I Could Rest Beneath Your Smile

Two days ago, the doctors had determined that the cause of Elise’s seizures had been a vitamin B6 deficiency. They had found out that there was an improvement in her EEG patterns after she had been administered vitamin B6. Though, they could not tell why Elise had a deficiency when Noah did not. Either way, they were allowing Elise to be released from the hospital on strict orders dealing with vitamin B6.

The doctors had told Brooklyn and Max that while they believed that this was the cause of the seizures, they still needed to keep a close eye on Elise over the next few months to make sure the seizures did not continue. If she ever did have another seizure, she needed to be taken back to the hospital immediately.

Brooklyn had been hesitant to bring Elise back home. It wasn’t that she didn’t want her daughter back home, but she was worried of what would happen if she did have another seizure. She couldn’t help but think that they had been lucky last time by getting her to the hospital in time. But, what happened if she didn’t get there in time the next time it occurred.

Max had assured Brooklyn that everything would be okay. He told her that he would stay home and away from work a little while longer, and he and Brooklyn would keep a close eye on both children, making sure that nothing happened to either one of them. And, if either of them were to get sick, they would get them to the hospital in time.

That had been enough to ease Brooklyn’s fears for the time being. But, then Max had gotten a call from the Penguins management telling him that since Elise was out of the hospital, they expected him on the plane for their road trip the following day. He had tried to explain to them that he wanted a little more time off to stay at home and make sure that Elise was okay, but they wouldn’t budge and had demanded that he be on the trip.

And, now here he stood in the living room, arguing with Brooklyn over it. She was furious at him because he had promised to be there with her for the next couple weeks for their children. He tried to explain to her that he really didn’t have a choice in the matter, but she refused to listen to him.

“Max, our daughter just got out of the hospital, and you’re just going to leave?” Brooklyn questioned, looking up at her husband with wide eyes.

“Brooklyn, I don’t really have a choice,” Max told her. “It’s a road trip, and I have to be there. I tried to get out of it, but they won’t listen. I signed the contract, and they’re making me go.”

“So, then your job is more important that your daughter, who’s fighting for her life right now; your son who’s probably wondering why Mommy and Daddy aren’t around very much anymore; and me, your wife, the one person that needs you more than anything right now?” she asked, getting angrier with every single word.

“Someone’s got to work to pay for the family,” Max countered.

Brooklyn’s eyes widened, unable to believe that he had brought that up. They had made a mutual decision to have her quit working and become a fulltime stay-at-home mother. She had argued against it at the beginning, but she finally agreed, realizing it was the best thing for everyone. “You know what? Why don’t you just go? Leave, Max. It’s not like you’re ever here anyways. I’m surprised your children even know who you are!” she yelled.

“Am I talking to my wife or my mother-in-law right now?” he questioned.

“And while you’re gone, why don’t you go ahead and fuck whatever hot girl you can find first? I’m sure it won’t take too long to find one. I mean, they do throw themselves at you all the time, right?” she yelled.

Max stood there, staring at Brooklyn. “Where is this coming from, Brooklyn?” he asked. “You know that I love you and only you. I’m married to you. I have children with you,” he emphasized.

“You’re married to me because you knocked me up,” Brooklyn spat.

“You know that’s not true,” Max told her.

“Really, Max?” she questioned. “I’m pretty sure that if I never got pregnant that you never would have proposed.”

“You know better than that.”

“Max, I’m asking you to make a sacrifice for your family. We need you right now more than the team needs you. Please, don’t go,” she begged.

“I have to go,” Max told her. “Management’s making sure that I know that it’s mandatory for me to go. They don’t care about my family. They care about the team.”

“Tell them to fuck off, then,” Brooklyn yelled.

“I can’t do that. It’s my job,” he told her.

“At one point, you said that your family would be more important than your job. Whatever happened to that?” she questioned.

“I already told you that I need to work so we have money. Brook, we need money to pay for all of these hospital bills that Elise has.”

“We’ll figure out a way. We need you here.”

“Brooklyn, I’m going,” he told her.

“I swear to God, Max, if you leave,” she began.

“What?” Max asked, knowing she was bluffing. “What are you going to do?”

“Max, I’m not kidding right now,” she said through gritted teeth. “If you leave, you might as well go fuck the first girl you find because you won’t have me anymore.”

“I’ve got to go, Brooklyn,” he told her once again.

“Then say goodbye to me because I’m out of your life,” she told him, walking out of the house, slamming the door behind her. She walked to her car furiously. She threw her keys into the ignition, speeding off down the road.

She eventually ended up in front of Jocelyn’s apartment, and she shut off her car, grabbing her purse off of the passenger’s seat and made her way up the stairs. She knocked on the door and was met moments later by Jocelyn. “Brook, what’s up?” Jocelyn asked, letting her inside.

“Can I stay with you tonight?” Brooklyn asked, tears forming in her eyes.

“Of course,” Jocelyn told her, as Tia stood up from the couch, walking over to where Brooklyn was. “But, why? Don’t you want to be home with Max and the kids?”

“I think Max and I are through,” Brooklyn told them.

“What?” Tia asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Brook, come sit down and explain everything,” Jocelyn ordered, as she walked over to the couch.

Brooklyn proceeded to tell her about the argument that she and Max had. “I don’t get it. He told me that he would be there with us for a couple more weeks. I know that he was going to have to go back eventually, but he promised he’d be here for a little while longer. And, honestly, I don’t know if I can handle it anymore. I’ve always been supportive of his career. I know that he loves what he does, but there are some things that are more important than a career. And, family is one of those things,” she argued.

“Brooklyn, I agree with you, but you can’t just walk out on him. We both know that if he could get out of going on the road trip that he would. But, he can’t,” Jocelyn explained calmly.

“You’re taking his side?” Brooklyn asked incredulously. She turned her attention to Tia. “What about you?”

“I’ve got my own problems to deal with without taking sides on yours,” Tia told her. “Brook, you’ve got to talk to him.”

“I can’t talk to him right now,” Brooklyn told her. “Eventually, but not right now. I’m furious that he’s choosing his career over his family.”

“Brook, just stay here tonight and take some time to calm down. But, I expect you to go home in the morning and talk to Max before he leaves for the road trip tomorrow afternoon, okay?” Jocelyn asked her.

“Yeah, sure,” Brooklyn muttered.