Tom stood in the quiet kitchen and looked around the room. The dishes from breakfast were still on the center island. There was a PADD on the island, he wondered what child forgot it. He started to gather the dishes and put them on the replicator. The front door opened and B'Elanna came in. She smiled at him before picking up the PADD. Tom wanted to go around the island and take his wife in his arms.
"Don't forget Xavier has practice after school and Selena has science club. Miral said that she was going to be at the library after school," B'Elanna said as she headed for the door. She didn't see Tom nod. "I might be a little late tonight." She said at the door.
Tom sighed before putting the last of the dishes away. He made his way downstairs to his office. He sat at the desk ready to work on his next holodeck novel, but something was stopping him. He felt something was off with his marriage. He will always love her, but he can't remember the last time they kissed or even had sex. When was the last time they told each other they loved each other?
Tom picked up his PADD to see the last message that B'Elanna had sent him. It was about B'Elanna working late and not waiting for her. He had to wonder if she still loved him. He can't remember the last time that it was just them. When was the last time they went on a date? They had tried to get a weekend together without the children to reconnect, but in recent months, they haven't even tried even when there were opportunities for them. Tom's parents were always willing to take the children for a night.
Tom ran a hand through his hair. He was going to have to talk to his wife, but the question was when. There was never a good time. He might have the kids stay with his parents this weekend and then he could talk to B'Elanna. He doesn't know if he could spend another night where they slept back-to-back. Tom wanted his wife back.
Dinner was almost ready when Tom got a message from B'Elanna. It told him that she was working late and not to wait for her for dinner. Tom threw his PADD on the counter when he wanted to throw it against the wall. Tom could see the children outside right now. Tom could see Miral reading a PADD, while Xavier was showing Selena something in the yard. Tom took a breath before calling the children in for dinner.
B'Elanna opened the front door slowly because she knew that everyone should be in bed. The lights were off on the first floor. She set her bag down and headed for the stairs she was ready to pass out in bed.
"Dim lights," B'Elanna turned around to Tom sitting in the living room.
"Tom," B'Elanna said. "What are you doing up still?" The last time she checked the time it was twenty-two hundred hours.
"I want to talk to my wife," Tom stood.
"Tom, it's late and I'm tired. I'm sure that you are tired, too. The kids have to be up at six." B'Elanna saw a dark look pass on her husband's face.
"When are we going to talk, B'Elanna? You are barely home and when you are home you are in your office. I feel that I am losing you," Tom hissed.
"Tom," B'Elanna said in quiet voice. She wanted to say more but nothing else was coming to mind.
"When you are ready to talk, I'll be in the guest room," Tom headed for the stairs that led downstairs. B'Elanna watched as he disappeared.
She stood there and didn't know what to say. She wanted to follow him and find out what is going with him, but she didn't think it was going to end well. They might say words that the other didn't mean. She went upstairs to their room. She changed and climbed in on her side of the bed. She was tired but sleep wouldn't come to her. When she couldn't sleep, she would curl into Tom, but he wasn't there.
B'Elanna took a sip of the coffee, she needed it after a restless night. She looked over to the kids and watched them eat their breakfast.
"Mom, where is Dad?" Selena asked. B'Elanna noticed that the older children looked up to figure out where their father was. Tom was always there for breakfast as long as they could remember.
B'Elanna took a sip. "I think he had an early meeting," She didn't want to tell her children that they were fighting. Selena took that answer, B'Elanna wasn't sure that Miral took that answer. The girl was twelve and thought that she knew everything. B'Elanna was her age when her own father left. He was barely here even after they made their peace. She didn't want that for children, even those B'Elanna had a feeling that Tom would be there even if they weren't together.
B'Elanna took another sip, she was going to have to talk to Tom. She glanced at a calendar. Today was going to be hard, but tomorrow was Friday, and the kids could spend the night with their grandparents or an aunt and uncle. "I think that he will be here when you get home," B'Elanna added to get Miral from giving her a look. "How do you guys feel about sleeping over at Grandma and Grandpa's tomorrow?"
Selena was all for it. Xavier asked if he could sleepover at friends. B'Elanna didn't have a problem with it. Miral said that she might find a friend to sleepover at instead of Grandma's. B'Elanna and told her to let her know what was going on.
The kids finished breakfast and B'Elanna got them out of the house and got to the academy before sending a message to her in-laws, telling them that Tom and her needed a night to themselves. B'Elanna sent a message to Tom about being there when the kids got home. She wanted to tell them that she loved him, and they could do anything, but she felt that they needed to work it out.
Tom came up from his office to find a quiet house. It was something unusual with three kids, who had the weekend off. Instead of children he found his wife, standing at the island with her head bent. There was a PADD in front of her. The evening light was coming through the window. Tom had to catch his breath because after all these years she could still take his breath away. She had a look on her face that made Tom smile. He wondered if it was a student's paper that had her making that face.
"Where are the kids?" Tom asked.
B'Elanna looked up and smiled. "Friend's house or your parents," She smiled and Tom's heart almost melted.
Tom nodded. "Why?" He made his way to the counter. He had a feeling what this was about and B'Elanna didn't want the kids to hear them. "Do you have somewhere to be tomorrow morning?" Tom asked. He saw a flash of hurt cross her face.
"No," B'Elanna frowned. "About the other night, you wanted to talk about us."
Tom sighed. "Do you still love me?" He asked.
"Yes," B'Elanna raised an eyebrow she was wondering where this was coming from.
"Then why do I feel like I am losing you?" Tom asked in a soft voice.
"How are you losing me?" B'Elanna asked.
"The only time I hear from you is when it's about the kids or you are going to be late. I haven't held you in my arms in months. I miss holding you at night. I haven't felt your lips on mine in months. We haven't said I love you in months and I don't remember the last time we had sex." Tom leaned against the counter.
B'Elanna closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tom. I have been busy at work and school. Between the kids and that something had to give, and it was you, Tom." Tom nodded. He didn't know what to say to that. He wanted to reach out for her. "Tom," B'Elanna said his name and he could tell that she was closer to him. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" She asked in a quiet voice.
"I don't know," Tom didn't know what else to say. Tom stood there and watched the sunset over their backyard. He thought about what he had been doing the past months and realized that he was at fault, too. "I guess with me working on my new holonovel and making sure the kids don't kill each other got in the way." He gave his wife a small smile. B'Elanna smiled because she knew that smile, he would use that smile on her in the beginning of their relationship to get out forget about a date or something they planned. Their son had that smile and knew how to use it on them.
"So, we are both at fault here," B'Elanna went over and stood next to her husband.
Tom put an arm around B'Elanna. "I guess so. We used to be better about spending time together," He turned to face his wife.
"We did," B'Elanna smiled. "Remember our tenth anniversary."
Tom smiled. They had spent the weekend in Paris. "I do. It got less as the children got older. We need another trip," Tom placed a kiss on B'Elanna's lips. "Maybe a week," He gave her another kiss. "Maybe two."
B'Elanna wrapped her arms around Tom's neck. "Let's get started tonight. No kids and nowhere to be tomorrow."
"Let's reconnect," Tom kissed her one more time before leading B'Elanna out of the kitchen and to their room.