What She's Doing Now (Sequel to The Great Pretenders)

Burn

By Usher

Think its best we go our separate ways.

Tell me why I should stay in this relationship

When I'm hurting baby, I ain't happy baby?

Plus theres so many other things I gotta deal with.

I think that you should let it burn.

Matt opened the door to his home and dropped his keys and bags in the foyer. Most of the guys had been picked up by their significant others but he guess Val had forgotten he was returning. Or maybe at this point she didn't really care.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Lucy was still with them and he didn't know how Val would have reacted. He was actually glad to be able to spend some alone time with her. It gave him the strength he needed to embrace the decision of wanting to be in Charlie's life. He promised to get with her late in the day, after he'd had his talk with his wife, about telling Charlie the truth.

He entered the living room where the big screen TV was playing "Big Hero Six." River came running from around the corner and when he saw his father, he changed course.

"Dada!" the little boy cried extending his arms and Matt happily obliged picking him up and embracing him.

"Hey there, big guy," he said planted a kiss on the boys forehead "Where is your mom?"

River pointed toward the direction he'd just run in from. Matt nodded and called "Val!"

He waited a bit and when she didn't appear, he moved toward the direction of the bedroom. He stopped at the door only to hear her hushed tones "Matt is here. I have to go. Yes, he'll be gone Thursday morning. Okay...yes...can't wait. Bye."

"Mommy!" River cried and she turned quickly giving Matt a warm smile.

"Hey there, you, you're home," she said moving to give him a kiss on the lips. Matt returned it but it seemed forced on both of their parts.

"You forgot me?" he said as he watched her move some of her clothes from the laundry basket to the dresser drawers.

"No I didn't," she replied "Jason said he'd get you home so I wouldn't have to bring River out. He has a summer cold."

Matt nodded and examined his son closer. He did seem to have a stuffed up nose and red cheeks. "So how was the first month on the road?" she asked.

"Tiring," Matt confessed "We're not as young as we used to be."

She chuckled softly. "You're not that old, Matthew."

"I feel like I am," he replied honestly as River squirmed off of his lap after he sat on the bed.

She shrugged him off and continued putting laundry away.

"So what's been going on with you?" he asked lying back on the bed. "Anything interesting?"

Her eyes widened and then her expression returned to normal "Not really. Same old stuff."

River ran back in the room and brought a popup book. "Dada," he called again lifting his arms for Matt to place him on the bed next to him.

Matt waited for her to stop and have conversation with him but she didn't slow her pace. So after about ten minutes of watching her put laundry away, he finally interrupted.

"Val?"

"What?" she said grabbing hangers from the large walk in closet.

"Can you stop for a second? I need to talk to you."