It's been a long time, no? Sorry. Life got hectic and writing had to take a backseat to everyday drama. Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth the wait. There's a little bit of low-key sex at the very beginning, so if you don't like it you should just skip down a few paragraphs.

Back on Track

Weeks passed. Mimi spent as many days, hours and minutes as she could with Matt. His presence was intoxicating, and she couldn't get enough. She craved his touch, lived on his kiss. He moved her to a higher plane. She wanted to hate him for her dependency. She wanted to scratch and bite him; to make him bleed and lose as much of himself for her as she had lost for him. But she couldn't stop her heart melting when he smiled. She was like a child, demanding affection after being starved for so long. Always wanting that golden star.

She tried not to think about Sora. She still didn't know what she wanted from her. An apology? Not enough. Blinding pain? Possibly too much. Divorce? She didn't want to go down that road yet. That could come later. Maybe.

She and Matt were sharing a bed again. Something they did regularly. Pachi, either being a supremely understanding and kind woman or looking for a Christmas bonus the size of Mount Fugi, had taken both Ben and Jamie to the park. This left Mimi and Matt to do as they wished alone, which included being naked, entwined and moving as one. Both moaning loudly, they each knew the other was close. Then out of nowhere, Matt heard the gate screech open. Both he and Mimi went rigid. Unmoving, they continued to listen. A car was definitely pulling into the driveway.

"Maybe… maybe Pachi's back early…?" Mimi theorised hopefully.

Matt shook his head from his position above her. "She would have used the back entrance. And that gate is the height in home security. Either I let you in, or you have the sensor. The only people with a sensor are me and Sora."

Sora was home.

Mimi thanked her lucky stars that she had parked her car out on the road today. Sora need be none the wiser. Still, this was a terribly close call. They could easily be found out. Mimi looked up at Matt, who was reluctantly withdrawing from her.

"I thought you said she wouldn't be home for…"

She didn't finish. It didn't matter, really. Sora was there; right outside in her top of the line Lexus, and assigning blame wasn't going to change that. Matt had slid out of bed, and Mimi moved to follow suit.

"I guess it's time," Matt said with a sigh. "I was hoping it would come later rather than sooner, but I suppose it has to happen."

"Yeah..." Mimi whispered. Still sitting on the edge of the bed, she felt like she might cry. Taking a deep breath, she told herself to be strong. Everything wonderful had to come to an end eventually. Especially if that everything was married with a family.

Matt was standing, pulling his boxers on. He was unsatisfied and it showed. "Come on then. Let's go. It's not going to be easy, but we have to do it."

"I know." Mimi's voice seemed to be stuck on whisper. Her throat was incurably dry. She busied herself collecting her clothes so that he wouldn't see the tears welling in her eyes. Whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all had obviously never loved and lost. To be so happy; for the world to be so perfectly aligned; and then to have it all stolen away. Like a rug being pulled from underneath your feet, a trip and a stumble and an unwanted return to reality.

Matt, now only missing a shirt, stopped to gaze over at her. "So we'll do find Sora, explain it all, and tell her I'm leaving. Right?"

Mimi was shocked as she spun to face him. "What? No! We can't!"

Matt was confused. His shirt hung limply in his hands. "But… why? I don't understand. I was always intending on it, Mi. I stayed with Sora only because I couldn't have you. She was the consolation prize. Now that you're back… well, I thought we could be together."

Mimi didn't have time to think about the various offensive statements Matt had just made. "We just can't!" she cried. "I can't lower myself to that level. To… her level."

Matt crossed to her in two steps. He took both her hands in his, cutting her off halfway through zipping up her skirt. She looked up to meet his earnest stare. The blue of his eyes seemed honestly panicked.

"What does this mean?" he asked. "Are we over? Is that what you're saying? Please Mimi, don't do this. I don't think I could stand losing you again!"

Mimi pulled away from him and returned to buttoning up her shirt. "I don't know what this means. We're not over. There's no time to discuss this now."

As if confirming her statement, they both heard the front door swing open. Sora's voice broke through the thick tension.

"Benny? Matt? Where are you both? A woman gets home from weeks away from her family and they don't even come to greet her? How insulting."

With what seemed like a lot of difficulty, Matt nodded. He swung his shirt around his shoulders as he spoke. "I'll… I'll stall her. You go out the back door and get Ben and Jamie. We'll pretend like you had them. You're the actress. Bring them back and make something up. I'll follow your lead."

Doing a quick check of the room to make sure their tryst wasn't too obvious; Mimi and Matt skidded down the stairs. If they were fast, Matt could head Sora off in the living room, and Mimi could creep like a mouse down the hall to the kitchen and out the rear exit. It was just a few more feet, just a few more seconds…

Mimi saw a shadow under one of the doors. Oh, if Sora opened that door then they would be so sprung. Caught red handed. Their goose would be cooked. It would be over. Matt must have seen it too, because he leaped the short distance, almost knocking over a vase in the process. While he held the door shut, Mimi scurried to hide in the hallway. Split seconds later, Matt wrenched the door open and threw his arms out in greeting, blocking Sora's path. Mimi had to take her chances while they were there. She stole away to the tune of "Sora! You're home early! What a surprise!"

She ran out the back door and down the side path. She had to get the kids and she had to get them fast. Sora was bound to miss her son soon, and she couldn't give Matt the time to weave too complex a web of lies. Their stories had to match. To the letter. Maybe she was paranoid, but she wasn't about to let one stupid little lie ruin every happiness she had.

She darted into the nearby park, where she knew Pachi had taken Ben and Jamie. She knew she must look a fright, as she hitched her skirt above her knees so that she could move faster. Her hair was blowing all over the place and her face was blotchy with exertion. Her hastily thrown on clothes were in disarray. But that didn't matter. Nothing mattered except getting the two boys back to the mansion. She called out, and Pachi, who was sitting on a bench watching Ben and Jamie make train tracks in the sandpit, looked up.

"The lady is back." She stated, showing amazing perception. Mimi, doubled over to catch her breath, could only nod as she gulped air. Pachi stood, straightened her dress, and continued. "We have to get back, then. Quickly now."

She scooped Ben into her arms and Mimi did the same for Jamie. Minutes later, she was back outside the Ishida front door. She was sure she must have set some world record for her sprint. Pachi had left Ben with her, and shot around to the back door. Mimi took a short moment to gather her wits about her, tried to flatten her hair and smooth out her frazzled appearance, then walked through the front door and into the living room. Where she'd left them.

Of course, she hadn't left them with their lips locked.

The world ground to a halt. Her heart seemed to shatter and reform in a particularly painful process. She was oddly aware of scents, tastes and sounds. She seemed to be burning up in her skin, and yet she had broken out in to goose bumps all down her arms. There was no good reason. She was the other woman. She was the one on the outer. And yet needles of jealousy still stabbed through her veins.

She made a funny strangled noise in the back of her throat, and Matt and Sora jumped apart like two sprung teenagers. The moment was intensely awkward, as Mimi stared at Sora and Sora stared at Mimi and Matt glanced nervously at them both. At some stage Ben broke away from Mimi and ran into his mother's arms. He squealed something, but Mimi couldn't make it out. But it was around this time that Mimi remembered how to speak.

"Hi, Sora. It's nice to see you again."

Keep things simple; bland and vague. Don't say anything specific until you know what she knows.

"Mimi. Hi. It's been a long time, no? What are you doing here?" Her tone wasn't cold or bitter, but it was guarded. If Mimi were Sora, she would be on the defensive too.

Mimi knew better than to look at Matt before answering. Dead giveaway; having to get confirmation on a fact. Makes you look like you have something to hide. She'd just have to hope that Matt would jump in if he'd already covered a field of conversation.

"I took Ben and Jamie to the park. Figured you would both want your son back."

Sora looked mildly confused. "How do Ben and Jamie know each other?"

Subtext: Why have you been coming around to my home?

Mimi decided to just tell the truth on that count. With so many lies to remember with this affair, telling the truth even a little made things so much simpler. Plus, in a hotbed of falsity, the tiniest speck of truth was like a beacon of light.

"I left my purse at the reunion a few weeks ago. Matt picked it up for me. I came by with Jamie to reclaim it. Jamie met Ben and they hit it off. Common love of trains, I think. As I understand it, Ben doesn't get to meet many kids his own age."

Insert lightly veiled jibe at her parenting skills for bonus points.

Sora's smile became rather fixed. Which was only natural. If anyone questioned Mimi's ability as a mother, she would probably lunge for the jugular. "Yes. Well. How many times have they been meeting?"

Subtext: How often have you been at my home, alone with my husband?

Matt cut in, trying to diffuse the hostility in the air. "A few times, darling. Ben really likes getting out of the house, and we both know that I can't take him. I get stuck here, only playing on my lonesome guitar."

Sora still didn't seem placated, but Mimi didn't give her a chance to reply. "Well, I have to run off now. Things to do, people to see. I'll arrange the next play date soon."

And with Jamie's hand in hers, and Matt's eyes fixed on the back of her head, she walked out of the building. So Sora was back. Things were changing. That was fine; Mimi could adapt. This was going to be interesting.

Game on.

Emma's useless facts about nothing in particular

In ten minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.