Waking up in bed the next day Anne opened her eyes and stretched some as the sun came through her window. Looking beside her in the bed at her mom's house she smiled seeing John on one side and Carl on the other. It had been awhile since she woke up like this but she wouldn't complain. She liked every bit of time she got with her boys.

Slipping out of bed unnoticed she left the room and headed downstairs where she found her mom at the stove, "Morning mama," she smiled as she went to the coffee pot where there was already coffee waiting. Of course her mother had made coffee. Her mom was like Tristan and couldn't live without it.

"Morning baby girl," Evelyn grinned as she turned to look at her daughter. "You know that husband of yours must really love you," she spoke as she watched her daughter get a cup of coffee. "I mean he's been calling the house for the last hour wanting to talk to you. The last time he called I told him that if he didn't stop I'd turn the phone off," she laughed as she shook her head. "He wants you to come see him at the studio."

Anne closed her eyes and sighed at her mom's words, "I don't know if I want to see him," she spoke honestly as she sat down at the kitchen table once she had a cup of coffee in her hands. "I am still pissed about what I heard him say last night," she frowned some. She couldn't believe he had told Natalie that he did wonder what it would be like if he had married her instead.

"I mean it hurts that he wonders what-if he hadn't married me and married Natalie instead," Anne shrugged wondering if maybe she was overreacting. Maybe she should at least let him explain things.

Evelyn turned to look at her daughter briefly, "Anne that man may wonder what-if all he wants but he is with you. He stayed with you through everything. All the stuff your dad put him through, the hard times paying bills during the first year of your marriage to having Carl not long after having John. He loves you and I think you should go see him. Work this out like adults. You know it's the Godly thing to do."

Rolling her eyes as her mom mentioned them working things out as being the Godly thing to do she drank more of her coffee remaining silent. Her father may be a preacher but that didn't mean she was religious. She had stopped caring so much about her faith the moment the whole town labeled her a whore for becoming pregnant at seventeen.

"I'll think about it," Anne finally spoke as she finished her coffee and stood up taking the empty cup to the sink. "That's the best I can do right now mom."

Evelyn sighed but knew she would just drop the subject. Her daughter could be stubborn at times and obviously right now was one of those times. "If he calls again you're answering," she spoke as she shook her head. "He's your husband not mine and I'm not going to be involved in this anymore."

______________________________________________________

Tristan sighed to himself as he sat in his studio. It was almost noon and he had listened to Anne's mom. He hadn't called her anymore even if he was dying to call her. He just wanted to talk to Anne and tell her that she had misheard things. That she had missed him telling Natalie that he wouldn't take back being married to her.

Looking up when he heard the door open he had hope that maybe it was Anne coming to see him but that hope deflated the moment he saw his brother coming into the part where his office was.

"Don't look so sad to see me," Isaac teased as he sat down in the empty chair in the office. "I got all ten of your voice-mails though. I am pretty sure you fucked up royally with your wife."

Tristan glared at Isaac's words, "Tell me something I don't already know," he sighed as he shook his head. "I fucked up with her and now she won't even talk to me. Her mom keeps answering whenever I call her parents and I just want to speak with her. Explain that she had heard things wrong."

Isaac just shook his head, "You shouldn't have even told Natalie what you did. I mean if Marit or Kate came back into my life like hell would I tell them I did wonder what if. I'm happy with Nikki and our soon to be growing family."

"It wasn't what I said that made her leave though," Tristan frowned as he went back to Anne's words after she had misheard the conversation. "Okay maybe that was partly it but I kind of told her to leave me," he admitted knowing he had left that part out during his voice-mails to Isaac. "She said she wondered what if too and went into some rant on how her life would be better without me. It stung and it hurt and I told her if she wanted that she could leave."

Grimacing at his brother's words Isaac looked down, "Then maybe this break is a good thing Tay," he said honestly. "I mean every marriage hits a rough patch and if she was wondering that then maybe her being away from you for now is good because she can decide if she wants the life without you that she wonders about or she can realize how much she loves you and her life with you and she'll come back."

"But I don't want her to decide she likes the life without me," Tristan told his brother as he made a face trying to picture his life without Anne or the boys there every day. It was hard to do and it hurt him to consider it.

_________________________________________________________

Anne groaned out loud as she parked her car on the busy street downtown.Once she was out of her car she went to the backseat where she got Carl out of his booster seat and put him down on the sidewalk holding his hand as she walked over to the other side of the car and got John out also putting him down and holding his hand as well. It was easier if she had both boys on either side of her as they crossed the street leading to Tristan's studio.

Tristan hadn't called since the last time he talked to her mom and now it was going on lunch time. She had taken the boys out for lunch and before she had even left the restaurant Carl and John had both piped up that they missed their daddy and wanted to see him. Anne knew she may have been mad at him but she couldn't keep his kids from him and they hadn't seen Tristan at all yesterday so she'd let the boys come see their dad.

When they made it to his studio Anne raised an eyebrow as she stopped at the doors as Isaac was coming out of the place. She hadn't expected to see anyone but Tristan here or maybe Natalie since it seemed Tristan fucking missed her and wondered about life with her.

"Ave," Isaac smiled as he let the door shut behind him. He didn't want Tristan to come rushing out here and seeming pathetic which was why he had waited to say her name until after the door shut. "I wasn't expecting to run into you today," he said as he looked down at his nephews who were on either side of Anne.

Anne shrugged as she returned Isaac's smile, "The boys and I went out for lunch and they wanted to see daddy before we went back to Nana and Paw-Paw's," she said using the terms her boys used for her mom and dad. "I couldn't let them down."

Isaac chuckled some at his sister-in-law's words and he knew in that moment he couldn't wait until his own child got here, "I am sure Tristan will love that," he said as he bent down to his nephew's levels. "How are you two doing huh? You still my buddy Carl?" he asked as he looked at Tristan's youngest son. Both boys were spitting images of his brother. He swore if it were possible Tristan could have just carried them and birthed them himself.

Carl looked at his uncle Isaac and nodded his head, "I your buddy," he smiled as he leaned into his mommy trying to act shy.

Isaac laughed at his nephew's shyness before turning to John, "And you Mr. John need to stop growing on me."

John shrugged as he looked at his uncle, "Daddy says I have to grow though so I can become big like him."

"Do you really wanna be big like him?" Isaac asked John as he raised an eyebrow curiously. "I mean if you are big like him you won't be able to hold your mommy's hand anymore."

Making a face John frowned at that thought, "Then maybe I will stay little," he said not sure if he wanted to get too big that he had to stop holding his mommy's hand.

At that Isaac laughed before standing up and looking at Anne, "I should get going now. I have to get back to Nikki. She is in that phase where she wants the house spotless and I really don't want her doing too much heavy lifting," he said before rolling his eyes. "Hopefully I will see you soon and hopefully you and my brother will have fixed things."

When Isaac said the last thing Anne nodded giving him a fake smile as he walked off. Of course Tristan told him about their problems. He always went running to his big brother about their problems.

Shaking her head she let go of her boys hands as she opened the door to the photography studio and the moment she had it opened she had to hold back a real smile as both boys took off running inside. John yelling out daddy and Carl doing the same eventually because once John did something Carl usually had to do it as well.

Hearing his sons Tristan who had finished his lunch stood from his desk and walked out into the main area just in time to catch John and then Carl as they came running to him. Smiling as he picked them both up he looked at Anne who was following behind them.

"We missed you daddy," John said as he spoke for both of them.

Tristan smiled more as he looked at his oldest son, "And I missed you too little man."

Coming to a stop in front of Tristan, Anne sighed, "The boys and I were out having lunch and they wanted to see you before I went back to my parents."

Hearing Anne, Tristan nodded feeling a bit stung that Anne hadn't come here on her own like he had wanted her to do and also because she mentioned going back to her parents house. "You and the boys could come back home," he told her as he held both of his sons closer to him.

Anne looked down when Tristan told her that she and the boys could come back home, "I don't think that would be best right now," she said honestly knowing she was still hurt over what she had heard and deep down she knew Tristan had to still be hurt from what she had said to him after as well.

"I do," Tristan admitted honestly ignoring that Isaac had said time apart could be good for them. He was scared that she'd realize she liked life better without him. "I want you back home Avie."

Looking down still Anne sighed, "Tristan I said I don't think it's best and I meant it," she said her voice coming out firm. "But I will drop by tomorrow afternoon to get some stuff for the boys and I. We can talk more then. I'll make sure not to have little ears with me."

Tristan just frowned at Anne's resistance but he didn't fight her. Instead he put both of his boys down and decided to spend some time with them. At least until he had to go back to work. He wasn't sure how long Anne would stay at her parents house and he wanted to spend these precious minutes with his boys because he wasn't sure when they'd be back home with him.