That afternoon, she stood in the kitchen, waiting for the popcorn to slow. She needed a break from work, but she also needed a break from the fear that her marriage was on shaky ground as they went barreling into the holiday season. She tried to be honest with him, but maybe she had taken it a bit too far. She pushed his buttons, she pulled away, she escalated a conversation that he had started in a genuine place, but then he made that comment. Referencing the most hurtful thing she had ever done to him, something that hadn't found its way into an argument since before Kristen was born. Was that her fault, too? Should she have dredged up the past? Is that why all of a sudden she was freaking out about his family and he was reliving that pain. They loved each other, they did. She was certain of that. They needed to lean into that love. If they could only let themselves.

He reentered the house, flowers in hand, hours later. The smell of popcorn wafting through the air. Alexis. His wife, whom he truly loved with all his heart. He heard her close the microwave and he walked into the kitchen with the bouquet of blue iris'. "I'm sorry," He said as she made eye contact with him, and she finished emptying the bag of popcorn into the bowl on the counter.

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She took the flowers and reached for a vase. He watched her arrange them perfectly and place them on the counter. She knew he was watching her, she waited for him to expand, they both knew why he came back with flowers. This wasn't just any fight.

"That last comment. It was uncalled for."

"Yes it was."

"I love you."

"And I love you, too, Ned, but this has got to stop." She stepped towards him and he mirrored her movement.

"What makes working at ELQ any different than doing the legal work for L ? Help me understand it." He took her hand as they met each other's gaze.

She could tell he was trying and so she explained the difference, "With L I can still keep my practice. I'm able to have other clients. L isn't a full time thing and I do it because I love you. I haven't really been a corporate attorney in a long time, Ned. And it's an all hands on deck, full time job."

"You're brilliant and I need you right now." He heard her, or at least he thought he did, but the expression on her face said otherwise and he didn't understand what he said that might send them straight into another fight.

"You aren't listening." She had hoped that maybe they were about to find a bridge. She was wrong. She pulled away.

"Yes, I am. You said it's been awhile since you've focused on corporate law and I'm confident that you're still just as good as you were back then."

"No, you aren't and I'm sorry, but I told Aubrey I could pick Addison up at Cam's, so she could have the afternoon off." She found an out before what was an apology escalated to yet another fight about why she wasn't going to sacrifice her career for ELQ.

"We'll finish this later then?" He was calm. They needed to find the middle ground.

"I don't think there's anything left to discuss. I told you, I'm not coming to work for ELQ, whether you're CEO or not. Maybe call Justus? I've got to go. I'll see you later." She left, leaving him standing there at a loss, but she was at a loss as well. She couldn't wrap her head around why he was so adamant about this or why he couldn't truly hear her.

Later that evening, Ned sat at the kitchen table, looking over a distribution deal, trying to give Alexis space as she worked in the office. They were walking on thin ice and today had tested them, exposing cracks he never thought would haunt them again. He thought they were past all of this. Maybe they never really solved any of it. He brought his attention back to the deal in his hands when Owen walked into the kitchen and approached him.

"Hey, Dad? Do you have a sec?" His parents had been eerily quiet all afternoon. He hated listening to them fight, but this, he felt, was somehow worse. He didn't want to interrupt, but he needed his dad's advice. It was important.

"What is it buddy?" He looked up and Owen pulled out a chair and sat down. He welcomed the distraction. Their kids were the only thing they seemed to agree on lately.

"Well it's about Addie…" It was awkward, but he needed to say something.

"What about her?" Ned asked, sensing the concern in his son's voice.

"I don't think she even knows about it, which is good. But, I do and I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"Should your mother be here for this? She's in the office and we can get her."

"No, I don't want to get into it in front of her. You can maybe tell her later. Is that ok? It's awkward enough."

"Sure, why don't you tell me what it is and we can take it from there…" His concern grew, what could possibly be happening that was worse than what his daughter was already experiencing.

"Well there's this list. It sort of happens every year and I've never even really thought twice about it until now. And this year, it sort of made its way online and I was invited to join the private group and I did. People are commenting. It's sort of gotten out of control."

"What's the list?"

"It's…well it's probably easier if I just show you." He said and took out his phone and opened to the private group that was created by kids at school and scrolled to the post put up by Morgan and a few other seniors."

Ned couldn't believe what he was seeing. "And your sister…she's on.."

"Number 7. They are rating her like a piece of meat, Dad."

"And you're involved?"

"I'm on the page, but I didn't make the list if that's what you mean."

"And this happens every year?"

"Pretty much. It's not the only list out there ranking girls at school, either."

"Why? Why would anyone do this to the girls at your school? At any school?"

"It's a list of girls they think are hot and they want to… or who are hot and might give in…you know..because they want to be popular." He let his thoughts trail. He knew his dad would get what he meant. Would be able to fill in the blanks.

"You mean to tell me it's a list of people they want to sleep with? A list of girls they are targeting to sleep with?" Ned was outraged for his little girl.

"Now you see why I didn't want to talk about this in front of Mom?"

"I do and you did the right thing by bringing this to me. You're sure your sister hasn't seen this?"

"I'm pretty sure. None of the girls they talk about are on the page. I looked. But what can we do? It's just out there and I'm not participating, but I feel like I should be doing more."

"Staying silent is doing something, Owen, and it's basically condoning it. You're a leader at that school. If you speak up, people will listen."

"But is speaking up enough? This page–"

"Is vile, it's sexual harassment and shouldn't even exist. But you should absolutely speak up. She's your sister for one and two, everyone should be able to feel safe at school and I don't see how any of the girls at your school can feel safe knowing about this."

"I'm just one person."

"You're a student with social capital and sometimes that's all it will take. Do you know what that means?"

"It means I'm popular and kids look up to me. Yeah, I get it."

"Exactly. You have power in this situation, so say something, leave the page, get others to do the same."

"If I leave the page, how will I know what they are saying about her? She's my little sister."

"You want to protect her, and that's admirable. But this is what I think you should do. The rest, well that needs to be left to the adults."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure yet. Can you send me that?"

"Yeah, I can screenshot some of it. Are you going to tell, Mom?"

"She's our daughter. Yes, I'm going to tell your mother."

"But are you going to tell her that I haven't done anything? I don't want her to be upset with me for being a bystander."

"She loves you and you're doing something now. That's what's important. That's what she'll see."

Owen nodded as Ned stood and patted his son's shoulder, before heading towards the office. He knocked lightly on the door and she looked up as he opened it "Ned, I really don't want to fight about this again today. Please let it go." She pleaded.

"It's about Addison." He was serious, solemn.

"Oh." She said, immediately giving him her full attention and he closed the door, which only made her worry. "What's wrong?" She asked as she started to stand.

"You're going to want to sit for this," he said as he pulled over the chair in the corner and she sat back down facing him. "Owen came to me for advice about something happening at school. There's this list circulating and Addison is on it. It's made its way online."

"A list? A list of what?" She was confused.

"Freshmen girls who they want to sleep with or who they could target and might cave into sex to be popular."

"Oh my god." She leaned forward, resting her elbows in her knees and brought her hands to her face as she processed. She closed her eyes and inhaled before she made eye contact with him again and cautiously asked, "does she know?"

"Owen didn't think so."

"I'm glad he went to you." She said quietly as she reached for his hand.

"It's sexual harassment, right? There's some action we can take here." Ned said, looking for her assurance. She knew the law.

"We need to notify the school. They need to investigate and we can take it from there. But yes, there are avenues we can pursue if needed. I'd need to do some research into precedent."

He nodded. "I think you should talk to her. She needs to know about this. She needs to be aware, to protect herself. I know the two of you are, well not on the same page at the moment and I'd do it or I'd do it with you but…" He knew it would be less awkward if she handled it and it would be more comfortable for his daughter.

"No, you're right it needs to be me." Alexis agreed and stood. He followed and pulled her towards him before she left the office to head upstairs and she reciprocated the embrace. An embrace that wasn't just about assuring each other their daughter would be ok, but one that told the other they did still need and want the other. That they were sorry.

A few moments later Alexis stood in her daughter's doorway. "Hey peanut? I know I'm not your favorite person right now, but I need to talk to you about something important."

"Ok." She said taking her headphones completely off and closing her laptop as she turned in her chair to face her mother.

"It's about something happening at school." Alexis said as she entered the room and sat on the end of the bed, facing her daughter.

"I told you, I won't engage anymore. You took away my phone. Isn't that enough?" She tried not to be annoyed. She didn't want to battle with her mom anymore. It required too much energy to try and hate her, when she knew she needed her mom more than anyone right now. Her mom got her.

"This isn't related. Or maybe it is. I'm not sure." Everything that seemed to be happening to her baby was happening online, in an environment that seemed so foreign and out of her control and she hated it.

"Mom, what's going on? You seem worried." Addison turned serious.

"I am. I'm worried about you."

"I'm ok, really. I know I lost it on you, more than once. I was just angry. But I really am sorry."

"I know you are and I am, too. This is bigger than our fight about your phone. I love you so much Addison. I don't ever want to see anything happen to you." Alexis reached to push a stray hair that had fallen from Addison's ponytail behind her ear.

"You're acting strange."

"I know. It's just a hard conversation to have."

"Well I'm listening, and I promise I won't snap. I'm kind of over being mad at you." Addison said as she pulled her legs underneath her and tried to let her mom know that it was ok.

She nodded and inhaled, taking a deep breath before she asked the question she wasn't really sure she wanted the answer to. "Do you know anything about a list of girls' names circulating at your school?"

Addison froze. "What about it?"

"You know?" That was not the reaction she was hoping for. She had hoped Addison would have been in the dark. It would have been easier if she hadn't known at all.

"About the Top 10 Freshmen list? Yeah. I know. It's disgusting and it's not the only list out there. I'm not oblivious., when you keep to yourself people tend to forget you're there and you hear things."

"And you know you're on it?" She asked cautiously.

"I'm on it?" She was shocked. It was not news she wanted to hear.

"Yes."

"Why would I be on that stupid list? Wait- how do you know? Have you seen it?"

"No, I haven't. Your father has though. Owen showed it to him. Your brother is trying to protect you."

"Daddy knows I'm on that list? The list that basically says…" She felt sick.

"I know, baby, I know." Alexis reached for her daughter and pulled her into her arms.

"He doesn't think I'd ever…" She said as she moved to sit on her bed next to her mother.

"No, no he doesn't."

"I don't understand. I don't even have real friends there. Why would anyone put me on that list? I'm not popular. I don't even get invited anywhere. Why would anyone think I would do those things?"

"That's why. Some boys think you'd do what they wanted so that you could be popular. So you would get invited. They naively think that's what all girls your age want."

"They think I'd have sex with them to fit in? No. Never. Then, they'd just call me a slut. It would backfire. Mom, you have to believe me, right?"

She breathed a sigh of relief that her daughter seemed to fully understand the social dynamics she was up against. "I do and you are so wise. How did you get to be so wise?"

"Is that it?"

"Well, no. I want to make sure you know what to do to protect yourself."

"We've had this conversation. I know and I'm nowhere near ready for that."

"Yes we have and I'm glad to hear that, but I mean if someone is pressuring you. If you're ever in a situation with a boy that is pushing you to do something you don't want."

"Oh." This was not what she wanted to talk about that afternoon.

"Always remember, it's ok to say no, Addison. It's ok to say no and fight back if needed, if he doesn't stop, ok? Don't ever let someone touch you in a way you don't consent to first. You do whatever it takes to keep yourself safe. Whatever it takes." She paused, emphasizing her last point. "And if you ever find yourself in a situation that makes you uncomfortable. You call me and I'll come get you no questions asked. If you can't reach me, you call your father or any other adult you trust, ok?"

"I'd need my phone back to do that, Mom."

"Nice play there my love."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"You can have your phone back." She conceded, it was about her daughter's safety. She wrapped her arms around Addison and hugged her tight, hoping she would never experience anything they just talked about.

"How will you know not to be mad and ask questions? It's kind of what you do and I'm sure eventually I'd want to talk to you, but how would you know to just come get me and not to ask what happened right away, so we won't fight?" Addison asked as she pulled away from her mother.

Alexis paused to think about what she asked, in awe of how grown up she seemed. "We need a code. A secret code word or phrase that only you and I know about. Use it and I'll know."

"That's a good idea." She paused and thought about it. "What about guacamole?"

"Guacamole?" She questioned and laughed.

"Yeah, it's so random, but it's actually pretty normal, so it wouldn't be weird to work into a conversation in front of other kids. We never have it here, so if I were to say ask you if we have guacamole, you'd just know to come get me and something was wrong."

"Guacamole it is." She hugged her daughter one last time. "I love you so much, Addison. You know that right?"

"I know. I love you, too, Mom. Now I really do need to finish this essay for English…"

"Ok, I'm leaving. I'm leaving." Alexis said, taking the hint and letting Addison get back to her homework. She walked downstairs and saw Ned sitting on the sofa in the living room. She silently walked in and sat close. She gently lifted his arm and pulled it onto her lap, taking his hand.

"How'd it go?" He asked cautiously.

"She's ok. She's very much aware and we have a plan, which included getting her phone back."

"Good. I'm glad you two made up. It was hard to watch you at each other's throats. You've never had that type of relationship with her."

"I know. I hated it, too. You were right this morning." She agreed and they sat there in the silence, holding hands, both still afraid to talk about anything other than their children for fear they'd fight.

"Alexis?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we ok?"

"I don't know. I really don't know." She said as she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder.