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Episode 71: The Missed Homecoming**
The steam from the shower felt like a thick, suffocating veil. Andrew sat on the floor of the tub, the water drumming against his shoulders, but he couldn't feel the heat—only the deep, rhythmic ache in his muscles and the sickening swirl of vertigo in his head. Sarah stood in the doorway, her silhouette blurred by the mist. Her chest felt tight, her heart fracturing at the sight of him so broken, so small. She wanted to reach out, to pull his head to her chest and tell him she was there, but her feet felt like they were set in stone.
Andrew’s hand caught the edge of the tile, his knuckles white as he forced himself up. He stumbled, his balance betraying him as he lurched out past her, dripping and trembling. He grabbed a towel, his eyes bloodshot and searching hers for a flicker of the woman he knew. "So, that’s it then?" he rasped, his voice cracking with a bitter edge. "You really don’t want anything to do with me? I’m on the floor, Sarah... dizzy, falling... and you just stand there and watch. Do you hate me that much? Was it a bad decision? Coming back... was it a mistake?"
He didn't wait for the silence to break. He pushed past her into the bedroom, moving with a frantic, shaky energy. He pulled on his clothes, his fingers fumbling with buttons, before grabbing a bag and zipping it up. He walked to the top of the stairs, the bag heavy in his hand. Sarah followed him, a ghost in her own hallway, her hands trembling at her sides. He stopped and looked back at her. "Really? Nothing? Just... nothing, Sarah?" She opened her mouth, a sob caught in her windpipe, but her voice was gone. She was so flustered in her head, feeling vulnerable and scared.
Andrew turned away, his shoulders slumped. He walked into the nursery, leaning over the crib to give the sleeping Alice a kiss on the forehead. "I’ll be at a hotel for now," he whispered, more to the sleeping baby than to the woman in the hall. "I don’t know what happens next." The front door clicked shut. Sarah collapsed against the wall, the tears finally breaking free in a silent, violent flood. She loved him, but she didn't know why she was acting this way. She was hurt and scared, and she didn't know how to express it in words.
Outside, Andrew couldn't bring himself to get behind the wheel. He began the long, lonely walk down the beach, the sand dragging at his feet, toward the hotel. Meanwhile, Sarah reached for her phone and dialed. "Mum..." Sarah’s voice broke. "He’s gone. Andrew... he just walked out. He fell in the shower, Mum. I just stood there. He asked me if I hated him, and I just stayed silent. I let him pack a bag and walk out."
"Oh, Sarah," her mother sighed. "You aren't a fool. You’re exhausted. You’ve been playing the soldier for months, keeping that house together while Andrew was away. Now that he’s back, you’ve simply run out of puff. But don't just sit there moping into your tea, girl. The lad didn't go to the moon; he went to the village. He’s likely sitting in some drafty room right now, staring at the phone. Put a cardigan on, check on the baby, and go and find your husband before the night gets any colder."
Andrew reached the ice cream shop by the conference center just as it was about to close. "Give me one chocolate waffle cone," he said to the worker, Jamie. She was polite and kind, preparing a double scoop. "We're not all legalistic here," she joked, seeing he was cold. She let him stay inside for fifteen minutes while she logged the inventory. Andrew thought about how he wanted kindness from his wife, not a stranger. Just then, the most unexpected person arrived.
"Hey, Jamie. Can I get a waffle cone? Two scoops, chocolate chip," the man said. Jamie sighed, "Oh, Ted, only because it's you." Andrew froze. He turned and said, "Ted? I didn't think you'd ever come back here." Ted sat down across from him. "I’ve been back a month now. It was a tough choice, but some of us just can’t stay away from the water. I tried the Midwest, but there’s no ocean there. I felt like I was suffocating."
Andrew looked at him. "I’m sorry, Ted. I know why you left. I know you loved Allyson... I know she truly loved you." Ted took a deep, shuddering breath. "I’m trying to get over it, Andrew. I'm trying to get past the fact that if you hadn't been involved in her life, she’d likely be standing here right now. She’d be alive. The only thing that got me through was reconnecting with Shelly. We’re both working here now. We’re back together and building something nice."
Ted stood up, his eyes hard but calm. "I don’t hate you, Andrew. God wouldn't want me to carry that. You made your decisions when you were pretty sick, with your wife on her deathbed, but we can’t hold on to those things forever. You have a nice day." He turned and left. Andrew took one bite of his ice cream, but it tasted like ash. He threw the rest in the trash, tipped Jamie, and walked out into the cold night air.
