Michael's at work now, and has been for the past few hours. It's 5:18pm, and I'm in the house with mom and dad. It's been a while since we really bonded together, like a proper family. We're playing games and acting silly, and I must say, I'm enjoying it.

"Hey, dad!" I laugh. "You cheat!"

"What?" he asks innocently, moving his counter seven spaces instead of six, in Snakes and Ladders. "I'm moving perfectly fine."

"Yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes and chuckle, and take my turn. I roll a 3, and move four spaces to prove a point.

"Hey!" dad cries, "you're cheating!"

"Yeah, remind you of anyone, dad?" I ask, a smirk growing on my face.

"Alright, alright," mom breaks up the joke-argument. "Let's all just play properly now. Gosh, acting like five-year-olds!"

"But mom," I say. "That's my mental age, I can't help it."

"I know that, you silly thing," mom chuckles, taking her turn. She rolls a one, and moves five spaces.

"Who's a cheat now, huh?" I ask, half joking, half angrily.

"Yeah, yeah," mom smiles, and hands the dice to dad. He rolls, and gets a 3. He moves three spaces, not noticing he's landed on a snake.

"Oh, Karma's a bully!" I laugh, sliding his counter down the snake for him. He groans in defeat and I take my turn. Four.

"One, two, three, four.." I count, landing on a ladder. I climb up it, and mom takes the dice.

"My go," she says. The doorbell goes, and mom throws the dice onto the table and gets up. "I'll get it."

"Alright," I say, and me and dad wait for mom to come back.

"So, Becky, how are things with you and Michael? He seemed a little sad this morning," dad says.

"Oh, he's alright. He just told me something last night that upset him a little, that's all," I answer.

"Oh, right. Anything majorly bad?"

"Uh.. kinda," I say awkwardly.

"Well, what was it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uhm.." Do I tell him or not?

It was Michael's secret, not mine. What if he doesn't want the whole world knowing he has a low sperm count?

Do I tell dad or not? Do I tell dad or not? Do I tell dad or--

"Becky?"

"Sorry," I shake my head to rid my trance, and look at dad, who is smiling at me. "Uh.. it's just that.. Michael has a little problem, that's all. He can't.. he can't have children."

"Oh, why?" dad asks.

Crap, I didn't want him to ask that.

"Well, uh--"

"Becky, there's someone at the door for you," mom calls from the doorway. She's saved me, there.

"Be right back, dad," I say, running from the room to go to the door.

"Who is--" I don't even need to ask.

"I'll leave you to it," mom says, leaving the doorway.

"Hi, Beck--"

"Don't even," I stop her, holding my hand up in her face. "Why aren't you with Alex, anyway? And how did you know where I am?"

"Because," Lisa starts, "Alex knows you're here, and he told me, silly! Alex and I have decided to give ourselves a go, actually, like Michael suggested. But me and Michael need to get a divorce."

"I realised that," I scoff. "Why are you here?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you!" she says, trying to form a smile on her face. "We got on so well before."

"Yeah, that was before I knew who you were, and what you were doing," I say sharply. "I don't think we can be friends now. "

"Oh, I beg to differ," Lisa's lips form a sickly smile, "because I like you, Becky."

"Well.. I can't really say that the feeling's mutual," I admit outright.

"Oh, really?" she gives me the puppy dog eyes. "I thought our friendship was special."

"What friendship?" I ask. "As far as I'm concerned, we haven't got one."

"Well, isn't that a cold statement? I know that we've basically had a life-swap, what with you being with my ex, and me being with yours, but we can still be friends in all this, right?" Lisa asks.

"I doubt I could hang around with the girl that calls my boyfriend her husband, and I doubt Alex would like his new chick to be friends with his old one," I reply. That sounded a little confusing, but whatever.

"Oh, Alex and Michael don't have to know! It can be our little secret!"

"Lisa, I think you should go, Michael's gonna be back any min--"

"Michael's gonna be back soon? Oh, good! We can finally sort out starting our divorce. It's about time we set the ball rolling."

"Yeah, quick question, what killed your marriage?" I ask.

"A lot of things, Becky. A lot of things."

"And you knew that Michael couldn't have kids, right?"

"Oh, of course I did. That's one of the reasons we're divorcing, actually. Well, not that precisely, but the topic of children. He wanted them, and I said I didn't want to give them to him.. but then he found out he couldn't have them anyway, and so.. that was that, basically."

Why am I still talking to this chick?

"Uh, right," I reply. "So what were the other reasons?"

"Oh, the fact that he flirts with every single female patient he's ever seen."

"I highly doubt he does, being with me."

"Oh, I'm sure he does it still. How often are you there to see it?"

"Well, I've been in his room a couple times.."

"And were there any other patients in there at the same time?"

"No.."

"Exactly!"

"But Michael said that it was just a lie that you came up with. He said he never flirts with girls. The only girls he ever flirted with are me and you."

"Yeah, ok," Lisa says, unconvinced. "So, can I come inside?"

"Uh.."

"Thanks!" Lisa grins, barging past me and entering the house. I have no choice but to follow her.

"Hey, Mr and Mrs Summers!" Lisa greets mom and dad.

"Yes, you never told us.. who are you?" mom asks.

"Oh, a friend of Becky's," Lisa replies. I shake my head behind Lisa's back, stopping abruptly when she turns around and looks at me.

"Oh, right," mom says. "So.. how come we've never seen you before?"

"I guess Becky's never invited me here!" Lisa replies, her way of speaking becoming more and more girly with every word. What's up with this?

"Right," mom says, now sounding convinced. "So, where did you meet Becky?"

"Oh, we met at the doctors," Lisa replies. "We both met in the waiting room."

"And, what did you say your name was again?" dad asks.

Yes! Now she's done for. Mom knows that a girl called Lisa Marie Jackson cheated with Alex.

"Oh, my name is Lisa Marie Presely!"

Wow, she changed her surname. I'm guessing that's her actual surname, the one she went by before she married Michael.

"Oh, right," mom says normally. Grr, how can she not realise who this girl is?

"So.. Michael'll be back in a few minutes," I say. Lisa looks my way and smiles.

"It'll be lovely to see him again," she says.

"Oh, you know Michael?" dad asks. He's so naive, isn't he? It's almost laughable.

"You could say that," me and Lisa say in unison. Then, the front door opens.

"Mr and Mrs Summers, I'm home! Good evening!" I hear Michael call like normal to mum and dad.

I freeze a little with nervousness. Will Michael get mad at me for letting Lisa in?

"Is Becky upstairs, Mr Sum--" Michael enters the room and freezes when he sees Lisa. He keeps his hand on the doorknob and stares at her.

"Hi, Michael.." I say nervously.

"Hey sweetheart," Michael replies back to me, his eyes still fixated on Lisa.

"Lisa, why are you here?" he asks sternly.

"I came to see Becky, and you," Lisa replies quickly, standing up and folding her arms.

She walks over to Michael at the doorway, and looks up at him. He looks down on her, his plain expression soon changing to a casual one. It almost looks flirty. Michael?

"Yeah, well," Michael comes out of his trance and looks over at me with a look of confusion on his face.

"I'm sorry," I mime.

"Ok," he mimes back, before looking down at Lisa. She's significantly smaller than Michael, he towers over her like he does me.

"Uh, am I missing something?" mom asks, making all eyes turn to her.

"Uh, Mrs Summers.. Lisa is my wife.."

Why do those words hurt me? He's getting a divorce soon.

"Your wife?" dad asks.

"Yes.. but we're divorcing as soon as we can. Our mental marriage ended, what? A year ago!" Michael answers.

"Yeah, that's what I came to talk to you about," Lisa says.

"What? You finally wanna set the ball rolling?" Michael asks. Lisa nods.

"Of course! Me and Alex wanna start a life together."

"What?!" mom asks in anger. "You're the chick that took Alex away from Becky?"

How is she only just realising this?

"Uh.." Lisa tries to think what to say. "Kinda."

"Mom, just.. it's ok," I say. "Let them stay together. They're both perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Becky. That really means a lot coming from you," Lisa smiles at me. "And you and Michael work, too."

"Oh, yes, me and Michael work. We're good people, I think you'd agree. Both of us have been hurt a lotta times. You and Alex? Yeah, you're perfect together, too." I smile.

"Thank you," Lisa says once more.

"Yep," I grin. "You're both liars, you're both cheaters, and you both make me sick."

Lisa's smile turns drastically to a frown. Hilarious!

"Becky, I thought we were friends?" Lisa says innocently.

"Like I said before, I doubt I could ever be friends with you," I say shortly.

"You mean you were considering a friendship with her? My ex?!" Michael asks, sounding almost hurt.

"No!" I cry. "Of course not! Lisa, tell him how unconvinced I was earlier!"

"Oh, she was unconvinced alright," Lisa says.

"Thank you," I say.

"Unconvinced that you're the one for her."

"What?!" Michael and I both cry in unison.

"Michael, that's a lie! Of course you're the one for me!" I cry desperately, hoping he'll believe me. "You're always gonna be the one for me!"

"That's not what you said earlier," Lisa sucks air between her teeth and looks over at Michael. "Michael, trust me on this. Becky said that she believed me when I said you flirt with every female patient you see in your doctor's office. Oh, and she also said that Alex was.. wait, let me use her precise words.. "a better lover than you'll ever be." Yeah, I think that was it."

Michael looks over at me, pain in his eyes, "Becky, is this true?"

"No!" I protest. "Lisa is lying, plain and simple!"

"Ugh, I am offended!" Lisa over-exaggerates her speech. "Michael, have I ever lied to you about something as serious as this?"

"Uh.." Michael hesitates.

I look over at him, shaking my head, repeating the words, "No, Michael.. she's lying" silently.

He looks at me, unsure on how to react. "Lisa.. it's getting late. Come back tomorrow, we'll talk then."

"Sure thing, Michael," Lisa smiles, before waving at me and leaving the room. Moments later, a loud slam is heard from the front door.

"Michael, she was lying," I whisper as I rush over to him. I try to give him a hug, but he declines it.

"Why did you let her in?" he asks sharply, turning to walk upstairs. Of course, I follow him.

"Because she barged in before I could stop her!" I cry.

"You coulda got her out! And.. why would she say that stuff.. saying you're unconvinced I'm the one for you? Are you having doubts already, Becky? We've been together, what? A week! You're seriously already going off me?"

He has tears in his eyes now.

"No!" I reply. "I could never go off you, not ever! Can't you see how much of a liar she is? You've seen it yourself, she cheated on you, Michael!"

"I realised that, thank you," he sighs.

"Well then, you'll know what I'm saying," I reply.

We arrive at the bedroom, and enter. We both sit on the bed opposite each other.

"Michael--"

"Just promise me one thing," he demands, the tears in his eyes growing larger. He rests both hands on either side of my cheek, to show he means business.

"What, Michael?"

"Promise me that you'll never leave me, no matter what, and that you love me."

"Of course I promise, Michael. I promise that I'll never leave you, and that I'll love you until my time on Earth is done. But you've gotta promise me that, too."

"Ok. I promise that I'll love you for the rest of my time, and that I'll never leave you. Not ever. Okay?" Michael asks.

"Okay," I say, and a smile finally forms on his face.

"Good. And.. I'm sorry I doubted you before. I was just angry that Lisa was here. You know I'd never believe a word she says, right?"

"Of course, I never doubted for a second," I reply.

"Thank God," he exhales.

Michael moves from opposite me, to directly next to me, then places his arm around me and looks into my eyes.

"Michael?"

"Yes?"

"I love you, remember that. I always will.. for the rest of my life.. and thereon after, too."

"And it's the same from me to you, sweetheart," Michael replies. "I will love you, always and forever. You make me happy."

"You make me happier," I retort playfully, tapping his nose with my finger. "And nothing's gonna stop that from changing."

"I agree," Michael smiles. "Once Lisa and I have divorced, the rest of our lives can start. And thank god that time will start tomorrow. I've had enough of being married to that woman."

"Yeah.. it kinda hurts knowing you're married to someone that isn't me."

"Oh, you're suggesting you wanna marry me?" Michael asks.

Oh damn..

"Well, maybe, if our relationship lasts, of course."

Reasonable answer? I think so.

"Sweet," Michael smiles. "Who knows just what the future will bring?"

That sentence excites me and scares me. The future is a big thing. What's gonna happen in it?

"That's my logic," I say. "No one knows just what the future has in store for us."

"Well," Michael sighs, and kisses my lips once. "Whatever it is, it'll be the best possible future, cos I have you."

Author's note: I'm really struggling to think of endings to chapters now! Jeesh.. but anyway, for those of you that read You Ain't Bad, you'll know yesterday was the second anniversary of my dad's death. I woulda updated this yesterday, but because of that, I didn't. So here's today's chapter.. I'll try make it shorter next time :)