Vows

Angelica had been avoiding Matt for almost a month, it had been driving Matt crazy. She walked around the house and lived her life day by day like nothing had ever happened, just like her old confident self. But Matt knew better. He knew that she was just covering up for the hurt she was feeling. It hurt him even more knowing that he caused it. And it hurt ten times worse knowing that she wasn't coming to him to deal with it. She wasn't handling it at all. Angelica was blocking it out of her memory, trying to believe that it never happened. And being a psychologist she knew her behavior wasn't good for her.

Matt sat alone on his living room sofa and looked in old photo albums. He was supposed to be in the studio but he had taken the day off, he needed to be alone. He flipped through the pages and froze when he landed on a picture of his one year old daughter Melody. He sniffed trying to hold back his tears. He took the picture out and cradled it in his hands.

He ran his fingers over the picture just as the front door opened and Angelica walked in holding a bundle of grocery bags. Noticing that she was having trouble with it, he stuffed the picture in his pocket and rushed over to her helping her with the bags. Matt grabbed a couple and placed them on the counter. Angelica placed her bags down as well.

"I thought you had to be in the studio today?" Making eye contact with him for the first time in what felt like weeks.

"I did I just needed to take the day off."

"Oh" She said right before she walked towards the stairs and towards their bedroom. Matt decided to follow her. She searched around their room for nothing in particular just trying to avoid Matt. She knew he was staring at her from the doorway but she didn't care or dare turn to look at him.

"Angelica? Baby we need to talk." She heard him say barely over a whisper.

"About what?" She said trying to act like she didn't know what he wanted to talk about.

"I know you heard what Jason said that night."

"Jason said a lot of things that night."

"Yeah but I know you heard what he said about us."

"There's nothing to talk about Matt." She said brushing past him and down the stairs.

"You know we have to discuss this. I mean we talk about Melody as if she was never here."

"Matt it doesn't matter I've dealt with this already. I'm a psychologist I've handled it already."

"But you haven't talked too me about it."

"Oh so now you want to come crying to me, like you did with Jason, now you want to come to me?"

"Its not like you ever gave me a chance. You were always hiding away from me or avoiding the subject of Melody completely. I had everyone to go to except for the one person I needed. I needed the comfort of my wife Angelica, not my friends."

"Well I'm sorry! Okay? Just-" She sighed "Just drop it okay?" She started walking over to the refrigerator but Matt pulled her back.

"Baby just look at this picture." He said pulling the picture out of his back pocket. He tried holding it up to her face but she shoved it out of the way and continued to the refrigerator. She pulled out a couple of bags.

"Okay do you want chicken or steak for dinner?" She asked him trying to drop the argument she knew was coming.

Matt finally got frustrated and grabbed the bags and through them down on the floor. "Angelica just look at the fucking picture!" He screamed

"Matt just stop it!" She hollered back walking away from him. He grabbed her from around her waist.

"Oh no you're not running away from this anymore."

"Matt just leave it alone!"

"No."

"You don't have to lie to me anymore you don't have to pretend. Just stop it."

"Stop what?"

"Stop pretending, stop lying to me. I know you hate me, I hate myself for what happened. You don't have to pretend that you love me anymore."

"I don't hate you. You're right I blamed you, I blame myself for what happened to but please just listen to me. Angelica just look at the picture." His voice was breaking and tears were starting to run down Angelica's cheeks.

Angelica was trying to tell him something but he kept trying to get her to look at the picture. "Matt listen to me... Matt... Matt listen!" She screamed. He instantly stopped talking and placed the picture down.

She ran her hands through her hair and breathed in deep before continuing. "I was in a rush that day. I had an appointment and I was running late and I had to drop her off at the daycare. I strapped her into the car seat I swear I did. But I didn't check. We were driving and we were almost to the daycare when she accidentally through her doll up to the front of the car. I grabbed it and started to hand it back to her when a car comes out of nowhere and smashed into us and now..." She was starting to choke on her words. "And now Melody's gone." She whaled before burying her face into Matt's chest. She gripped his shirt and he pulled her in closer than he thought could be possible.

"You know Matt I walk around all the time like I'm Angelica the Angel, like everything is perfect. I can handle a lot of things, but this? Matt I can't handle this."

"You don't have to go it alone, just let me be there for you, just let me be strong for the both of us."

She looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too Angelica, don't believe for a second that I don't." He said kissing her forehead right before, he picked her up bridal style and carried her up the stairs knowing that they both needed the comfort of their bed.