"You're always late, Joseph! You're always late. And it's always the same dry excuses," Mia Yearling exclaims, fury bringing red color to her cheeks. "You know, you're supposed to pick Brian up at ten. You know, I have to work at eleven. It's been the same schedule since before the separation. You never change!"

  Joseph Yearling peers at his soon to be ex-wife, waiting for her to finally calm down. If she doesn't appreciate his tardiness, she definitely won't appreciate his next request.

  "I'm sorry. My bad. It's not like I wanted to be late. Did you just happen to not notice I walked here? I don't have the car today. Carrie had to visit her mother. She needed my car. I didn't think I'd be late, but I was held up by construction over on Platt St. I was hoping you'd give me a ride back to her place."

  Mia's face turns even redder and she places a hand on her hip, eyes narrowing threateningly.

  "You thought...You'd just ask me to...Drop you off at her place? You're talking about Carrie? The same Carrie who's responsible for us getting a divorce in the first place? The same Carrie you slept with in our bedroom? On our satin sheets? That Carrie? My own best friend? You are really something, Joseph. Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower. Why would I want to step foot near her house? It's enough that you're raising my son under her roof."

  "That's because you kicked me out! What was I supposed to do? You refused couple's therapy. So I went where I felt I was loved. We've talked about this."

  "No. You've talked about this, Joseph. I'm through talking about it. You know what...Forget it. When you didn't show up for over an hour, I asked my mother to take Brian to get something to eat. I'll call her. She can drop Brian off at Carrie's. I refuse to."

  Mia goes through her oversized purse, looking for her cellphone. Joseph quickly moves in and grabs her by the shoulders. Mia's head snaps up and she takes a backward step away from Joseph, her fingers closing around a small canister of mace.

  "What are you doing?" Mia questions, her brow furrowed.

  Joseph releases Mia and stares down at her gorgeous--yet furious--face. He lets out a deep exhale, defeat causing his shoulders to slump.

  "Look, I'm really sorry. About everything. I've told you this a million times. What can I do to make you believe me?"

  "You could have started by not trying to put all of this on me? Yeah...I refused couple's therapy. Because you refused to take responsibility. You're a grown man, Joseph. Act like one. You can't blame everyone else for your problems and your shortcomings. You have to take responsibility. You can start by being on time for a change. I'm tired of explaining to my boss why I'm late to work every other week. You should be tired of me telling you this!"

  Joseph steps closer to Mia and strokes her right cheek with the back of his hand. Mia watches his face, remembering the many times he performed the same action, while they were still together. They had loved each other then. She still loves him now. Joseph could be a good man, and an even greater father, if he really put his mind to it. She has seen the good in him before. All it had taken was a night of drunken temptation to upend it all.

  "I'll try, Mia. Really. I mean it. I'll be here on time. I promise."

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  Mia rolls her eyes and shrugs. She pretends to return to her task of finding her cellphone. In truth, she averts her gaze so that Joseph will not see the tears welling up in her eyes.

  "I'll believe it when I see it," Mia sighs. "Let me text my mom. I'll have her drop Brian off at Carr--Your place. Hop in. I'm not taking you all the way though. I have no intention of seeing that little homewrecker. She better be glad she lives outside the city limits."

  ====================================

  Mia taps the screen of her GPS, a puzzled expression on her face.

  "I know you said there was construction...but this is ridiculous, Joseph. The GPS doesn't show where I should have turned off. This is the only road I've seen since that detour sign. Where are we? Do you recognize any of this?"

  Joseph shakes his head in confusion. He peers out of the windshield and passenger window, trying to ascertain their exact location.

  "Nah. None of this looks familiar. Try refreshing the route. See if it doesn't recalibrate or whatever."

  "I did that. Three times. It's still not showing me anything. Reminds me of those stories you hear about people getting lost and starving because their GPS led them to a location in the desert. I'm not understanding this though. None of this area looks familiar. We couldn't have gone that far."

  "Obviously, we did. Just turn around. Go back the way we came. Maybe there was another road and we just missed it."

  "Right," Mia says, carefully executing a three point turn. "I probably just missed it."

  Once they are back on the road, Mia stares straight through the windshield. Every so often, she glances to either side, looking for a side road. After fifteen minutes, they still have not found the right turnoff. In fact, the detour sign is also nowhere to be found.

  "Okay...Tell me, I'm not crazy! We are on the same road we were on before...Right?"

  "I thought so. But..."

  Joseph lets out a loud sigh and turns in his seat. He hesitates before opening his mouth, knowing his suggestion may anger Mia.

  "Mia? Do you want me to drive?"

  "What?!"

  "You're obviously distracted. You've missed the turn off twice. We're going to get seriously lost. Your mom will be worried...And now, you're not just a little late for work. That's not good news for me."

  "I didn't miss any turnoffs, Joseph! They're just not there anymore."

  "Do you hear yourself, Mia? They're not there anymore? Roads don't disappear, Mia."

  "I'm...I'm not saying they do. It's just...There's something wrong with my GPS. I've gotten turned around. If you think you can do better...Fine. You drive."

  Mia pulls over to the right shoulder and throws off her seatbelt. She climbs out of the car and walks around to the passenger side. Joseph opens his door and gets out. He grips Mia's shoulders and studies her very feminine features. The immature pout on Mia's full lips almost makes him want to kiss her. Scratch that. It does make him want to kiss her. And that cute mole on the side of her mouth, the mole he used to gently kiss--before sliding his lips over hers. He loves that mole. And her light freckles. He loves everything about her face. He misses kissing that face. Joseph pulls himself from his emotional lament and offers Mia a wide grin.

  "Hey, it's no big deal. People get lost. Happens to the best of us. At least, this way, you can stay mad at me. You can say it was all my fault."

  Mia returns Joseph's smile, a flutter starting in her stomach. The way he is looking at her, his hands resting on her shoulders, speaks of better times between them. Lovely times. Times of great passion and even greater pleasure. One of those times had given them Brian.

  Mia opens her mouth to speak. A glimpse of something over Joseph's left shoulder draws her attention. A circus tent, all alone in a wide field. Surely, someone there will know how to get back to the main road.

  "Joseph, look!" Mia says, pointing in the direction of the enormous tent.

  Joseph releases Mia's shoulders and follows where her finger is pointing.

  "Whoa. I didn't even see that. Cool. Maybe someone can give us directions. Can't hurt to try."

  To be continued..............................