"Dad, I'm home."

I walked out of my office, shooting Josie a smile. "Hey. How was your day?"

"Don't ask."

"Just did."

"Mrs. Ramirez gave me a C on my Spanish quiz," she said, knitting her brows together.

"Hacerlo mejor," I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm doing the best I can, Dad," she said, "she just hates me."

"Estas segura?" I asked, walking into the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm sure," she deadpanned.

"Where's Henry?" I asked.

"He dropped Cordelia off. Should be here any minute."

"What time is cheer practice?" I asked, "don't tell me, five?"

She smiled, holding up her hand for a high-five. I chuckled and gave her a high-five, opening the fridge.

"Is Mom home?" She asked, spinning around in her stool.

"Uh, no," I said, "she's with a client."

"Did you go to work today?"

"For a few hours this morning, yeah."

The door opened and Henry walked in, shooting me a smile. "Hey."

"Hey, how was your day?"

"Good," he answered, a smile on his face, "yours?"

"Good," I said.

He walked into the kitchen, looking over at Josie. "How'd you beat me home?"

"I don't have a significant other to drop off at home."

Henry shrugged. "Sorry about that."

"You got mail," I said, sliding an envelope across the counter to him.

"Wow, another college begging to give you a full ride?" Josie gasped, "fuck off."

"Well, when you're good at something-"

"Hey," I said, holding out my arms before Josie could launch at him.

"She's getting a full ride for academics," I said, "my little scholar."

"Yeah, suck on that," she said.

"Wasn't it you that made a C on a Spanish quiz?" Henry asked, bracing his elbows on the counter.

"Dad," Josie warned, pointing at him, "get him before I do."

"I was really just making sure I didn't have you confused with someone else," he said, shrugging.

"Henry, that's enough," I said, chuckling as I shuffled through the other mail.

"Wasn't you that completely butchered that field goal the other night?"

"You know I've been beating myself up about that-"

"What am I walking into? And do I need to walk back out?"

The kids turned around to face Alexis standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Mom," Henry greeted, smiling.

"Hi, my love."

Josie looked at her, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hi, my love," she greeted, again, placing her purse on the counter.

She pressed kisses to both of their cheeks, walking towards me. "Hey."

"Hey," I greeted, clearing my throat.

She avoided touching me at all costs, making me look at her from over my shoulder.

"What, you can't touch me anymore?"

She looked back at me, knitting her brows together. She shook her head and walked out of the kitchen, making me let out a sigh.

"Is she on her period?" Henry whispered.

"That's so disrespectful," Josie said, shuffling through the stack of mail.

"She's right," I said, "and I'm not sure."

Henry held up his hands. "When Cordelia's on hers, I have to stay really far back."

"I'd request that you stayed really far back all the time."

"Josie, you're so bitter," Henry said, "maybe I should set you up with someone. You know, the entire football team asks me about you every day."

"How flattering is that," she nonchalantly muttered, hopping off of her stool. "Uninterested. I'm a powerful, independent woman."

"That's right," I said, smiling as she walked upstairs.

~*~

"Hey, send it!"

Hero caught the football one-handed, making me clap my hands together. "Hell yeah."

He looked over at me, grinning. "Hey. I didn't know you were here."

He dropped his football and jogged over to me, flipping his sweaty hair away from his face.

"You need a haircut."

He sat down on the bench next to me, taking a drink of his water. "Yeah."

His eyes followed a girl that walked by, his bottom lip between his teeth. He bolted up from his spot, running to catch up to her. I chuckled and shook my head.

"Dad?"

I looked up, smiling when I saw Francesca. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi," she greeted, sitting next to me.

"How was your day?" I asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"It was good," she softly said, smiling as she placed her book in her lap.

Francesca was a carbon-copy of her mother. Quiet, soft spoken, kept to herself.

"Hey, Frannie," Hero greeted, smiling down at her.

"Hero, you know I hate that," she said, squinting up at him.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know you do."

"Hey, who was that?" I asked, nodding towards the girl that he'd left my company for.

"He hooked up with her, everyone knows," Francesca softly said, opening her book.

He gripped his hips, his eyes meeting mine.

"Oh," I said, bracing my elbows on my thighs.

"Yeah," he muttered, "I'll be done in a few, alright?"

I nodded and watched as he ran off, looking down at Fran. "What are you reading now?"

She held her book up to me.

"Anna Karenina," I said, smiling, "I used to read that to your mom."

"Yeah?" She asked, smiling up at me.

"Frannie, hey," one of Hero's friends greeted, "what's up?"

"Just reading," she said, squinting up at him.

I kept my eyes locked on him, lifting an eyebrow.

"Hey, Mr. King," he greeted.

"Hey."

"I'll see you around, Fran," he said, lifting his shirt to obviously catch her attention. I narrowed my eyes and he cleared his throat, running off.

"He seemed to be into you."

"What?" She laughed, "that's funny."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"Dad, he's Hero level popular."

"Well, I know when a guy's into someone, no matter their popularity status."

She tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile. If I could've seen Lena when she was fifteen, she would've been identical to Fran. Long, dark hair, brown eyes, soft features.

I stood up and walked over to Hero, catching the ball before he could. "Done."

"I had that in the bag, Dad," Hero groaned, leaning his head back.

"Can't beat your old man," I said, "hey, Fran and I are about to run home."

"Why isn't Fran staying?" Hero's friend asked, chewing on his lip.

Hero shrugged. "I can just bring her with me whenever I come home."

I looked back at her. She looked content on the bleachers, her eyes fixated on her book and nothing else.

"Don't be too long, okay?" I said, patting Hero's back, "and drive safe. Speed limit."

Hero smiled and nodded. "Be careful."

I walked over to Fran, smiling. "Hey."

"Hi."

"You're going to come home with Hero, okay?"

She looked up at me, nodding. "Alright."

"Okay," I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I love you."

"Love you, be safe."

I walked away from the stands and over to my truck, turning around to watch Hero. He was in his element. This was what Hero King was made to do, play every sport there was, and excel at it.

My phone began to ring, making me look down at it.

I answered Lena's call, smiling. "Hey."

"Are the kids still at school?"

"Yeah," I said, "Hero's playing ball, and Fran's watching-"

"I'm naked."

"Don't move, I'm on my way."

~*~

I knocked on the bathroom door, chewing on my lip.

"You can come in."

I opened the door, my eyes meeting Alexis. Her body was wrapped up in a towel that was slipping off of her.

I walked over to my side of the counter, leaning into the mirror to examine my facial hair.

I unbuttoned my shirt, making Alexis walk out of the bathroom. I bit down on my lip and watched, following her into the bedroom.

I walked into the closet and she grabbed her towel, holding it near her body. "God, Fred."

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Are we not allowed to see each other naked anymore?"

She grabbed her underwear, looking back at me.

"Lex, I don't know what the problem is," I said, grabbing my sweatpants, "but it needs to be fixed."

"Fred, there's no problem," she sighed, stepping into her underwear.

"Obviously there is," I said, "you can barely even look at me anymore. And for what, I'm not sure."

She brushed past me, making my eyebrows furrow. "Lex."

She slipped into a big shirt, standing in front of her vanity mirror. She finished off her skincare routine, making me slowly make my way over to her.

"Baby," I muttered, wrapping my arms around her from behind.

She looked at me through the mirror. I gently stroked her stomach with my thumb, my eyes meeting hers.

"Stop, please," she whispered.

I pulled away from her as quickly as she could blink, shaking my head as I walked back into the closet.

She leaned against the threshold of the closet, watching as I undressed and stepped into my sweatpants.

"Are you going to talk to me?" I asked, shrugging.

"I don't know what you want to talk about."

"What the hell is the problem?" I asked, "I mean, it's a stretch to even get a kiss. Not even a kiss, it's a stretch to even catch your goddamn eye."

"I'm sorry I'm stressed," she said.

"Hey, everyone gets stressed," I adamantly said, "but I know for a damn fact that the only thing that I want when I'm stressed is to come home to you."

She chewed on her lip, raking her hands through her hair.

"But whatever, Lex," I said, "whatever."

"Don't do that," she said, closing her eyes.

"Don't do what?" I asked, "push you away like you've been doing me?"

"I'm not pushing you away."

"Well, you're not pulling me in," I said, looking at her.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I placed my tongue in my bottom lip, shaking my head as I walked past her.

"Fred, we're different people now," she said, "you married a completely different woman."

"And guess what?" I asked, turning around to face her, "I have loved every single woman you've been."

She bit down on her lip, looking down at her hands.

"Every phase you've gone through, have I not been there?" I asked.

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Okay, so what is the problem?" I asked, cupping her face.

She looked up at me, biting down on her lip as she shrugged.

"I can't fix it if you don't-"

"Okay," she said, pushing my hands away, "maybe it's not something to be fixed, Fred."

I knitted my brows together. "What are you even saying right now?"

"That came out wrong," she muttered, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

I stood in front of her, my jaw taut.

"Maybe we should get some sleep," I said, gripping my hips.

"Yeah," she said, nodding, "I'm going to tell the kids goodnight."

I watched as she walked out of our bedroom, chewing on my bottom lip.

Alexis and I had never really had a spell in our marriage like this. We'd always been each other's wavelength, since day one.

We were off, though, and I wasn't sure how to fix it.

~*~

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