That next morning they went through the same routine. Larry went to make breakfast while Ally got dressed. When she was done Larry would go change and Ally would take over the cooking. They would sit down at the table and read the morning paper, eat and leave for work, both separately.

"Bye Larry." Ally called out to Larry who was engrossed in his own thoughts.

"Oh, bye." Larry replied absentmindedly.

"I love you." Ally called out hopefully.

"Okay." Larry replied.

The tears started to sting in her eyes. What had she done to deserve this? She thought that Larry was the perfect one for her, but they were growing further and further apart each day, and Ally didn’t like it. "Maybe we need to see a marriage counselor." Ally thought. She came to work and started off another boring, depressing, loveless day.

That night when Ally got home, she decided that she would have a talk with Larry about their love life, well their life. She had been obsessing about it all day, and had decided that if she didn’t mention it, they would keep sliding deeper and deeper into a hole, until it would be impossible to climb back out. She opened the front door, and looked into the living room.

There was Larry… with another woman.

Ally slammed the door loudly, causing Larry to look up from what he was doing.

"Oh shit." Larry muttered to himself.

Ally stared at him with tears in her eyes, as the woman on her couch began to get dressed hurriedly.

"I-It’s not what it looks like, Ally." Larry said nervously.

"Oh, I-it’s not?" Ally’s voice cracked.

"You weren’t supposed to be home for 3 more hours." Larry said lamely.

"Oh. I’m sorry! Please finish!" Ally ran out the door slamming it behind her again.

"Ally!" Larry yelled from behind her. He ran out the door, frantically pulling his pants up.

"Ally!!!" Larry called into the hallway of their building, but she was already gone.

Larry walked back into the apartment, stunned.

"Get out." He snapped at the girl, who scurried out the door.

He stared blankly at a picture of him and Ally on their engagement night, and felt tears start to sting in his eyes.

"Dammit!" He yelled loudly as he threw the picture across the room and watched it shatter to pieces on the floor. He collapsed onto the couch and began to cry hysterically. He calmed down suddenly when he realized the reality of the situation.

"Oh Ally." He muttered tearfully.

Ally stormed into Renee’s apartment, crying. Renee appeared out of her bedroom and hugged her.

"Ally, what’s wrong?" Renee asked her gently. She had become accustomed to Ally’s late night visits after a fight with Larry.

"Larry cheated on me." Ally cried as she rubbed her eyes and stepped back.

Renee shook her head fiercely. She had known that they were having problems, but she didn’t know that it had gone so far.

"Come here." Renee led her slowly over to the couch. Ally had suffered enough heartache and torture from Larry. Ally fell immediately into a troubled sleep, while Renee looked on sadly, wondering what had become of this perfect couple, that no one could ever tear apart. She sat there watching her best friend sleep soundly beside her, and continued to wonder what would have become if they had noticed their problems earlier. She still sat there watching the fire in the fireplace burn low when their was a knock at the door. Renee immediately knew who it was and walked over to open the door angrily.

"Go away." She fumed at him as she opened the door.

"Renee, please." Larry begged her.

His eyes were a bloodshot red, his hair was a mess, and his shirt was wrinkled and halfway unbuttoned. He hadn’t bothered to put a coat on during the cold weather.

"Don’t please me. You cheated on Ally. You hurt her when she loved you more than anything in the world. How could you be so cold?" Renee said coldly.

"Well, she sure had a funny way of showing me she loved me!" Larry said immediately.

"What?" Renee asked.

"She hasn’t touched me in 4 months! She doesn’t even love me anymore. I needed to feel loved, to feel someone’s touch on my skin, is that so bad?" Larry asked.

"It is when it’s not with me." Ally appeared around the corner, tears streaming down her face, as she stood far away.

Larry’s eyes went down to the ground.

"You would never touch me. I’d hug you and you’d pull away. This morning…" Ally stop yelling to sob. "I said- I said I love you and you said okay." She cried.

"You haven’t been talking to me! It’s always about you, never me!" Larry yelled.

"You could have talked to me! I felt I had to do all the talking because you never talked anymore!" Ally countered.

"You never listened!" Larry shouted.

"Of course I would, and I always have!" She shouted back while Renee stepped back and covered her ears.

"You wouldn’t even talk to me about this problem!" Larry said.

"I was coming home early tonight to tell you how much I loved you and how much I wanted this to work." Ally cried miserably. "I got a marriage counselor. I was coming home because I wanted to feel your warmth and be near you because I love you- I loved you."

"What have I done?" Larry thought to himself as the tears began to slide once again down his face.

"I want you out by tomorrow morning." Ally cried, but kept her voice firm.

"Ally please…" Larry began to walk towards her.

"No, just go." Ally backed up, and Renee pushed him out the door. He stumbled and fell outside the door and Renee slammed it after her as Larry lay sprawled on the ground sobbing.

"Is he okay?" Ally asked, worried.

"He’s fine. He’s out of your life, it’s time to move on." Renee comforted her.

Ally collapsed on Renee’s couch while sobs racked through her body. Renee sat down beside her and attempted to comfort her, but Ally shook her off and went right on sobbing. Renee had never seen her this upset, not even when Billy had passed away. She just couldn’t believe that it was over for Ally and Larry, the most perfect couple she had ever known.

When Ally woke up the next morning she was all alone. Renee had gone to work, Larry was, she hoped, moved out from their place, and to top it off she was late for work. She stood up and saw a note taped to the door that read,

Ally,

I called John and got you the day off. Go home and cool off… it might be easier that you think.

Love you,

Renee

Ally had to think hard about going home, but since it was already past eleven, she figured it would be safe. Even though Larry was probably going to be gone, there would be too many memories of their lives together. Ally picked up her stuff and left the warmth of Renee’s apartment to her own cold and lonely home.

Ally unlocked the door to her apartment and found Larry sitting in the middle of an empty floor.

"Ally." Larry moaned.

"You were supposed to be gone." Ally tried to keep her voice steady but heard it tremble.

"Ally, you love me. Don’t do this. I love you so much, I don’t think I can live with out you." Larry began to cry. "I made a stupid mistake."

"You did," Ally began to cry along with him. "And I don’t think I can ever forgive you."

"Ally, if you push me away now, I won’t ever be able to come back." Larry straightened himself out.

Ally stayed quiet for a minute while she thought of all of their good times together. She closed her eyes and let her warm tears wash over her face.

"I think I can live with that." Ally said firmly, while inside, she died.

Larry got up without a word, and left, slamming the door.

3 Years Later

"Shelly, no!" Ally laughed as her cat jumped into the shower with her. "Oh, you stupid cat!" She yelled as she tried to sound stern but laughed at the cat who immediately jumped out.

"Ally! The door is open, and your cat is getting water everywhere!" Renee complained.

Ally had moved back in with Renee 3 months after her divorce to Larry, and now she had a boyfriend who she had been seeing for 6 months.

"Sorry!" Ally said.

"Jesus, Ally! Those are the fifth drapes this month that Shelly has wrecked." Renee noted the cat who was sharpening it’s claws on the drapes.

The phone started to ring and Renee moaned as she closed the bathroom door and ran to answer it.

"Hello" Renee answered happily.

"Renee, it’s me." A voice came from the other end.

"Who’s me?" Renee questioned.

"Larry." He answered.

"Why are you calling?" Renee’s voice rose to a shrill squeak.

"Listen, I’m in big trouble, I need to talk to Ally." Larry’s voice cracked.

"I don’t think I should let you talk to her." Renee said, unsure.

"This is an emergency. Please Renee, I really need to talk to her." Larry said.

"Alright." Renee answered as she put down the phone.

"Honey? Come out here, you’ve got a phone call." Renee said to the closed door. The shower was off, so Renee figured she was almost done.

"Okay." Ally answered as she emerged immediately. "Who is it?"

"It’s--- It’s Larry." Renee said slowly, unsure of Ally’s reaction.

"Why-why is he calling me? He hasn’t called me in 3 years, why now?" She asked shrilly.

"Ally, calm down and grab the phone. He says it’s an emergency." Renee pushed the phone into her hand and Ally took it as her hands trembled.

"H-hi." She said slowly.

"Ally?" Larry asked.

Ally felt tears spring to her eyes. It had been so long, and yet she had never gotten completely over him.

"Yeah." She answered shortly.

"God it’s good to hear your voice again." Larry sighed, his voice strained.

"Larry, what’s going on? What’s wrong?" She asked immediately.

"Ally, I’m in jail." He answered.

"Wh-w-what?" Ally asked.

"I’m in jail." Larry asked.

"For what? Did you murder someone?" Ally asked as Renee looked on with wide eyes.

"No, for possession." Larry answered.

"Of what?" Ally asked again.

"Everything."

"What?" Ally asked.

"Yes, you heard me right. I got caught for possession of everything imaginable. Could you- could you please bail me out? I spent all my money on--" Larry began to cry on the other end of the phone.

"David is here." Renee called out to Ally as she heard the doorbell ring.

"I’ll be right down, Larry." Ally said hurriedly as she hung up the phone.

The door was open and David was waiting for her with a smile on his face, but it quickly disappeared when he saw the look on Ally’s face.

"What? What’s wrong?" He asked her.

"There’s been a slight change of plans. My ex-husband has been arrested and is in jail so I have to go bail him out." Ally said quickly, so that her words were slurred together. She was breathing heavily and quickly, and her forehead was glistening with sweat even after she had just taken a shower.

"Okay." David answered uncertainly. "I’m coming."

"Renee, I’ll be back later." Ally grabbed her coat and put her hat on over her wet hair and ran out the door with David trailing close behind.

They reached the jail not a half hour later, and Ally ran straight in and caught site of Larry sitting in the back of the visitors room with a cigarette in one hand and a guard at his shoulder.

"Oh my god." Ally ran straight into his arms and hugged him close as the tears burned her eyes. The stubble on his face scratched Ally’s cheek but she just hugged him tighter, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He stood there and breathed her scent in and out as a tear slid down one cheek from his closed eyes. He opened his eyes and saw a man staring at them jealously and backed up abruptly, and looked into Ally’s eyes and saw the pain clearly written in them.

"I am so sorry." He sobbed.

"I know you are." Ally hugged him again, cutting off his supply of air.

She backed up this time and pulled the cigarette out of his hand angrily, stomping it out on the floor beside her. She looked into his eyes and saw that they were red. His eyes were extremely puffy, and he hadn’t shaved in at least a week. The sparkle that was once in his eyes that drove Ally crazily in love with him was gone, and had been replaced by a dull hollowed look.

"What happened to you?" Ally whispered to him as the tears continued to flow.

"Sit down." He instructed her.

She sat down immediately beside him.

"I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you were so mad that day…" He caught a sob in his throat, and Ally nodded at him to continue. "I had been using for the last 8 months of our marriage." He finished dully.

"What?" Ally asked.

"Remember that bachelor party I went to for Rick?" Larry asked as Ally nodded. "That night, I did Heroin. I’m sorry, but after that day I was hooked. When you went to work in the morning I would stay at home and get high. It became a habit. Soon after I stopped caring. I could feel you slipping away and as much as I tried to stop it, I couldn’t. Some days I would wish I was dead, but I wanted to live for you because I loved you more than life itself." Larry began to cry as he spoke. "But that day with that woman, I don’t know what happened. I don’t even remember who she was or how I met her. I realized about 5 minutes after you left what I was doing. That was how slow my reaction was. It just… I wish I could go back in time and change things but I can’t! After the divorce, I sold everything of mine, including the practice and I spent the money on drugs. I had Heroin, Marijuana, Ecstasy, anything you name it, I had it. I began living on the streets, eating poorly, sleeping horribly… but when I took Heroin, all the pain and hunger would disappear. It would all float away, but when I came to several hours later… The pain would come floating in like reality. You were my only link to the real world, the only thing that kept me from going off the brink… but when we broke up… I lost it. 2 days ago…" Larry choked on his words… "I was in the supermarket buying a loaf of bread when I fell over in the checkout counter. I had used too much. I had seen you walking by me that morning with some guy, and I had taken 3 regular doses of Heroin. Before I knew it, I was waking up in a hospital with my hands cuffed and a policeman waiting by my side to read me my rights. I came here, and I needed to call you. I need someone to bail me out, and you’re the only person I really know in the city."

Ally sat with her mouth hanging open and tears trickling from her eyes.

"I’m glad you’re okay now, but you could have told me what was going on." Ally put her hand on his knee and wiped her tears with her other hand.

"I’m not okay. I’m addicted to every drug out there, I need to get bailed out, and I need to go to rehab. I have to get a lawyer, I need to meet my trial date and hope I don’t get sent back to jail. I need somewhere to live, something to eat, and I want you back." He looked into her eyes.

"I can take care of everything but the last request." Ally answered sadly. "I can be your lawyer. I’ll bail you out, you can sleep at my place, and we’ll figure everything out from there, okay sweetie?" She asked him

"Okay." He nodded and kissed her on the cheek as he hugged her again.

"So this is why my marriage fell apart." Ally said out loud.

"I’m sorry. I know that it was all my fault. I just--- you were so perfect. I didn’t want to embarrass you by being your druggie husband." Larry sobbed.

Ally noticed how much he had changed. This wasn’t the same Larry Paul that she had fallen in love with, it wasn’t the same Larry Paul as she had known during the last eight months of their marriage, and it certainly wasn’t the same Larry Paul that anyone had ever known. The Larry she knew would never cry, let alone in public, and he wouldn’t smell like month old gym socks, and he wouldn’t have stubble all over her face. Ally sighed as he took out another cigarette from a package in the pocket of his orange jumpsuit. Ally grabbed the pack angrily and threw it out into the garbage beside them, then snagged the cigarette from his hand and stomped it out angrily.

"If you want to get out of here, if you want a place to stay, you have to live by my rules." Ally commanded slightly angrily as Larry cowered in terror beside her.

"I will give you money, I will help get you back on your feet, but you are going to be in rehab for a long time, mister. We’ll see if I ever get through with you." Ally tried to be stern but felt herself softening under his sad and empty face.

"I love you." Larry said simply. "And I’m glad to see the divorce left you well off." He said as he stood up and cut her off from saying anything else.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ally’s voice began to rise.

"I’m glad you’re doing well. I meant nothing more." Larry said as a tear slid down his face and Ally sadly wiped it. She turned around and saw that David was staring at them jealously and she went over to kiss him, and tell him the situation. Larry turned around as he saw the love of his life with another man, and began to wish that he had just died at the checkout counter that day.

Ally beckoned him over, and he stared at his feet as he walked over to talk to her new boyfriend, and the first step to getting himself out of this mess.

5 hours later

Ally led Larry up to her apartment slowly, letting him absorb the old and familiar surroundings. He stumbled up the stairs slightly, and all the color was drained from his face, leaving him a pasty color with bloodshot eyes. David had gone home, not wanting to get in their way. Larry began to breath heavily as he got up to the second flight of stairs. He grabbed onto Ally for support as his breathing became ragged and he fell up the stairs. Ally gave a yelp of surprise as Larry closed his eyes and tried to clear the dizziness that swept over his head. He blinked furiously trying to see Ally’s worried face in front of him. Ally finally heaved him up and dragged him up the stairs as he tried to keep his malfunctioning legs going. She opened the door to her apartment and led him immediately to her bedroom where she lay him down on her bed and ran to get him a glass of water. She ran back to him and saw him trying to make sense of what was going on while he lay facing her on his side. She sat down beside him and lifted him up so that he could take small sips of the ice cold water. He sighed heavily and pushed the glass of water away. It had been over an hour since they had last spoken, mainly because he was too tired to say anything, but they just had the immediate connection so they knew exactly what they were thinking.

"I can’t do it, Ally." Larry said in a small voice.

"Yes you can." Ally encouraged as she lay him back down and put another pillow under his head, which he welcomed.

"Ally, I can’t. I’ve been on it too long. I feel like I’m going to die." He said as he began to cry.

"If it helps, Larry, I know you can. I know you will. It will be hard at first Larry. I’m not saying it will be easy, but drugs ruined your life. If you had kept using them you would have died." Ally said softly as she wiped the sweat off of his forehead, and pushed his hair to the side.

"I can’t breathe." Larry gasped as beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead.

Ally quickly got up and ran to the kitchen to get a cold cloth. She came back and began to wipe his forehead as he tried to calm down slowly, easing his breathing back to a normal pace.

"I will be here every step of the way." Ally whispered.

"It’s hot in here." Larry complained. "I’m sorry. I don’t mean to complain. It’s just that I haven’t slept in a bed like this for over 2 years."

"It’s fine." Ally said as she drew back the covers and began to peel off his old shirt.

Larry welcomed the coolness that he felt on his chest.

"Do you want to take a shower?" Ally asked him.

"I wouldn’t be able to stand up. I don’t think I even remember what a shower is." Larry admitted.

"I’ll help you. It’s nothing that I haven’t seen before. Trust me, you’ll feel better." Ally said.

"Okay." Larry said as he let himself be dragged out of bed and to the bathroom where he slowly began removing his clothes while Ally stood calmly to his side, noticing that he had a long scar down his back.

"What happened to your back?" Ally asked as she traced her hand down the long scar on his naked body.

Larry immediately jumped away from her touch.

"I- got in a fight with some pusher and he stabbed me in the back. It’s no big deal." Larry said as he stumbled into the shower and turned on freezing cold water.

Ally immediately rushed to his side and changed it to lukewarm water.

"You want to catch a cold?" She asked sternly.

Larry shrugged helplessly and began to clean himself as Ally turned around.

"Call me if you need any help or if you feel dizzy. I’ll be sitting right here." Ally indicated to the countertop.

Larry nodded and continued to clean himself for 20 minutes as Ally herself grew tired.

Finally Ally saw Larry drifting off as he stood under the water as it turned colder and colder.

"Let’s get you out of there." Ally said as she saw him shiver. She grabbed a huge bath towel and wrapped it around his waist as he barely seemed to notice.

"Can you dry yourself off?" She asked him as he continued to stare off into space. She stared at his chin and thought about how she hated it when he looked unkempt.

"Larry!" She snapped impatiently as he let out a short scream.

"You don’t know how many night’s I woke up next to total strangers on the floor of the bathroom in a club or in a motel room with the walls ripped out and no bed. I lived a nightmare Ally. I just wished that I had had the guts to tell you my problems. I would never have lost you." Larry turned to look at her as his eyes moistened with unshed tears, and he pushed her hair behind her ears. "I would have still been loving you more every day, as my own. Not as David’s."

"Okay, let’s get you to bed." Ally said uncomfortably.

"I appreciate this Ally, but don’t you have a job?" Larry asked drowsily.

"I do, but right now the biggest part of my life is here in my apartment." Ally said.

"Me?" Larry asked meekly.

"Larry, I still care about you, and I want you to get better. I’m going to enroll you in a rehab center. As much as you need. Anything you need, I’m here for you." Ally said

"I will try."

"Don’t just try Larry. Do it for me. Can you do it for me?" Ally asked softly as she led him to the bedroom.

"I would do anything for you." Larry said truthfully.

"Well then do anything you can to get better. I hate seeing you like this. You’re no longer the man I once loved more than life itself. You’ve- changed." Ally said.

"Thanks." Larry said sarcastically.

"Sleep." Ally commanded as she lay him down on the bed and rolled the covers up his wet body. "Get better. I will be here. If you need anything, call." Ally said as Larry immediately closed his eyes and fell asleep.

When Larry awoke hours later, he immediately called out to Ally. He felt that something was wrong.

“Ally!” He called out.

Ally came running into the room, and saw Larry hanging over the side of the bed with his cheeks puffed out.

“Oh my god.” Ally said as she ran to get the garbage bin and pushed it under him. She turned away from the sound as he gagged endlessly into the bin, and she ran to get a cold cloth. She rubbed his back with the cold cloth, and couldn’t help but stare at the long ugly scar. Larry must have felt what she was staring at.

“Ally, stop looking at it. It’s not a big deal.” He said weakly.

“You all finished there?” Ally asked gently as he tried to sit up.

“I think so.” Larry said, “But you might just want to leave it there until I’m positive.”

“I will.” Ally nodded as she wiped his mouth. His lips were cracked and he looked so pale that Ally thought he’d disappear into the whiteness of her sheets at any given second.

“Larry, you have to get better.” Ally said as her voice trembled, and tears began to cloud her eyes.

“I want to. I really do. I just don’t see any point of living life if you’re not there with me.” Larry looked her straight in the eyes. Just then, Renee came through the door and asked if they were all right.

“Um, I need to- I need to go to the washroom. Renee, take care of Larry for a few minutes.” Ally said as she rushed up and into the bathroom, where she immediately burst into tears.

“Calm down Ally. Just calm down.” She repeated to herself over and over again. But no matter what she said to herself, she couldn’t stop crying. The door suddenly opened and Larry came in. He looked at her forlornly before he grabbed her and pulled her into a warm hug. Ally burrowed her head into his naked shoulder and Larry just held her tightly as he silently chastised himself for ever letting something like this happen.

“I’m so sorry.” Larry whispered into her hair. “So sorry.”

That night after Larry had shaved and cleaned himself up, David came over to see Ally. It was a rare occurrence that they didn’t spend the night together, and David didn’t see how anything should be any different now that Ally’s ex-husband had returned.

“Hey sweetie.” David whispered to Ally as she opened the door for him.

“Hey.” Ally gave him an unusually short peck on the lips before she returned back to the couch where Larry was sleeping peacefully while the TV droned almost silently in the background. Larry had fallen asleep watching the news, and Ally had just sat there for hours watching him. She had phoned a local rehabilitation center earlier in the day, and Larry was to start right away. He would spend 8 hours there a day, before coming back home to Ally’s to be under her surveillance. Ally had told Larry, but he had seemed too tired to reply. He had barely nodded as he stared into her eyes.

“How is he doing?” David asked Ally quietly.

“I don’t know. I’ve never had to deal with anything like this before. He just seems so peaceful when he’s sleeping… but when he wakes up I don’t think he has a fucking clue about what’s going on.” Ally said slightly angrily.

David looked surprised at the tone of her voice. “He looks better.” He said slowly.

“He does.” Ally said shortly as she continued to stare at the face that she had memorized years before.

“So, do you want to go out for dinner or something tonight?” David asked.

“I can’t. I have to stay here and look after Larry.” Ally said quietly.

“Well, can’t Renee look after him for a couple of hours?” David asked.

“No she’s out.” Ally replied.

“So what are we supposed to do tonight? Sit her and stare at him?” David asked slightly angrily.

“Actually, that’s what I had planned on doing.” Ally said as she gave him a warning look.

“It’s like he’s your number one priority ever since we arrived to pick him up at jail this morning.” David said as his voice started to rise.

“Well, right now, I’m sorry to say it, but he is my number one priority. He needs my help, and I’m going to be there for him all the way.” Ally said as she managed to keep her voice steady.

David shook his head as he turned around and left the apartment, slamming the door on his way out, and waking up Larry.

“What happened?” Larry asked weakly. “What was that noise?”

“Just the wind I guess.” Ally smiled at him. “Go back to sleep. Get some rest.”

“What about you? Don’t you ever sleep?” Larry asked sleepily

“Sometimes.” Ally smiled slightly.

“You look really tired. I think you should go to sleep too.” Larry said sluggishly.

“I will. I’m just busy right now watching you sleep.” Ally answered as she pushed his hair back off his forehead.

Larry pushed her hand away gently and smiled.

“Why?” He asked.

“Why what?”

“Why were you watching me sleep?” Larry asked gently.

“I like watching you sleep. There’s something so innocent about it. You look exactly the way you did 3 years ago. I guess people never change the way they sleep.” Ally said as Larry took her hands into his. He leaned down and kissed her hands gently before he leaned back and closed his eyes.

“As long as you’re awake now, let’s go to bed. You’ll get a stiff back sleeping on a couch for too long.” Ally smiled.

“Anything’s an improvement over cement.” Larry answered as he took her hand and went into her bedroom with her.

Ally tucked him under the covers before climbing into bed herself. She turned the light off and was about to fall asleep when she felt Larry wrap his arms around her. She took his hands and wrapped herself tighter in his warm and protective arms before she fell asleep.

The next afternoon, Ally was sitting at her desk thoughtfully when Richard burst in.

“Elaine just told me that-that Larry came back. How you doing?” Richard asked quickly.

“I’m doing good, so is he--” Ally began.

“Good. Great.” Richard said as he closed the door and left her sentence hanging.

“Thanks for caring.” Ally said to the closed door.

Ally had taken Larry to the rehab center that morning. It had taken a great deal of persuasion to get him to go into the building, but he had finally reluctantly agreed to go, knowing that this was basically his only hope of survival. Ally had promised to meet him outside the center at 5 o’clock . She checked her watch and saw that it was already past 4:50. It would take her at least 20 minutes to get there. She swore silently to herself for letting this happen, and thanked Richard for coming in to talk to her about it. Otherwise, who knows when she would have remembered. She just had so much work to do. She was going into trial in two days, and she had barely had time to talk to her client. She knew that Richard was getting complaints about her work ethic, but she couldn’t handle everything right then. She hurriedly started to pack up her work when she dropped her clients file on the floor and watched as everything spilled out.

“Oh no. Oh my god. Nononono!” Ally yelled, knowing this was going to cost her an extra 10 minutes. She tried her best to speed things along, but when she was done picking up everything and putting it back in order, it was 5 past 5. She rushed out of the firm, and pressed the button for the elevator. When it didn’t come she started banging on the elevator door with all her might.

“It might help to wait.” Nelle said coolly from behind her.

Ally ignored her and decided to take the stairs down. She jumped into her car and roared off, desperate to get to Larry as soon as possible. She kept checking her watch as she sped along before she heard the sirens behind her. She sighed as she pulled over.

“FUCK!” She screamed at the top of her lungs before she got a hold of herself. The officer came up behind her and tapped on her window.

“You in a hurry ma’am?” He asked politely.

“Yes.” Ally answered.

“Do you have any idea how fast you were going?” The officer asked.

“I don’t know… 60?” She asked hopefully.

“No. You were 23 miles over the speed limit.”

“I was? I thought I was going so much slower!” Ally fibbed.

“Wait here a minute while I write you up a ticket.” The officer said as he left her side.

Ally dropped her head on the steering wheel as the tears began to well up in her eyes.

When Ally pulled up in front of the center at ten to 6, she saw that Larry wasn’t sitting where she had told him to wait. She didn’t blame him either. It was freezing outside and she was almost an hour late. She ran to the front door but found it was locked. She cursed as she hit the doors, before she began to thump her head on the door, thinking of where he might be. She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and called her apartment. When no one picked up she slammed her phone shut and got in her car. She knew Renee would still be at work, she rarely got home before 7. She got back in her car and drove straight home, watching the streets for anyone who looked like Larry, the entire way. When she got back to her apartment building, she slowly walked up the stairs, hoping that he was all right. She couldn’t believe that on his first day she had neglected to be there for him. She had completely lost track of time. She walked up the stairs and opened her door. She took a deep breath and looked inside. She walked around her apartment before reaching her bedroom. She opened her door and saw Larry lying in her bed. She sighed and called out his name. “Larry.” She said softly. When he didn’t answer she tried again. “Larry?” He didn’t answer.

“Oh my god.” Ally said as she rushed to his side and saw that his eyes were rolled back.

Renee walked in the front door at that moment, and all she heard was Ally’s scream.