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be. Admit it’s over, we tried….” And though she wanted to add that she’d tried so much harder, she didn’t. “Please just let me take the kids and let the lawyers draw up the papers. I promise to be fair.”
    He tightened his grip and tilted his head. “Let me get this straight. I’m supposed to say, ‘ Okay, take my kids hundreds of miles away from me. No problem .’ ”
    “I realize that it’s not ideal, and we may not remain in Connecticut. I just need to be with my family now. The kids need that too.”
    “And George?”
              Beth mustered all of her strength and pulled from his grasp. “You know that he’s in the New York office now, but you also know that New York is a two hour drive from Old Saybrook. I won’t be seeing him nightly for dinner and a movie.”
    Chris ripped off his leather jacket and tossed it to the couch. “Oh, somehow I don’t think old George would find the distance too much of a problem.”
              “Stop this ! Stop it ! I know this hurts--it hurts me too--but it has to be done. We can’t stay the way we are. You refuse to talk to anyone--”
    “Because there’s nothing wrong, Beth! There’s nothing here except your dissatisfaction. This is life ; this is what there is for everybody -- work and life and if you get a little lucky, some love. This is it.”
    She started to cry though she’d told herself that she wouldn’t. “Then keep blaming me if you have to, just please let me go. My mother said she’d pay for the children to fly here once a month--”
    Chris smirked again. “Oh, Greer must’ve loved to offer up that one.”
    “ That’s not fair. She’s not at all happy that we’re separating.”
    “Shit. You really must think I’m a fool. She’ll be standing in the front of the church cheering when you and George head down the aisle.”
    “I’m not marrying George. I’m not marrying anyone. I just want this to end.”
    Chris slammed his finger to his chest. “I am not letting you take the kids. You can do whatever the fuck you want to do, but you’re not taking my kids.”
    “And what exactly will you do with them? What day does Audrey have ballet? What’s the name of Noah’s new teacher? Where does Audrey’s friend Shannon live? How much lunch money does Noah need everyday?”
    “You think you’re so damned smug. Maybe you have taken care of all that shit, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t and it doesn’t mean that I asked you to. Leave if you want, but I think you’d better reevaluate your plans. Find a place here and we’ll see what we can work out.”
    Tears were streaming now, along with a runny nose and blotchy eyes. Not at all the exit she’d hoped for. “I can’t stay here, Chris. I can’t stay near you right now. I have to go to Connecticut and be with my family, but I can’t do it without the kids. I can’t. I know I’m asking you to forfeit the weeknight that most fathers are allowed, but I’m willing to bargain by giving you more time in the summer--maybe the whole summer. But we can’t split them up and we can’t split them between us because Noah needs to be in school and Audrey needs to know that she’s safe. Please don’t fight me on this. Please, if you ever felt anything for me at all, then please let me go.”
    He did the strangest thing then. He reached out and caught a tear. Beth lowered her eyes, but raised them when Chris placed his finger beneath her chin and lifted her head. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there touching her ever so slightly, thinking who knew what. He loved his kids; she’d always known that and this had to hurt and it wasn’t her goal to hurt him--to hurt anyone. That was exactly why she needed to go.
    Perhaps it was just a memory that made them both move, both shift to the place where their mouths touched and their hands roamed freely. His grip was hard, his kiss needy and she answered with a neediness of her own. A primitive groan