WHO: Graciela and Alex Smith (NPC)
WHAT: :( Sad times, revelations, decisions
WHERE: Their bedroom
WHEN: Tonight


"Mackenzie thought you were under the Imperious Curse."

"Instead I'm just an adulterous bastard."

Graciela winced at the words, looking down at her folded hands. She and Alex had been sitting on the edge of their bed for the past hour, not able to look each other in the eye as he admitted the reasons behind his late nights at the office.

"You are not a---that word," she said, feeling herself heat up once more as she thought about the implications of his words.

"I am a bastard, Gracie," he said. She felt him turn toward her, but she couldn't meet his gaze. "I don't know how you're not ripping my head off or--or kicking me out of the house--"

"I am kicking you out of the house," Graciela corrected calmly, tilting her head even further away. Alex silenced and she felt him move away again.

She couldn't gather her thoughts; everything seemed to be moving like a slideshow, the second would last forever until something was done, said, to change into the next scene. Graciela refused to move things forward until she had to, and allowed Alex to do most of the talking.

"I'm sorry," she heard him say. Graciela nodded, her frown deepening. "I--I got this job that wanted me to go all over the world, and--I couldn't, and it pissed me off and I felt bad that it pissed me off because it shouldn't! I shouldn't--"

Graciela felt hot, so hot, but she was using all of her strength not to break down and cry. She knew what he wanted to say, she knew that he felt too guilty to actually say it. She could not understand how they were talking so civilly; could it be that she had resigned herself to their current situation long ago, but had not accepted it until now?

"I shouldn't have been upset, but I was, and I took it out on you, and Zac," he finished. Graciela saw him stand out of the corner of her eye. He began to pace in front of her and she ducked her eyes again. "I--I didn't do it to hurt you, I--I did it because I felt like I needed it so that I wouldn't bring my frustrations home, that I could have some part of this--world that I felt like I was missing."

She knew quite suddenly that he resented her. Maybe not her, as a person, but their situation. They were young, they had only been dating for three months before she was pregnant with his son, and they were married within the year. He had no time to think and decide if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her---she had been given no chance to decide this either, having been swept up and along just as easily as Alex. It had been a beautiful swipe of love and devotion, but contrary to her very loyal and faithful beliefs, it was not a never ending journey.

"I'm addicted," he said, making her clench her teeth. He was? Again? "To--not to---but to being...alone. I miss it, and I---"

He stopped in front of her, and she could feel his heavy breaths.

"I'm not saying anything that's going to fix this, am I?"

Graciela shook her head.

"You aren't either, that means something, doesn't it?" he questioned. Graciela nodded, feeling like her soul was trying to escape her, to leave her a lifeless mass. "I'll try to fix myself if you want me to, Gracie."

She shut her eyes. He'd said the wrong thing, again. Graciela's lips pulled back in a sad smile and she finally was able to lift her head and look Alex in the eyes. She was sad that the rush of love and adoration she'd always had for him was now a numbing coldness in her heart.

"I do not want to be with you," she said. Alex stared for a beat and nodded before running a hand over his face. She had never lied to him and always provided him with the truth, so he knew that she was not saying this words out of malice. Graciela believed this was the right thing to do, and Alex trusted her. That was something she hoped she always had with him, even if they were not in love like they used to be.

"All right. I--I am sorry," he said. Graciela felt her eyes begin to prickle as his voice cracked. "I don't know why I'm so calm."

"Because you love me, and I love you," she answered, making him choke back his words, "but we are not meant to be together anymore, it's not how it was planned."

"Don't go all super Catholic on me now," he said with a strangled laugh, "I'll be smote."

Graciela smiled and shook her head. She couldn't do any more than that, and stood, once again avoiding his gaze. With a nod she left the room and slipped into Zacharias' nursery where her son had awoken and was now peering through the bars of his crib, as if he'd been eavesdropping the entire time.

She gently pulled him out of bed and sat in the rocking chair with him, listening for the sounds of Alex's rummaging for clothes and whatever else he had to bring with him--who knew where he would go. Probably to his sister's, but it did not matter. Soon the crack of apparation was heard, and Graciela knew he was gone. She buried her face into Zacharias' hair and finally allowed herself to cry, holding her son close.

"Sad? Mami sad?"

"Yes, mijo, Mami sad," she wept. Zacharias touched her face, and she continued to cry.