom. He looks in their closet looking for a bag.
Patty is in the kitchen cooking their dinner for that night. She has felt worried all day, even after Camille managed to calm her nerves and even make her laugh , she still had a gnawing pain in the pit of her stomach that something wasn't quite right with Graham.
Patty V/O- He has barely spoken to me since he got home, I tried to talk to him but he mumbled something about needing a shower before dinner. He wont even look me in the eye. I have to talk to him, I hope to god that I'm just being paranoid.
Yes, that's it..I'm just a little paranoid at the moment.
Patty calls upstairs to Graham- " GRAHAM!! honey.. dinner will be ready in 10 minutes"
Graham has grabbed what clothes he can and shoved them into a backpack. He hears Patty calling but chooses to ignore her.
He walks into the en-suite bathroom and grabs his toothbrush.
With a long sigh he takes one last look at his bedroom.
Graham V/O- I've gotta get out of here. I need to be away from Patty and Hallie. My heads a fuckin mess, my life is a fuckin mess. Play it calm Graham, tell her you need space..
After calling Graham for the third time Patty decided to go upstairs and find out what Graham was up to. She climbed the stairs slowly, as if her feet were encased in fudge preventing her from ascending at a normal pace. As she got to the bedroom door she pushed it open. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Graham with the bag slung over his shoulder.
Patty-"Graham, what the hell are you doing"
Graham wouldn't make eye contact with her. He knew he was about to crush her with three simple words and those words were not about to be I love you.
Graham-"I'm leaving you"
Patty felt as though she had just been punched in the stomach, her nerves weren't paranoia at all, it was instinct she felt. Instinct that her marriage had gone awry.
Patty-"I..I don't understand. Graham talk to me..please"
Graham-"I don't know where to begin. All I know is that I need time, time and space to figure things out"
Patty-"Figure what out? Graham? WHAT has happened, you can't just leave. Somethings happened and I want..wait-I DESERVE to know what. You at least owe me that"
Graham- "I kissed Hallie Lowenthall Patty. I wanted to, I have no excuse Patty other than I wanted to"
Patty-"You KISSED her? Graham"
Patty started sobbing, her heart had been ripped out.
Patty-" How long has this been going on? Have you kissed her before..like, have you been having an affair?"
She swallowed hard and took a few deep breaths. She had to keep her composure the girls would be home from school soon.
Graham started crying. He could see how much his wife was hurting but he had to leave.
Graham-"Patty, I haven't been having an affair. Today was the first time I kissed her. It's why I have to leave. I'm not going after her if that's what you think. I'm going to stay with Neal until I clear my head. An affair is something I couldn't do to you, it's why I'm leaving..before things get messy. I need to sort out what I want and how I feel about Hallie. I love you Patty I do, but if everything was fine between us then I wouldn't have been even thinking about other women"
Patty-" Well that's very big of you Graham. You swan off and leave me to explain to the girls how you're having a fuckin midlife crisis?"
The anger in Patty replaced the hurting and shock.
Graham-"It's not a mid-life cris-"
Patty interrupted screaming at him.- "So It's MY fault? Once again bad old Patty takes the blame. GROW UP GRAHAM!! You have a family, you can't just walk out when things get tough. ALL marriages go through rough patches,you DON'T seek solace in another womans arms"
Graham-"I'll explain to the girls. I'm not arguing with you Patty, I just want out"
Patty-"If you walk out of that door , don't think you'll be coming back. If you go our marriage is over"
Graham-" See Patty and this is EXACTLY why I'm going" He was starting to get angry. " It's always you that makes the rules in this relationship Patty..I can't FUCKIN BREATH around you without needing your permission"
He threw on his jacket and shoved past a sobbing and irate Patty.
Just then Danielle and Angela arrived home. Patty heard the front door open and looked out of her bedroom window. She saw Jordans car speed off and wiped her eyes.
Patty V/O- Oh god the girls are home. What do I say?
Danielle calling out-"MOM, DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD WE'RE HOOOOOOOOOME"
Angela- "Mom can I go to see Jordans band practise tonight"
Danielle- "MOM, what's for dinner I'm STARVING!"
Both girls were stood at the bottom of the stairs , both firing questions to a mother who had ignored their demands.
Graham practically flew down the stairs, Danielle blocked his path by flying into his arms.
Danielle- "Daddy! I missed you daddy" She clung on to Grahams leg. She looked up into her fathers face and then noticed the bag he had on his shoulder. She let go of him and looked up into his moist eyes in confusion.
Danielle-"Daddy? What's up? Where are you going?"
Graham-" Baby, daddys going to stay with uncle Neal for a little while"
Angela had stood back watching from afar. She knew that Graham was leaving them just by looking at his expression.
Her lower lip wobbled and she tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. Biting her lower lip in an attempt to control her emotions.
Angela-"You're not coming back are you?" she asked quietly.
Graham-"I can't answer that right now sweetheart. Just know that I love you and Danielle and I'm sorry"
Danielle not quite getting the understanding of what was happening jumped up and down excitedly- "Can I come with you Daddy? I love Uncle Neal he's so funny!"
Graham felt his heart explode. Looking at the face of his youngest he pulled her into a big hug, burying his guilty face in her long blonde hair.
Graham-"Not today baby, maybe at the weekend"
Angela-"So GO then, leave us. we'll be ok we'll have to be"
Angela started crying. Graham walked towards her and attempted to hug her. Angela pushed him violently away and ran upstairs to find her mother.
Graham cried up at her- "Angela I'm sorry. I'll um ring you soon"
Danielle was also crying, she held fast onto Grahams leg in the hope that it would stop him from going. Danielle sobbing her heart out and begging-"Daddy don't leave us, please stay"
Graham prized Danielle off of his leg and headed for the front door. He felt sick but he carried on walking out, ignorant to the sounds of his youngest daughters world collapsing.