Love and Its Insane Twists of Pain

Eventually, Annabelle put the animals back in their pens and peeked her head into his office. "You okay," she asked, seeing he looked like he was in pain.

Connor sighed, smiling a bit. "Yeah, just a rough day. You should get home." he said, chuckling weakly. "Are the animals good to go?" he asked as he put things away in cabinets.

She nodded. "Yep. Half of them are already sound asleep," she chuckled.

"Good. Well, you can go on ahead. Hope that the idea of selling your skills online works out." Connor said, almost rushing.

"Yes, I'll be sure to sell myself," she chuckled, teasing. "I'll go order these colors tomorrow," she said, looking back at her notes on what could be done, and would be for sure. "When would you like to start painting?"

Connor chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, and uh..this weekend? I'm close on weekends so.." he smiled weakly, sitting at his desk and typing into his computer.

"This weekend it is," she nodded, picking up her cats in her carrier. "See you then," she said, obviously cheerful from playing with the dogs and excited to do something besides sit around her house all day. She said her goodbyes and drove home, sighing when she didn't see her husband's car in the garage. Though she hadn't expected him to be, so why was she so upset?

He'd left early that morning after she'd spoiled him the previous night, hadn't called all day, and he was late from work.

She was getting suspicious, annoyed, and more hurt by the second.

By the time Ryan had actually come into the garage and into the house, it was already midnight. He sighed, rubbing his face as he felt his briefcase was heavy with papers to look at for the next day still. "Geez, they're gonna kill me.." he mumbled as he walked his way into his study, not bothering to check if his wife was still awake in the bedroom waiting for him. He honestly appreciated her, but so far, he saw himself ending up as a workaholic.

Annabelle jumped awake at the sound of the garage opening. She yawned, having crashed on the couch with the kittens. She found him in his study, frowning at him. Obviously not happy. She was so furious, she couldn't form any words to say to him.

Ryan hadn't noticed her on the couch. It was so damn dark in the house that he could barely see where he was going. It didn't look as though he was cheating, but, he couldn't deny he wasn't hit on or offered. He rubbed his chin absentmindedly as he looked over contracts.

"We need to talk," she finally said, sounding pissed as she'd ever been. "Where the hell have you been all day? You leave before sunrise and come home at midnight, don't bother to check on your wife," she hissed, "Don't text or call all damn day, and you're STILL working. Do you see a problem here, Ryan?"

Ryan looked up at her with shocked eyes and a raised eye brow. "What? Babe, look we've been dumped on by corporate, ok? If I don't work, then we wouldn't have the crap we have." he said, almost getting a bit irritated and insulted as he stood.

"You can work and still pay attention to the one you married," she snapped and nearly shook with the intensity of her fury and hurt. "Were you going to want kids one day? Start a family? If not, if all you're going to do is work, then this marriage means nothing."

Ryan sighed as he made the point clear to his wife. "Yeah, I'm freaking sterile. You heard right. I can't freaking give you children...I faked it one night when I said that the rubber didn't fall off. I actually was hoping that the oops would end us with a great gift.." he muttered, shaking his head and looking away.

"Ryan," she said softly, walking to him and taking his hand gently. "You're such an idiot," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Why didn't you tell me," she asked him softly again. "I wouldn't have been so angry at you."

Ryan scoffed. "Well it wasn't like I was proud...god, I can't have children with you. You know how hard that's to swallow?" he asked, biting his lip and squeezing her hand gently.

She kissed her husband gently. "We could always adopt if you wanted," she said softly, still holding his hand.

"You want your own, don't you?" Ryan asked, chewing his lip and sighing.

"Ryan," she kissed the corner of his mouth softly. "Raising a baby with you would make me just as happy," she said truthfully.

Ryan kissed her head and closed his eyes for a moment as he did so. "But inside you want one that looks like you or the both of us..don't you?" he asked quietly, holding her.

"I'm sure I won't care once I hold a baby we can call ours," she murmured.

Ryan breathed deeply and sighed. "Then...when should we start looking?" he asked, smiling weakly.

She looked up at him, her eyes bright. "Really?"

Ryan nodded, caressing her cheek lovingly. "Yes."

She kissed him happily. "Will you be home more," she asked him, wanting to share her happiness with him aside from the normal hours a man should be at work.