Careless Whisper

It had been a while since he had had a proper dinner with his family. Horatio walked in to find his wife in the kitchen cooking and Tilly setting the table. He wrapped his arms around her, but she shrugged him off. She was still mad about him not informing the police.
"The food smells good," he said as he dipped his finger into the pot and licked off the soup. He left and went upstairs to change. He wondered what his son was doing in his room. Not long after, he heard his wife calling everyone downstairs. The food looked beautiful with the exception of the slightly burnt meat.
"Let's say grace," Juliette said as she looked at Tilly, "bow your head!"
Tilly did as her mother said. The four of them held hands as Nathaniel prayed for the food. There was a lot of tension at the table as they passed around the dishes. Their mother who was always smiling, seemed extremely angry. Horatio could not stand the silence.
"So, what were you doing when I was at work?" Horatio asked his wife as he cut the chargrilled meat on his plate.
"Cleaning," she snarled, "but I don't expect you to understand what that is."
She took a huge bite of her roast potato and began to chew on it hungrily, it was not a pretty sight. He had been worrying about how he was going to face his wife and he even feared he was just going to break down. However, his wife was making it too easy for him. He was starting to not regret his previous actions
"Son, tell me about school today? Anything interesting happened?" he said as he turned his attention to Nathaniel.
"Not really no," Nathaniel mumbled as separated the broccoli from the rest of the food.
"Tilly?" Horatio asked, hoping for an answer, but she just shook her head. The last time they had had dinner, everyone was laughing and talking about their day. The rest of the night was spent in silence and passed by with excruciating slowness.
"I'm going to take the dog for a walk," Nathaniel said as he got up and went outside.
"Okay, take your phone with you. Tilly, clear the table," Juliette said as she got ready to wash the dishes.
"But I set it," Tilly protested, "why can't Nathan do it!? I'll take the dog for a walk."
"Tilly, do as you are told," Horatio butted in. Tilly rolled her eyes and angrily began to do her chore.
"Tilly!" Juliette shouted as she threw the sponge into the sink, "you roll your eyes again and I'll slap them to the back of your head you hear me! You have been acting like a spoilt brat lately and that HAS to stop, you hear me!"
She moved closer to her daughter, causing Tilly to take a step back, "I bought you into this world and I WILL take you out. Now if you know what's good for you, you're going to lose the attitude and work with a smile on your face. Bloody hell, acting like setting the table deserves a reward. You cannot begin to comprehend the amount of work I have to do when you are at school. Do you ever hear me complaining?"
"No," Tilly replied, her voice muffled, her heart beating fast. She feared her mother would strike her at any moment. It was no secret that something had snapped in her.
"Exactly," she said as she grabbed the plates out of Tilly's hands and put them in the sink. She let out a frustrated shrill and began to wash them. Horatio told Tilly to go upstairs as he took over from her. After clearing the table and wiping it, he began to dry the dishes.
"Juliette," he began, "what's going on with you?"
She began to play with her ring, a habit she had started ever since the Damon case.
"I...I'm leaving," she said as she gained the courage to look at Horatio in the eyes, "this....I."
Tears began to pour out her eyes. Horatio tried to hold her, but she pushed his hand away.
"I talked to my mum," she choked, "I'm going to be staying there for a while and when the kids close school they'll be coming too."
She looked out through the window and saw what used to be. All four of them playing ball outside. The days they would spend holidays together in exotic countried were but distant memories now.
"Juliette, why?" Horatio asked, trying to understand her logic.
"I just don't think I want this anymore," she looked at her ring as a tear drop fell onto it, "we may try to pretend that everything is okay, but don't you feel it. This....this marriage just doesn't have a future. We keep holding onto something that's already lost. What I'm trying to say is that I just don't...well, I just really don't love you anymore Horatio."
"Don't say that," Horatio begged, "we can work things out, I know we can."
"NO WE CAN'T!" she shouted, "it's over. I've thought about it over and over and over again, but this isn't working. Don't you get it, I want out. I don't want to be your wife anymore. Yes I was happy when you were made Warden, but I didn't realize it meant that we would become the dsyfunctional family I always dreaded we would become, that we would become that very same thing YOU promised me we wouldn't become. Did you see the children? They wanted to be somewhere else and I have been putting up with this for the past few weeks. When was the last time we were away on a holdiay? Can't remember? Neither can I....because it has been that long. The whole stunt you pulled the other day, walking in drunk without a care in the world...that just pushed me off the edge."
Horatio looked at his wife, his beautiful Juliette. How could this be happening to him? He could not let her go. He could not allow her to walk out the door.
"I won't let you go," he said as he held his wife. She tried to push him off, but this time he didn't let her push him away, he was not going to allow her to.
"I never knew that I could feel this way about a person. When I had thrown my life away and was in a dark place, you came into my life and showed me how to love. You taught me what it takes to be a man. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. To laugh with you, take care of you, and be the person you can depend on," Horatio said as his warm tears soaked into Juliette's top, "I vow to love you today, tomorrow and forever. I vow to love and cherish you. I promise to laugh with you during the good times and to cry during the bad. I will help you up when you fall down..."
His voice trailed off as he recited the wedding vows he had said to her on their wedding day. He had never cried so hard in his life. Horatio felt as Juliette's hands began to slowly embrace him, giving him the courage to continue.
"No matter what happens, I will love you and always be there for you. I will stand by you from this day forward, for better, for worse.....for richer, for poorer....in sickness and in health....until death do us part."
The room became silent, only the cries of the couple filled the atmosphere.
"I will not go back on my vows, no matter how hard it gets Juliette I will remain strong. You may think this marriage has no future, but I will continue fighting for it because without you I am nothing and it hurts me to know that it took you to say that for me to realize it," Horatio confessed as he looked at his wife. She wiped away his tears and she sobbed, "Please give us a second chance Juliette. I promise you, you won't regret it. Please."
She smiled as more tears poured out. Though he didn't realize her, she had decided to stay the moment she heard him cry. She nodded her head and hugged him so more. He let out a joyful laugh, though it was more of a sound than a laugh. With happiness in his heart, he lifted Juliette up and took her upstairs, glad they were able to work things out.