3 Years Prior:

Ever since the thanksgiving incident from a few years prior it had seemed like they were drifting apart from each other. He had been spending more time at the university and when he would get home it seemed like the tension was in the air building and was depressed around the house. Money was tight as they were both working 2 jobs to make ends meet. They for some reason could not communicate their problems to each other

"So how was your day Ross?" she was trying to provoke a response. She was still wearing her restaurant uniform with her Ralph Lauren bag at the kitchen table

"It was good, I guess. Lots of papers to mark" Ross said with a glum look stabbing his food with his fork in an aggressive manner

"Can we go to a baseball game this weekend?" Emma asked, recently she had been getting into baseball and was playing for the local team. She was a Mets fan.

"Sure, Emma that would be a great idea, let's go play catch outside so we can prepare you for the big game" Ross said his mood changing suddenly becoming happy.

"Ross can I talk to you in the kitchen before you head outside?" she motioned him to keep quiet

"What's up Rach?" he seemed like he wanted to be anywhere and was becoming visible annoyed.

"As much as it would be fun to go to the Met's game on the weekend can we really afford it? We got a mortgage payment, bills and the car needs to be fixed? The Met's game will cost at least an extra $100" she sighed feeling frustrated knowing that it would be a fun outing.

"Come on Rachel stop being so stressed loosen up a bit" he chided her, "I am going outside now to play with Emma can you clean up? Also, Connor needs his nap" he said, to her it seemed like she was being ordered around and she did have a valid concern, but Ross wanted to be the fun parent so be it.

She put Connor to bed and started cleaning up the dishes while looking longingly out the window waving to her husband and daughter with a smile on her face enjoying the time spent with her father.

After they came inside due to a passing rainstorm they decided to watch TV. Rachel was already watching the Bachelorette when Ross grabbed the remote and changed the channel to the ball game.

"Hey Ross, I was just going to finish that episode, there was only 10 minutes left" she complained crossing her arms.

"I am not allowing my daughter to be exposed to that trash show, besides this is the Mets vs the Yankees. It is an important game but not that you would understand." He talked down to her

She despised being talked down to and belittled by Ross who thought he was always on the moral high ground and holier than thru attitude he had lately. Must of because he was a tenured professor she thought. As the ball game continued Ross presented a idea.

"Hey Rachel, we should spend the night in New York for the night and then drive back the next day, what do you think it will be fun? We can visit Aunt and Uncle Phoebe and Mike. Emma can visit her cousins. What do you think?"

Emma squealed "Yeah" she always had fun in New York and got along well with her cousins.

"Yeah that might be a good idea Ross, maybe we can have date night or something. Lord knows it has been a while" Rachel smiled realizing that this could turn out to be a fun outing after all, sure it would be expensive but we all need to treat ourselves, sometimes right?

The rest of the week flew by and before they knew it they had their items packed up for the weekend, the baby in his crib and the car all loaded up. The baseball game was in the afternoon and what a day it was, not a cloud in the sky a perfectly sunny day. The type of day that was perfect for baseball. As they drove down the expressway Rachel could not feel better and felt like it was going to be a great time.

The arrived at the stadium and were grabbed some lunch and got into their seats. The game was a thrilling one with the Mets eventually beating the Yankees 4-3 in extra innings off of a home run. Ross and Rachel were getting along great with Ross even teaching Rachel a bit about the game with Emma helping as well to show her mom all the rules and regulations. After they drove into the city to drop off Connor and Emma at Mike and Phoebe's.

"Hey guys" Phoebe beamed motioning them to enter.

"Thanks so much for looking after the kids, we appreciate it" Ross smiled

"Not a problem, we can't promise they'll be musicians when they leave but we will try" Mike joked since him and Phoebe had a background in music both co-owing a music bar in the city.

"I am just going to change for our dinner tonight, see you at 7 at Luigi's" Rachel kissed Ross on the cheek and blushed forgetting where she was when the kids replied "Ew!" but it was not a big deal with Phoebe laughing.

Rachel closed the bathroom door and put on her black dress that probably showed off more cleavage then was necessary but she wanted tonight to be a spark in their marriage that seemed to have gone stale lately. Ross had gone to the university to grab some things and change into a tux so they were going to meet at the restaurant.

She then spent some time with Phoebe and Mike before heading off to the restaurant. They had specially reserved a table to make sure that they did not have to wait. Rachel got there earlier but soon it was 7:30 and no signs of Ross. She quickly sent him a text but got no response.

"Hi, would you like some more wine? Are you waiting for someone?" the waiter asked while pouring some more wine into Rachel's glass

"Thanks, and yeah I am waiting for my husband but not sure where he is, probably caught in traffic" trying to make small talk with the waiter.

Soon it was 8 then 8:30 and with no reply from Ross she decided to leave, bitter and disappointed that Ross would not show, she felt hurt that he stood her up. So much for the spark. As she was walking back to the hotel she decided to get off on the university stop to check and see if Ross was still there.

To her surprise when she entered the office there were papers scattered everywhere but no sign of Ross or anyone else. She then walked by the labs and was mortified at what she saw through the glass. There was her husband with a much younger woman making out on a lab table. She quickly ran out in tears and hurried onto the subway with strangers asking if she was alright.

"Yeah, I am fine, just have a leg cramp that hurts" was her reply even though her face betrayed her. The visible hurt on her face and red puffy eyes gave it all away. She finally got back to the hotel room and slammed the door. Punching in the phone number for Phoebe house.

"Hello Phoebe?" she sniffled blowing her nose as the tears came streaming down as her face was red as a tomato from the utter disbelief

"Hi Rachel how's it going, did the Mets win the baseball game?" Phoebe questioned

"It could not be any worse Pheebs, First Ross stood me up at the restaurant so then on the way back I decided to check out his office. The papers were everywhere strewn about the area so I walked by the lab and what do I see in the glass? Ross and his mistres G! They did not even notice me." She let out a laugh at the pathetic memory

"Oh Rachel I am so sorry, that Is awful, were you sure it was Ross?" trying to reassure her friend

"Yeah, who else wears a t-rex dinosaur shirt at our age?" She teased while trying to muzzle her whimpers and prevent a mental breakdown.