Rebecca sniffled quietly and dabbed her eye with shaky gloved fingertip. The bells over the door to the small diner jingled almost gleefully in the cold January air, and she wondered if she would get kicked out for ripping them off. A body slid into the booth across from her and she glanced up quickly with a small smile. Immediately, Joey knew something wasn't right and he reached for her hand. Rebecca allowed him to pull it halfway across the table and keep it under his warm palm.

"I know you don't like babble, and neither do I, so I'm going to get straight to the point," she began in a timid yet strong voice. She pushed her hair away from her face with her left hand and watched it fall into her lap. "This time last year, I was the happiest woman I could have ever known, and I think that's the reason why I've been living this way for so long. The past couple months have been hell for me, but in the back of my mind, I always hoped our relationship would backtrack a little bit and let me be happy again. Obviously, it hasn't, and I've decided that I can't live my life with someone who isn't home for holidays or weekends or at all. I think - know - that what I need right now is to stop seeing you."

She felt for any movement from his hand, from his face, from any part of him besides his leg, which was bouncing up and down repeatedly. She saw none and continued with her confession.

"I have no place to go, so if it's all right with you, I'm going to stay in the house until I find an apartment or something of my own. It shouldn't be a big deal, it's not like you live there, anyway."

"What brought this on?" His voice was quiet, but intimidating all the same.

"I'm tired of being neglected. Saying you love me over a telephone sucks, and it isn't enough for me. Call me greedy if you must, but I need more than letters and phone calls. I need someone who can be there when I fall asleep and when wake up in the morning. You're never here, Joe, and even when you are, you hardly pay attention to me. I understand your job is a huge part of your life and requires a lot of time, but unfortunately so do I, and I refuse to take a back seat to your fans from now on. I'm sick of it."

"Well, what if I take more vacation time? What if I come home more often and stay home? Bec-"

"Please don't call me that."

"Fine, Rebecca." His attitude surprised even himself and he immediately regretted using that particular tone the second the word left his mouth.

Rebecca chuckled vehemently and pulled her hand from his grasp. "You, of all people, should not be getting attitude with me. If you had maybe paid a little more attention to the way I was feeling-"

"So now it's my fault, is that it?"

"It always has been."

Joey bit his tongue and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for being rude."

"You should be."

"I'm sorry for not being there for you."

"You should be."

"I'm sorry for not listening."

"You should be."

"I can't apologize forever."

"No one is asking you to."

Rebecca placed her hand back on the table in a small offering and Joey took advantage of the gesture. He wrapped her small hand in both of his. His fingers played with hers lovingly. She had forgotten how good it felt to be held.

"So what do we do now?"

She smiled. The "we" was back and was staying. Hopefully.