Continuing from last chapter
Joe decided to crash at Jamie and Eddie's, only because he wanted to talk to a couple. His mom was now remarried but he wasn't about to go to her about any of this. She'd curse him out and send him home to fix it.
"Alright, she's down, catch me up." Eddie came and joined Jamie and Joe in the living room.
"Well I've been a jackass of a husband, she's the one who was gonna leave tonight actually but I offered cause she was gonna take Wesley and that's too much shit to pack up."
"Did something happen or what was the tipping point you think?" Jamie asked.
"It's just built up, I've been a dick, not treating her how I should, she's also been short tempered though. She goes in stages. I don't know what the hells going on."
"Well, maybe she's burnt out. When's the last time you two had a date night?" Eddie suggested.
"Just this past Saturday night. My mom watched Wesley and I surprised her with dinner at her favorite place."
"Oh." Eddie said.
"Yeah exactly."
"Alright so what about you? Why you being difficult?" Jamie confronts and Joe sorta laughs and sits back.
"Work I guess. I'm trying to figure things out." He explains.
"Figure out?" Jamie questions.
"I haven't told anyone yet, not even Taylor. I'm trying to make some arrangements, transfer to a new precinct." He admits.
"What for?" Jamie asked confused.
"We're not saving what I'd like to be saving."
"You tell her this?" Eddie asks and he shakes his head no.
"Shit Joe, you could clear the air if you were just honest with her!" Jamie says.
"I can't, I don't want her to feel like she needs to work more. She already works more than she wants, this damn daycare costs an arm and a leg."
"But in the process of trying not to stress her out you're driving a wedge between you two." Jamie says.
"Honesty is the best policy, c'mon it's the oldest rule in the book." Eddie adds.
"I guess. I just wanted to get it all squared away before I tell her." he explains.
"I get that but, you gotta tell her. Then she could understand and maybe you wouldn't be so stressed out trying to hide it." Jamie tells him.
"I know. I have a meeting Monday with Dixon, head detective at the 84th."
"You're going over there…!?" Eddie raises a brow.
"Yeah…word on the street is their head firearms guy's retiring." Joe says.
"That can be a rough area..." Eddie says looking at Jamie.
"So can anywhere." Joe shrugged.
"That's very true." Jamie said.
"It'll be an adjustment but I think it's going to benefit big time." Joe tells them.
"100%. You just gotta tell her though, the longer you wait the worse she might react." Eddie told him.
"I know, but it doesn't matter, I try to do things right and somehow she's still uptight about something." Joe explained.
"She could say the same for you I bet…" Jamie tests and Joe knows he's right.
"I'm sure it's hormonal too, you said it goes in stages." Eddie suggests.
"Yeah well I don't know how much more of it I can take if this doesn't solve it." Joe expressed.
"What do you mean by that?" Jamie wondered.
"I don't know." Joe was stressing.
"She's your wife. Forever." Eddie gave Joe a raised brow.
"I know." He sighed and rubbed his neck.
"Maybe you two need counseling…another opinion on things." Jamie intervened.
"That's why I'm here, talking to you guys…outsider looking in." Joe said.
"But we know you both, you need a legit outsider." Jamie said.
"Yeah maybe." Joe sighed.
"Go home tomorrow, and talk to her about it. I think it'd be good for you both." Eddie told him.
"Have you guys ever needed to do counseling?" Joe asked.
"No, not as a couple." Eddie answered and Joe looked down at his hands.
"Hey, doesn't mean you're failing or weak. You guys just need a little guidance, to bring you back together." Jamie told him.
"And to remind yourselves why you guys got together in the first place." Eddie added.
"I'm just mad we let it get this bad." Joe said.
"It'll be okay." Eddie leaned over for a hug.
"I really appreciate you guys doing this for me. It won't happen again. I'm promising myself that." He said.
"Don't worry about it. Seriously." Jamie insists and him and Eddie meander their way to stand.
"Get some sleep." Eddie says with a pat on his shoulder and they call it a night, heading to bed.
-
In the morning Joe woke up and headed out. He picked up breakfast and coffee for him and Taylor before going home to see her.
She was in the bathroom when he got home, Wesley was still asleep so he set the food on the table and waited for her.
"Why are you home this early?" She asked when she rounded the corner into the kitchen and saw him by surprise. She looked pretty worn, like she'd been up all night, crying a lot.
"Because…? I got you breakfast and coffee." He gestures.
"Not hungry."
"Okay, I'll put it in the fridge for later. I wanna talk Taylor."
"Well I don't and I'm not." She argues.
"Why?"
"Cause I have things to do. We're going for a walk, then grocery shopping, lunch somewhere and yeah." She rambles hardly being able to look at him.
"Well I'll go with." He offers.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to be around you!" Her voice raises and she finally meets his eyes.
"Babe, don't yell."
"Then stop talking to me, I'm too mad trust me, you're better off."
"Okay. I'll leave you be but we can't do this forever. I wanna see Wesley for a little."
"Okay then get him up, feed him, change him. I'm showering and getting dressed." She leaves for their bedroom.
"I can manage that. When will you be home then?"
"I don't know Joe when I get home."
"Okay well I wasn't supposed to go in until like 3. But maybe I'll just work a double? If your out all day anyway?" He asks.
"Cool." She shuts the bedroom door. Joe picks the monitor up and sees Wesley moving around, he gets bottle ready while he waits for his cry to sound.
Taylor leaves to do all the things she said she was and Joe decides to head into work early beings he was home alone anyway.
He ends up working until late, everyone's asleep when he gets home. Taylor doesn't even wake up when he climbs into bed with her.
In the morning he's up and out the door quick. He has his meeting with Dixon at 8, fingers crossed it goes as well as expected so he can go home tonight and tell Taylor the big news, it would explain everything going on. His stress, his work schedule, his temper, it'll all be gone. Hopefully it would solve her issues too.
—
Hopefully things get better after his meeting! I think Jamie and Eddie had some good advice. Leave your thoughts!