Day with Lacy

"Doing alright." she shrugged. "Things are good with Phil again?" she asked as she adjusted Ajay on her lap.

Madison was playing in the sand...trying to make a sandcastle. She looked over at Allison. "Wanna make a castle?" she asked her.

"Yeah, thery are." Lacy nodded. "He found out about the bar guy, which didn't totally go in my favor." She laughed a bit.

Ally looked from her mother's hands to Madison. She tilted her head. "What's that?"

"Oh god, what happened when he found out?"

"Um...it's like...a house." she told her.

"Okay. Mommy, I go?" Ally asked.

"Yeah Ally, go ahead." Lacy told her and watched her run off a bit with Madison. She looked back at Ellie. "We argued, I hit him," she said quietly.

"Whoa, then what?"

Madison gave Ally a bucket. "You can put the sand in there."

Allison blinked before shrugging and started to grab the sand in her hands to put it in the bucket. Most of it slipped through her fingers, and after a while, she let out a small shriek of frustration. She looked at Maddie like 'WHY are you making me do this?' and pouted. "It don't work, I can't do it."

"He trashed the living room a little and put a dent in the wall, then he left. I don't know where, I didn't ask, but it could have been either the gym or Cabana's." Lacy shrugged. "We talked it out the next morning and he made me stop cleaning so I could go to bed, because I hadn't slept in like a day and a half anyway," she chuckled. She looked at Ellie, "I just... said something really nasty to him and that's how it started. Whole thing was my fault."

"You can do it." Maddie smiled. "Try with this." she said giving her a shovel.

"Ouch. You guys are really okay though? No awkwardness after that?"

Allison did so, and giggled happily. "Oh!"

"It was, but we are working to be okay."

Madison giggled. "You did it!" she grinned.

"Well good, gotta make sure my favorite couple is okay."

[well shit...i replied to the other topics as ellie -_____-]

"I do." Ally grinned and continued to help Maddie.

She laughed a bit. "We'll be okay. Eventually. How are we your favorite couple and not you and AJ?"

(Lol it is cool)

"Uh cause you two have the time to be a couple." she chuckled. "Plus, you guys are more interesting."

"Geez El, tell me how you really feel about your marriage," Lacy chuckled.

"I usually always do."

"What, spark not there anymore?"

"Pretty much."

She looked over at Ellie. "Have you talked to him about it?"

"No." she said. "I just don't bring it up because he's home like what....two, three times a month." she shrugged. "I just...don't try to argue with him or anything."

"Thinking about going again?" She asked quietly. Not that she condoned it, but Ellie had been in that position before, and Lacy had just recently been through it. She didn't think it was the answer to everything, but she got it.

"I don't know yet. Some days I think about it and think about leaving for good." she told her. "Divorce papers and all. Some other days though, I just wanna stay and work it out. Especially for Ajay and Madison." she shrugged. "I just don't wanna seem like I'm nagging him about it because I understand he has a tough schedule and that it kills him to be away, but I'm home all the time and I'm....lonely."

"You can always come up to Chicago and stay with us some time," Lacy offered. She sighed heavily, "I know you've been through this before El, but you can't just stay for Ajay and Madison, 'cause honestly, divorced or not, they hardly see him anyway. Don't mean to sound like a jerk, but it is what it is. I've only been through it once and almost made a terrible decision in leaving Phil, but you, this is the second time you've felt like this in what, six months? A year? El, you're my friend and I love you, I want nothing but the best for you and for you to be happy. And if that means leaving AJ for good, then... maybe that's what you need to do," she told her. "Maybe I am just an outsider looking in, but from what I can see, he prioritizes his job before you."

"Yeah, I see what you mean." she nodded. "I just...don't know what I want to do yet. I'm still thinking about things and if I do leave him, I want to make sure I'm situated with a new place and everything. I'll do something about it soon."

"Well, you know what's best. My doors are always oopen if you need somewhere to stay."

"Thanks." she smiled.

"Mhm." She nodded. "Has Maddie or Ajay said something about it?"

"They've just said that they miss him and want him home. Well...Madison makes it known anyway. Ajay just tends to be by my side when he's around, he's not used to having his dad around all the time, so when he comes home...it's a little strange for him."