"Liv, wait, please!"

I ignored the pleas from Rob as I pushed past him with a large suitcase in hand. He followed me down the stairs and out to the car. Rob watched helplessly as I loaded the trunk, with a kind of bewildered look plastered on his face. That's how we had spent the past hour or so, me trying to pack my life into the back of my car, and Rob begging me not to go.

"You're just gonna act like I'm not even here-"

"What," I pushed the suitcase further into the trunk, then looked at him, "do you expect me to say?!"

The clear skies and birds singing juxtaposed the tension between us. It felt like the heat was suffocating me every time I came out to load up the car. Or, it was the fact that Rob had followed me every step of the way that was making it harder for me to breathe.

He stood there, stammering, "I-I just-"

"Whatever," I marched back into the house to get a few more bags and boxes that were sitting by the door. The wooden floors creaked as I walked across the foyer in my thick slides. I thought I'd been freed from his tailing when he followed me again, seemingly trying out a new strategy. The least he could have done was help me with a few of my things, but I guess that would have been going directly against his plan of action.

"Let's just talk about this," Rob tried.

I didn't stop to look at him until I had placed another box in my trunk, promptly causing the car to shake from the force. My body was feeling the lack of sleep I'd had those past few days, and it was harder for me to move everything than I thought it would be. Still, I kept my breathing even so as not to give away how tired I was while I faced Rob.

"Talk."

He sighed, then ran a shaky hand through his hair. His blue eyes were a little red, and his lips quivered. I rarely saw Rob cry, but the amount of tears I'd seen come out of him since I revealed that I was leaving made me reconsider if I was doing the right thing.

It had been ridiculously hard living with him after I found out about his wife. Revealing my newfound knowledge was a challenge between the sobs and heaving breaths I was trying to control. He tried to explain himself, but there was nothing in his words that made omitting something so big for months make sense to me. I felt hollowed out, like a piece of me had been snatched up by him, or something. And my phone was filled with calls and messages from Yana, Britney, Amanda and my mom checking in on me, and reminding me to eat and drink to replace the water I was losing from all the tears.

"I know I hurt you, and I was wrong. I should have told you about Julia-"

"You mean your wife?" I asked, cutting him off.

Rob dragged a hand over his face, and it was then that I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He didn't seem to be sleeping very well, either.

I didn't know how to feel about that, though, as I looked at him. There was no way he knew how much part of me wanted to call all this off, run to him, and pretend that everything would be okay. Every time he cried or pleaded with me broke my heart. Not just because I felt for him, but because of what all this had done to us.

"Words cannot even describe how sorry I am, and how much I regret keeping something this big from you. But, we can figure this out, okay? Let me fight for you. Don't do this."

I just stood there, staring into his eyes. I still needed to get my bag and the twins, but it was like my body couldn't move. Rob seemed to take that another way, like some sign of hope. He moved into my space, and rubbed my arms with his hands. Rob dipped his head down so that it met my forehead before he sighed again. I could feel his warm breath on my skin, followed by goosebumps all over my body.

"Please," he breathed out.

It wasn't long before the memories of the other night, of me standing in a room watching a screen flooded back into my mind. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, and I pushed Rob away before that could happen.

"I can't do this," I managed to whisper before I walked back into the house.

Nuru and Jessie were waiting patiently in their play pin, and I already wondered how I'd be able to do this. I couldn't think of a way to carry them into the car at the same time in my arms without risking dropping one or the other. I looked around the room, and felt relief when I saw the stroller by the staircase.

I made quick work of putting the twins into their stroller, one by one, then grabbing my backpack and bag. As I reached for my keys, my eyes landed on our family portrait. Rob and I were smiling into the camera, each holding one of the twins in our arms. Next to that was another photo, this time with us smiling at each other. I couldn't help but remember the fight we'd had not too long before the photo was taken, and how he'd made me laugh and apologised after.

Seeing the love we had for each other, and the happiness in my eyes, made the photo feel like it was from another lifetime. My hand went to wipe a stray tear from my cheek, and I cleared my throat before I went back to the twins. The sun beamed down on me as I pushed the stroller out of the house and next to the car, making sure to press the brakes before I put them into their carseats.

Rob watched us from the other side of the car, eventually coming to my side. He waited until I secured and checked the girls' buckles before he tried to talk to me again.

"Olivia, please. Stay and fight for us. Fight for our family."

I did my best to ignore him, and decided to go to the trunk and make sure I had everything I needed. And that's when I saw what he had done.

Half of the stuff I'd packed was now on the ground behind my crossover. I glared at Rob, fully aware that there were tears on my face and in my eyes now. But they weren't tears of sadness.

"Why would you do this?!" I yelled as I started to put everything back to where it had been.

He tried to grab the suitcase I had just picked up, practically fighting with me in the middle of the cul de sac. I yanked the suitcase back, but fell on my ass as it came down to the ground with me. It was then, as I looked around that I noticed some of our neighbours watching from their houses. Blinds and curtains were pulled discreetly open as they peered on at our disarray.

Rob rushed over to me, apologising over and over. When he tried to check if I was okay, I slapped his hand away.

"STOP!" I screamed before I pulled myself off the ground. He left me alone while I went back to loading up the trunk, this time sobbing as I did.

I slammed the door closed when I was done, and let my body rest against the back of the car for a few seconds. Rob was watching me, his eyes worried, and his lips tucked into his mouth. I kept my eyes off of him as I walked over to the driver's side door, finally getting into my seat. As soon as I closed the door, Rob was right there by the window. He continued to plead as I rolled down the window.

"Olivia, I'm sorry. I was upset. But, please, we can work this out. I love you, Liv, I love you more-"

"You have wrecked me! I feel like I was playing house while you were off living your life with your wife. I feel like a fool, and like a stupid, naive child that was dumb enough to fall in love with her teacher!"

Rob's Adam's apple bobbed up and down while he stared at me.

"E-Every memory, moment, every good and bad thing has now been tainted by the fact that you were married this whole time. And every time I-" I finally met his eyes, and both of us were crying.

"Every time I look at you, I feel like my heart is breaking all over again..." I sobbed into the steering wheel, and I felt his hands on my shoulder as I did.

He had no idea how much I wished things could've stayed the same. I wished he was never married, and we could just be happy and a normal couple figuring our shit out. I wished our daughters would've grown up in one home, with parents that were together and loved each other. With a mom that wasn't ruined by that betrayal.

After a while, I was finally able to clear my throat and feel like I could go on--at least for a little while.

"So, no, Robert. I can't just forgive you. I need to go." I started the car, then looked back at his house. The house that held our life.

"I'll see you in a month," was the last thing I said to my ex as I pulled out of the driveway.

As I drove down the street, I glanced through bleary eyes into the rearview at our house, my first love, and the father of my children. And I wept all the way out of our neighbourhood.