Zandra watched her husband walking confidently toward her and the dogs. Fiyero pushed himself up to a sitting position and Elfie woofed quietly at her son. Zandra didn't understand everything that passed between the dogs, she just knew that even three years after he'd been born, Elfie still watched out for her baby every single day.

Emmett came to a stop in front of her and looked down, still not speaking. Zandra wasn't about to stand up or even start the dialogue: let him come to her. A few seconds later Emmett sat facing her on the grass. Both dogs went to say hi to him and Emmett pulled both of them in and took his slobber bath like a man. Before work, getting all slimy wasn’t his favorite thing, same for middle of the day on most days. He reserved doggie affection like this for the end of the day. Maybe he was home for the day at this point.

"Okay, thank you,” Emmett said, pushing on the dogs to create a little bit of space.

Elfie took the hint and went back to her role as sentinel, but baby thought it was a game, and tried to nuzzle past Emmett's outstretched hand. "Enough, buddy," he said. "Let us have one minute together, huh? You guys are worse than kids.” Fiyero plunked back to down to the grass. “How’d the meeting with the dog coach lady go?"

"It wasn't a –" no. He wasn't going to get this off track. "What's going on, Emmett? You know I can't stand being lied to. Just tell me everything right now, and we can move on. Figure out what's wrong, and fix it.”

He looked at her, considering, and Zandra had no idea what was going through his head. Up until that morning she thought she knew him and that the problem was with the relationship and not with either of them specifically. She could have sworn that she could say what he was thinking at nearly any point. For a millisecond she wondered if things would ever be like that again, but quickly smashed that doubt. They were a great couple. They loved each other. They were good people.

But there he sat straight across from her, not next to her so he could be close, but facing her as if ready for a confrontation.

"Zandra, nothing actually happened."

He was about to say more but Zandra cut in. "Nothing actually happened? What the Sam Hill does actually mean?"

"I … I admit I shouldn't have been there.” He finally had the decency to look at least a little abashed.

"Stop right there, Emmett. Before you go on think very carefully about the story you want to tell me. And if the story you decide to tell me isn't 100% gospel truth …." She let the words hang in the air.

Emmett sucked on his teeth for a moment then reached out for Fiyero’s head, and dug into his ears while he thought. He kept his eyes on the dog. "Fine. I knew something might happen. I left my phone at the office so you wouldn't … be suspicious.”

And you parked in her garage, growled Zandra in her own head, to hide from me.

"I admit I had my shirt off—"

"And it wasn't because you spilled cheesecake on it!" Zandra was ready to throttle him. "I can't tell if you’re holding back because of shame, or because you're trying to paint a better picture of what really happened and making it up as you go." Zandra looked down at her phone to check the time, then looked up into her husband's eyes—which she wanted to gouge out at the moment—and said, "In three minutes I'm going inside to get ready for yoga. I've been more than patient and given you plenty of opportunity to explain, and I'm ready to open my arms and welcome you home, but you have to come meet me.” While she wanted nothing more than to fix the problem immediately, she felt like she deserved an hour or two to work through whatever he told her. Yoga always gave her a chance to center herself and commune with God, if people actually did that anymore, without the distraction of the outside world. "Three minutes, Emmett."

"I was too weak,” said Emmett. "Alright? Dawn had been dropping hints, reeling me in, and I didn't see it coming until it was too late. I can see that looking back. I should have let Jeff deal with her and handle the account from the first time I had that feeling about her. I’d say thank your guardian angels for pushing you or guiding you or whatever they did to get you over there this morning before it was too late, but I know you think these dogs are your guardian angels, and both of them are too dumb to do anything like that." He laughed lightly and gave Fiyero some more love.

Zandra dug her fingers into the thick grass and held on tight to avoid squeezing Emmett’s throat until his Adam's apple popped out of his mouth. He was laughing at her now? Not only was it the worst timing she could think of, the guardian angel belief was something she never told anyone because it was personal, and too close to her heart to risk being mocked.

Then she remembered that it actually was inspiration in the form of a gentle whisper that had come to her three times. Emmett didn't deserve to know about that. Once things started getting smoothed out between them she could admit it. As the tears slowly brimmed over and rolled down each cheek blazing a fresh trail of sorrow, Zandra forced out in a mild tone, "You have one minute."

Emmett's smile disappeared. Whether he picked up on her gravity, or it was the natural reaction of a man seeing a woman in tears, he grew solemn.

“I’m sorry you had to find me there, Zandra. I don’t know why things are different between us lately.” Emmett swallowed and looked directly into her eyes. “I will never let myself get into a situation like that again.”

Finally Zandra felt like she was getting truth. Oh how she loved that simmering dark gaze. Since he’d gotten home she had been frustrated, pissed off, and even a little disgusted by him, but those eyes and strong face still had the ability to melt her.

“Time’s up,” she said, hopping to her feet. “Good ending.” She reached out for him and pulled him to his feet.

“Why don’t you go to yoga few minutes late?” He put his hands on her hips. “Let’s go inside and make up.”

“No,” she said automatically, trying to figure out how he could be serious. She’d been ready to at least begin welcoming him back with a close hug, but had lost the desire to be even that close to him. She took a step back, letting his hands fall from her. “This is what’s going to happen. One, we are both going to come up with a list of three ideas of what we can change. Two, you are going to come to Fiyero’s coaching session tomorrow.” Even after he’d made fun of her she still felt like the dogs had guidance or healing powers or whatever else the true role of guardian angels was. “Three,” Zandra put her hands on his cheeks. “We are going to fall all the way in love again because we are so stinking perfect for each other!”

With a pat on his cheeks, Zandra turned to jog toward the house. She was still angry and hurt, but at least they had caught the problem relatively early and were both willing to work for their marriage.

Besides, they could have quite a good time making up once they settled all the details. That was definitely something for her to look forward to.