Kendra came back downstairs , and into the kitchen. She had changed into cut offs and a black Jelly Roll t shirt and black sneakers.

Joey came back into the kitchen with a towel around his shoulders , drying his hair. He had changed into kaki shorts and a plain black v neck tee. And his rainbow nikes. He looked over at her and grinned, and she grinned right back at him.

" Would you like to go for a walk?" Ken asked Joey.

He shrugged his shoulders, and said," Yeah, sure."  He followed her out the back door , and around the pool. 

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Chris called after him, Joey flipped him off yet again.

"Jelly Roll? " , he asked," And it's signed." 

" yep. This actually belongs to Xander. But, he never wears it. Jason is a friend of mine."

She said, sitting down on one of the deck chairs.  She looked up at him, "I'm sorry I soaked you in there."

" Nice try. but no you aren't." He grinned.

" Guilty as charged." She said laughing and holding her hands up in the air.

 He sat down on one of the other chairs near her, and said" Chris and Karly are really protective

of you."

"Yeah. They have seen me and my kids through a lot the last several years. And that's a debt I will never be able to repay. Karly is like a sister to me, and Chris grows on you like fungus."

"Don't I know it." He said, " So what's your story?"

"I'm divorced." She offered.

"Me too."

" I was married for about 15 years."

"14 here."

" I have three kids. 4 If you want to be technical." She said staring out over the water in the pool. Her eyes had a sadness in them that he couldn't figure out. And It was driving him crazy.

" 2 girls for me, Bri is 21 and Kloey is 12 going on 35."

" Jesse, my stepson, is 20. I've had him since he was 4. Zander is 14 and my baby is Kaden is 12 too."

" Brihana is in college in Michigan. And Kloey is in 7th grade."

"Jesse , he is married to Lauren. They have been married for about 2 years now, live in Franklin, that's where he drives a truck for Kroger. She is a nurse. Zander played hockey and is into martial arts. And My youngest plays basket ball  for the special olympics."

" Sounds like you have your hands full. Does your Ex help out ?"

" Um....no. Does yours?" Kendra asked him, shifting in her seat, looking uncomfortable.

" We are way better friends, than we ever were at being married. Doing the co parenting thing."

" He doesn't help you at all?" Joey asked, annoyed.

" No. It's just me. Jesse and Lauren help as much as they can, but they have lives too."

She looked away, he wasn't sure how this was going at all. She had gone from happy and laughing to almost sullen in a matter of moments.

"So, what caused yours?" She asked.

" My what?"

"Divorce."

" We tried too hard. We loved each other, but didn't " love" each other. In the end, I cheated. I'm not proud of what I did. But, we made the best decision for us."

"She is happy, has a great boyfriend. And he's good to my girls. So there is that."

" So, what about you?"

" Do you want the long version, or the reader's digest version?" She asked.

" Long version."

She took a deep breath, and looked up at him. " My Ex liked to use me as a punching bag."

"And one night, about 4years ago, I was seven months pregnant with my youngest. He was raging drunk, and he was angry at me for whatever, and we got into a fight. It got to a point where he hit me and I fell down a flight of stairs."

Joey's whole demeanor changed upon her admission. " He hit you, and caused you to fall down the stairs?"

" Yes.  And I went into preterm labor after that. The placenta detached from the uterine wall, and she didn't get any oxygen. " She stopped short, her breath caught in her throat. " I had my daughter at 27 weeks and 3 days, she was stillborn."

Now her tears were falling silently. He was close to tears himself. 

" He came to the hospital, after she was born, tried to attack me there.  He screamed at me that it was my fault. He tried to rip me out of the bed, and Jesse kicked his ass . They both got arrested, and it went south from there."

She looked up at him, he shook his head, unable to find words.

" Wow.." 

" I know , it's a lot to take in."

" And now?"

" He's dead." She said quietly.

" Huh?"  He said, confused.

" He died, about two years ago. After he got out of jail, he hung himself in his garage."

" Holy shit. I thought my life was a soap opera.Instand corrected." He said, running his hand up and down her back.

" I'm sorry." He said , misty eyed himself.

" There is nothing you can do. You didn't make him take his life."

" I meant about your daughter."

" It is what it is." 

" I could never imagine loosing one of my girls. I don't know how you do it."

she saw a tear slip down his cheek., he wiped it away.

" Don't cry for me Joey."

" It's for the little girl that never got a chance to live. What was her name?"

" Sutton. Her name was Sutton."

" Sutton has an amazing mother." He whispered.

" Sutton has a mom who should have left a long time before that happened. Maybe my girl would be here now."

"It wasnot your fault, Kenny."

" My head knows that, but try convincing my heart that." she stood up and walked over to the edge of the pool, and looked down into the water. He stood and went to her, pulling her into his embrace. There he held her for a long time.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, startling both of them. she slipped if out of her pocket.

" I have to take this call, it's the hospital."

He let her go, and she walked away a few feet. " I'll be right there.thank you."

she walked back over to him, as she put her phone back into her pocket. " I have to go , a baby is waiting on me to deliver it. " She smiled at him.

" it's ok. , he said as he followed her into the house.

Karly noted the red eyes on both of her friends. 

" Inhave to go to the hospital. Thanks for having me over tonight. " Kendra said, hugging Karly.

" I'll call you later,"

She looked back at Joey,and said" It was nice to meet you Joey."

" Same. " he said, waving at here and she was gone.

Joey landed on the couch in the living room like a ton of bricks. Chris sat down next to him

" You ok?"

" Yeah" Joey lied.

" Liar. She told you, didn't she?"

" About the piece of shit she was married to.....and Sutton."

" Now you understand."