He sat on the couch closest to the observation lounge�s main window, feeling alone and miserable. He had hoped that by finding a relatively quiet spot on Voyager, he could sort out his troubled mind. Instead, it only complicated matters.

On the one side of the problem was his vow of marriage to Sarah Daniels, his high school sweetheart and the mother of his two children. She was, however, in the Alpha Quadrant. And remarried.

Then there were the developing feelings for Samantha Wildman, a more recent addition to his life. As much as he wanted hold onto his marriage vows, and the hope that Sarah would find her way back to him, he couldn�t deny that it just might be time to move on with his life.

It was a hard choice to make; keep the vows that no longer apply or move on with his life. He simply wanted both. Yet he knew that he couldn�t have it that way. Especially since he didn�t want to ruin Sarah�s new life. Or his children�s lives.

Joe Carey sighed heavily and made the choice of letting his ex-wife go. It would take time, but he knew that without a doubt, he would be okay. In time. Until then,, he would have to make the best of his life on Voyager.

And just maybe he would be more available for Samantha, given the fact that she needed someone to help her through the daily life of being a parent so far from home. He would have to wait to talk to Sam, however, since it was time to go on the away mission. He didn�t want to piss off a very pregnant B�Elanna Torres, who would undoubtedly be pissed if he were late in reporting to Sickbay for his last minute examination.

~Finished