Later that night, Patrick drove home, alone, with Emma in the backseat of his new SUV. Robin was justifiably pissed at him for cheating on her, but, instead of coming home with him to discuss it in private, she chose to play the victim and go to her mother's for the night. She wanted to take Emma, but he put his foot down and insisted on taking Emma with him because she'd already had enough upheaval in her life and deserved to sleep in her own bed. Robin had reluctantly agreed. Patrick knew he was in the wrong for having an affair with Sabrina while his wife was gone, but he was annoyed that Robin refused to accept any responsibility for her role in the deterioration of their marriage that prompted his affair. Patrick was lost in his thoughts as he drove in silence, thinking Emma had gone to sleep, when he heard her say a tentative, "Daddy?"
He looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Yeah baby?"
"Why did mommy hit Sabrina at the ball?"
Patrick was passing a convenience store, so he decided to pull into the lot and park the car. This was not a conversation he wanted to have at all, but especially not while driving. Once the motor was off, he shifted in his seat so he could face Emma and said, "You saw me and Sabrina kissing on the screen, didn't you?" When she nodded, he continued, "Well, that really hurt mommy's feelings and she got angry at Sabrina for kissing me."
Emma looked confused as she thought for a moment. "But… You and Sabrina used to kiss all the time? Why would mommy be mad now?"
Patrick cursed himself for having such an intuitive daughter. "Well, your mom was upset because the video on the screen wasn't from before we found out she wasn't in heaven. It was from after."
Emma was quiet for a bit, so Patrick shifted so he was facing forward again. Just as he was about to turn on the ignition, Emma piped up. "So, mommy's mad because you and Sabrina were hooking up while she was helping people?"
Patrick's head snapped back in Emma's direction. "Hooking up?! Where did you learn that term?"
"Uncle Felix said that's what you and Sabrina were doing the night I made Uncle Duke wear a tutu."
Patrick muttered, "Felix" under his breath and vowed to give him yet another talking-to about inappropriate language for children.
When he didn't answer her question, Emma pulled him back into the conversation. "So, was hooking-up with Sabrina why you suddenly got so happy after we went trick-or-treating?"
"Huh?"
"Well, daddy, you were sad when mommy left and Gabriel died, but then you got happy again after Sabrina went trick-or-treating with us." Before Patrick could think of something to say, Emma continued, "And then you got sad again when mommy came home even though I thought you would be even happier."
"Honey, I don't know what to say. There's just been a lot of stuff going on between your mom and me that we've been trying to work through, so I have been a little sad because of that. It doesn't mean I'm not glad your mom is home."
"Oh, okay… I am really glad mommy's home. But, daddy…"
"Yeah?"
"I don't like that you're sad. I want you to be happy again."
"Thank you, baby," Patrick said with a smile at his precious little girl.
"Maybe we should call Sabrina."
"Um, why would we do that? Sabrina is pretty busy."
Emma looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "So she can make you happy again."
"I'll tell you what, kiddo, why don't we go home and go to bed and we'll talk about this more tomorrow?"
When Emma nodded and smiled, Patrick turned forward and started the engine. The entire way home, he wondered if it was really all that simple.
The next morning….
Patrick hadn't slept all night because he kept replaying the Nurse's Ball and his conversation with Emma in his head. He'd wrestled with himself for so long over doing what he should do and what he wanted to do and he was, frankly, tired of it. He'd been so certain when he chose Robin after the non-wedding with Sabrina that what he'd done was the right decision for him and Emma, but Patrick had to question whether that was still the case now, especially since he couldn't get Sabrina out of his head - or his heart. After last night, Patrick knew Sabrina wasn't playing when she'd declared she was over the whole situation and walked out of the Ball, head held high, holding Foster's hand. Could he really live without her in his life?
On the way to school, he and Emma continued their chat, which prompted Patrick to finally take action. So, after he dropped her off, he headed where he needed to go and knocked on the door. When it opened, he said simply, "Hi. We need to talk. Can I come in?"