This was hard for me too. Seeing him in pain, wanting to comfort him, but refraining. I hadn't touched him for longer than thirty seconds since the night of his bachelor party.

"You're not happy and she's not happy,” I swallowed the lump in my throat as I looked at his tear stained cheeks. "You need to do what will make you happy, Kent."

"I just don't want to think about work. I just want to play a video game or watch a movie,“ he shook his head. "I just want to have some fun for once instead of worrying about everything else."

"Then close your expansion stores and keep the most lucrative one open. Take your life back and let Jen know that X is how much money you're going to make. Then take time to play a video game or watch a movie." I sighed softly, the fight leaving me as quickly as it had come. "I work a lot too, Ken. Two jobs. But I still manage to find time for fun. I'm not sure that this is all her fault.”

"I already told her I'd get rid of one and wouldn't open the other. She told me no. I've had offers on the business, but I've turned them down. I've tried, Elly. I have."

"It’s your business, Kent. And it’s your life. You need to stop letting her steamroll it, if that’s what you feel she’s doing here.”

I watched him, letting him run what I'd said through his mind a little longer. I turned my attention to the city landscape, it all looked so small from up here. Perspective was everything. From my perspective Kent was tired of Jen being unhappy with everything he’d tried to give her. And Jen was tired of feeling alone in her marriage.

Kent sat there for a moment before he finally spoke up, "I got some Mountain Dew at the house and I DVRed an old scary movie. You game?"

I opened my mouth to accept right away but paused. What would Jen think if she came home and saw me with Kent watching a movie on their couch? Would she care? Was she allowed to care? I was just his friend. But I had told her that I was tired and needed to get home for my early shift tomorrow. And shouldn’t Kent be spending this time with Jen to try to work things out?

"What about Jen? Shouldn't you ask her first? She also mentioned to me that she wanted to have some fun tonight. Maybe you two could spend some time together?”

He scoffed. "Then that means she was going to go out with her girlfriends. That means no dudes allowed. Sounds like that clears me to hang out with my best friends. Yeah?"