Speak To Me

What's Best

"Wait a minute." Polly said, staring down at the table in front of her.

Betty leaned far back in her chair as her hands formed into fists in her lap under the table, digging into her palms as usual. "You're really thinking about divorce?" She looked back and forth between her parents.

Alice's face had grown quite red and she finally lifted her head from her hands, looking up to Hal across from her. He sighed and closed his eyes before answering. "It IS something we talked about. Yes. But it's not set and stone."

"Well, then. Don't do it." Polly frantically added. "If it's not set and stone, you can work things out. Right?" She looked to her mother who held no readable expression. "Right?" When no one answered, she instantly pushed her chair back, running up the stairs.

"Wait." Alice cried. "Polly, sweetie." She stood, running up after her.

Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to run herself. Though she wanted to run out the front door. She knew this was coming soon. She just knew it. If only there weren't so many secrets around them. They would've figured it out sooner. Maybe she would've been able to stop it. As much as she wanted to run and as far as she wanted to go, she froze. Her body sat limp in her chair as she stared off into space.

"I think...maybe we should go." FP pushed his chair back but Hal put his hand on the table in front of FP to stop him.

"No. You know what?" Mr. Cooper sighed. "Just stay. I'll be right back." He walked around the table to Betty's side, looking down at her, waiting for her to say something. Instead, she just continued to stare at the wall. Hal slowly bent over, kissing his youngest on the top of her head before running up the stairs after the other two Cooper women.

"Polly?" Alice said as she sadly knocked on the door to her older daughter's bedroom. She remembered that the babies were asleep inside, so she knocked as gently as possible. "Baby girl, please let me in." She sniffled out in the hall, wiping away a tear or two.

"Alice." Hal said as he approached her.

She rolled her eyes upon his arrival and sorrowfully looked away. "Hal...why did you go and blurt it out like that?" She whispered.

"I don't know. I guess I just..." He thought of how sad Polly and Betty were the moment they heard and it broke his heart. He lowered his voice even more, standing outside Polly's door. "I guess I get a little jealous when FP is around and...it made me anxious. I'm sorry." He looked to the closed door. "There's no taking it back now."

Alice crossed her arms, leaning against the wall by the door. "Is it true what you said down there? That you changed your mind?"

Hal placed his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall on his side of the door facing her. "I...I really do love you, Alice. But...lately things have been kinda shaky. Maybe it IS time that we let things go and stopped fighting to make things work rather than having them work out naturally." He looked down at the floor. "We shouldn't be forcing it."

"So that means no?" Alice leaned her head against the wall. "You do still want the divorce?"

Hal never answered, but he didn't have to. Alice sighed and gently knocked on Polly's door once more. "Polly, hun?" Hal spoke through the door. "Can we come in, please?"

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper waited a few more seconds and finally, the door was opened. Polly looked at them for only a moment before turning and heading back to the crib. She sadly smiled down at Jason and Gemini, kissing her hand and touching each of their foreheads with it. Hal and Alice walked up behind her, looking in on the infants with delight.

Alice looked at Polly to her right and she reached up, pushing a stray strand of straight, blonde hair out of Polly's face. "No matter what happens, Poll. Your father and I still love you and Betty very very much. And we'll always love Jason and Gemini just the same. You know that." She held onto Polly's arm beside her before looking to Hal to say something.