Alex turned her car into the grocery store parking lot, feeling an emptiness aching in her chest. Finley always used to come grocery shopping with her – it was their thing. He liked to sit in the cart and hold the list for her (even though he couldn't read yet) and they'd play I-Spy together. And, of course, she'd always let him get a cookie from the bakery because she was his grandma and couldn't resist spoiling him, just a little.

It had been almost a month since she'd seen him. A month since she'd gotten to hold him, to tell him she loved him, and she felt like it was slowly killing her. Finley was the last piece of Ethan she had and now it felt like she no longer had even that...

As she was lost in these thoughts, movement across the street caught her gaze. A small smile crept across her lips. Maggie, Killian, and Finley were strolling down the sidewalk, each with an ice cream cone. Finley's little hand was held tightly in Maggie's as he shuffled along beside her, far too lost in the joy of ice cream to worry about keeping up with Killian's faster pace.

For a split second, Alex considered calling out to them, overly eager to see her grandson again...

But before she could, the gentle domesticity of the scene began to unravel before her eyes.

Finley leaned forward, poised to take a bite out of his ice cream...only to lean a little too far and have his ice cream topple off the cone and onto the sidewalk below. For several moments, he didn't seem to know quite how to react to this turn of events.

Maggie came to a stop beside him, attempting to console the boy over his lost ice cream, but before she could sufficiently reassure him, Killian noticed that they were no longer beside him. He turned, surveying the situation, looking none too pleased. Maggie explained the delay, gesturing from the ice cream melting on the sidewalk to Finley's forlorn expression...

Killian laughed. Then, quicker than Alex would've thought him capable of moving, he reached for Finley's arm. Finley dodged his hand, looking fearful. A second time, Killian reached for the boy and once again, Finley dodged him.

Irritation washed over Killian's face and he lashed out, smacking Finley in the face, causing him to drop the empty cone still clutched in his chubby fist.

Alex gasped in surprise at the impact, her jaw hanging open several moments as she struggled to believe she'd truly seen what had just transpired. Anger washed over her a split second later.

The events weren't finished unfolding, though.

Maggie, seeming disheartened, but not surprised, knelt down to Finley's eye level, inspecting his face for a mark and reassuring him that he was okay. Killian grabbed Maggie's elbow, wrenching her to her feet with scolding words Alex couldn't hear. The two exchanged words for a brief moment, then Killian gave an exasperated sigh and moved to offer his ice cream to Finley.

The boy, though, was too afraid to appreciate the gesture. He cowered, turned away from his stepfather, clearly expecting to be hit again.

Alex felt tears well in her eyes, wanting nothing more than to leap to her grandson's aide.

Killian turned to Maggie, demanding that she do something about the crying child. Maggie, reached a hand towards his shoulder, presumably in an attempt to calm him...but as soon as she'd made contact, he lashed out, backhanding her across the face.

Maggie clutched at her split lip, wobbling on her feet a little.

Killian raised his hand again and she flinched. Rather than hit her, though, he once again gestured to Finley, then started walking, apparently not caring whether they followed or not.

Maggie visibly shrank in on herself and reached for her son's hand. Finley seemed reluctant to take it, but gave in and wrapped his fingers around hers when she gestured a second time.

Alex was too stunned to move, frozen in her seat as she watched what remained of her family trudge reluctantly down the sidewalk after Killian, visibly afraid. The surprise lasted only a split second before she felt anger flooding her veins with the unstoppable force of a wildfire...

Behind her, the driver who – thus far – had been waiting patiently for her to move, grew frustrated and leaned on the horn.

Emily wrapped her arms around Alex's waist, resting her chin on her shoulder.

Where Alex normally would have leaned back into the embrace, relishing in having her wife hold her close, she remained rigid and unyielding. She continued on drizzling icing on the still warm coffee cake as if Emily weren't even there.

If Emily found her behaviour at all odd, she didn't call her out on it, for which Alex was grateful. She did, however, reach around her to stick her finger in the icing bowl to sneak a taste.

"That's not for you," Alex scolded as Emily withdrew her finger to suck the icing off her skin.

Emily pouted. "But I love your coffee cake," she whined playfully. "It's my one weakness." A beat followed, during which her hands wandered up Alex's sides. "Aside from you, of course."

Alex found herself laughing, in spite of herself and her resolute decision to be solemnly silent. "You're incorrigible, you know?" she said, mirth in her voice.

"I know," Emily agreed, sounding quite pleased with herself. "But it's not my fault..."

"Whose fault is it?"

"Yours," she insisted, smirking. "You're just too irresistible."

Alex rolled her eyes, but said nothing. Emily's wandering hands found their target, cupping her breasts for a moment before Alex clicked her tongue scoldingly. "I have to go," she said, wriggling out of Emily's grasp and reaching for the lid to transport the coffee cake safely to its destination.

"Go where?" Emily asked, sounding a little like a kicked puppy.

"I just need to check on something," Alex said with a consoling smile. She didn't want to worry Emily until she was certain there was something to be worried about...