Hannah leans away from her, the distress and fury clear on her face, in her body language. So closed off from Caroline, it stings. “And you decided to do it, anyway. You knew it wasn’t what I wanted and yet, you went ahead without even talking to me about it.” She rolls her lips, pursing them, her voice tight. “I’m going through this divorce because I’ve put up with that for ten years, do you understand that? And now, because you made him angry –”

She breaks off, shaking her head, shoulders drawn up tight as she stares out the window for a long moment. Then she stands, the chair jarringly scraping against the floor.

“I have to go get Abbie.”

Caroline shakes her head, quickly, just – she just needs to explain. “She’s coloring Easter eggs at my parent’s house, she’s okay there for another hour –”

Hannah holds up her hand to cut her off and the words fall down her throat at the determination in her gaze. Caroline leaves a tip on the table and they leave their coffees untouched.

The drive to her parents’ house is in tense silence. Caroline glances at Hannah every time she stops at a red light, because there are so many things she wants to say, but Hannah doesn’t seem open to hearing any of them.

But Hannah’s never been angry with her and it… it hurts. Guilt eats away at her even as the words to defend her actions keep formulating in her mind in a thousand different ways.

As she drives slowly up the street, her eyes landing on the familiar pale yellow exterior of her childhood home, she takes a deep breath – she can’t let the day end like this. She just needs to make it right, before there’s a real rift between them. Because the thought of that makes her stomach clench in fear.

When she cuts the engine, Hannah’s door is already being pushed open and she quickly reaches out to touch her wrist. Just a light touch, to stop her from getting out, and by some miracle it works. Even though Hannah’s posture is still so tight, it looks like she could break into pieces with how hard she is holding herself together.

“I’m sorry.” She feels helpless as the words leave her, but she feels that apology in her soul.

Hannah doesn’t say anything, but gives her an expectant look.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I should have, but –”

Hannah shakes her head, a humorless smile on her lips. “Apologies don’t count if they’re accompanied by a but. If I can teach that to Abbie, I’m sure it’s something you’ve learned, too.”