*James*

Jonah gives Julia two Benadryl. It's not the same as getting Ativan, but it has the same side effect of making you sleepy. He explained it doesn't work for everyone, and it doesn't work all the time, but something needs to help Julia.

We don't know if it was the over the counter med or Julia exhausting herself from crying that worked, but she eventually calmed down after over an hour and fell asleep in Nate's arms.

I'm the one to lift her off Nate and get her back in bed since he can't lift anything for a few more weeks. I hate seeing her in his arms, but I freaked out internally and left.  I pretty much let it happen. I don't even care right now. We're in this together, and everyone in this house is overtired and in survival mode now.

It's 4 a.m. and Julia officially passed out in bed. Jonah helps Nate off the hard floor after comforting Julia for so long.

"I'll go start the coffee, and yes... you can have one cup, but I have to monitor your blood pressure afterward." Jonah says once Nate's off the ground.

We all gather on the couch with our coffees, at 4 in the damn morning, Paul included, but not really sure of the whole story. 

"So let me get this straight. She had a dream, but it was real? Her husband cheated on her, but she is just now remembering it, even though it's five years later?" Paul grumbles, holding his head and taking a sip of coffee.

Jonah nods, and both me and Nate lean back into the couch, each at opposite ends. The last 24 hours have been a complete Julia-filled shit show.

"So where does the briefcase fit in??" He continues, caring but not really caring.

"I don't know. I have a feeling whoever called Julia showed her a picture or something of his briefcase."  Nate closes his eyes.

"That was intense." I draw my hands down my face thinking of the last few hours.

"It's always intense. Gallo, you need to step it up, mate. You can't just leave her when she gets like that." Nate makes eye contact with me on the other end of the couch.

"Obviously, I freaked out." I furrow my brows and look away. I'm still not used to this shit.

"Yea you can't fucking freak out." Nate huffs. You can cut the thickness in the air with a knife. Jonah takes this time to get up and quietly go in to Nate's bedroom to get the blood pressure cuff. Paul is not bothered by the snarky comments between me and Nate. He stays out of it all together.

"She's out. She'll probably sleep for awhile now." Jonah comes back and wraps the cuff on Nate, back into nurse mode.

Eventually we all go back to bed. I camp on the couch, letting Nate deal with Julia since I'm obviously not the one she wants when it comes to this stuff. I don't know why I bother sometimes.

We  get at least a few hours of sleep in, before I hear Julia come into the living room.

"You're awake." I look over my shoulder while sitting on the couch and whisper to keep everyone asleep.

"I'm awake." Julia curls up next to me and I wrap my arm around her. I pull the blanket over us both and rest my head on top of hers.

"What happened last night, babe. Do you remember?"

"I do. I'm starting to. Please don't ask me to talk about it right now. I can't. I don't want to think about it. It hurts too much."

I nod. I can feel her rapid heart beating and know now is not the time. I can tell she's reliving the dream right now and she swallows hard right before she begins to cry.

"Oh my gosh... I can't do this." Julia jumps up and starts pacing, trying to keep quiet. I follow her with my eyes. "I can't think about it. All this shit keeps coming through in my head. James. I can't stop seeing it. It's awful. It's so awful.." 

 I immediately stand up and pull her in, holding her tight. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up, babe."

"No, I woke up thinking about it. I just. I can't shut it off. I don't think the therapy is working. Or the meds. Or something." She whispers in my chest.

"It's all working. That's the problem, Julia. Everything is starting to work and whatever you suppressed for all these years is finally coming to the surface. I hate that you have to go through it, but it was gonna happen sooner or later. I'm glad it's happening now while you're under Jonah's care." I kiss the top of her head before continuing.

  "Both me and Nate are gonna help you through it too, ok? You will get better." I hold her head with both hands and kiss her on the forehead. She nods but I can tell the memories are flooding in now and it breaks my heart. Like she doesn't have enough going on in that head of hers.

"I need to shower."

"Alright." I let her go, thinking she wants time alone and will walk away. And she does. But she surprisingly grabs my hand and drags me with her.  You just never know what you're gonna get with Julia. We quietly pass sleeping Nate and enter his luxury bathroom. His bathroom that's bigger than Julia's hotel room.

"I really need a shower. I just don't want to be alone. Is that ok, though?" Julia whispers  and locks the door. I nod, knowing  what she means.

" Of course it is. I understand. I'll behave." I whisper back but my body is already fully aroused and she notices. "It'll go away."

Before Julia undresses she plays around with the shower heads. It's this huge walk in shower with multiple shower heads on all the walls, some with detachable sprayers. It's a very luxurious, dark tiled shower with a huge glass door. 

 Once she gets the temperature hot enough we both undress and walk in together. I watch Julia close her eyes, run her hands through her hair while under the water and I know for sure this erection is not gonna go away now. I stand in front of her taking over another shower head but I behave.

"I've never even heard of this shit." I look at all the expensive shampoos and body washes.

"I think he get them shipped from some high-end place in London." Julia rolls her eyes. He's so high maintenance. I'm not surprised.

"Jesus Christ." I shake my head hearing that but have no problem using Nate's shit and squirt some in my hand. I quickly wash and rinse my hair with with the expensive shampoo. 

"Turn around." I pour more shampoo into my hand and wash Julia's hair for her. I take the detachable shower hose from one of the side showerheads and rinse her hair for her while the other shower heads continue to run to keep us warm. Nate's water bill must be so high from this alone.

I can tell her mind is going a mile a minute all of a sudden. 

She quickly throws out her hand to balance on the shower wall, covers her mouth, and starts crying.

"Oh my God." She closes her eyes. "She thought I'd leave him."

"Hey.." I spin Julia round and wrap my arms around her. I don't know what to say as she collapses in my grip.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what's happening. Everything is coming back. All these details! James, I don't want to remember!" She cries. All I can do is hold her and hug her and tub her back to sooth her. She is literally shaking in my arms.

"I'm obsessing over it now."

*****

Now, everyone is starting to get up, and it's almost 11 am. Nate slept right through mine and Julia's morning shower.

No one talks about the night before. When Julia was out of the room I updated Nate and Jonah on what happened earlier in the morning but none of us bring it up in front of Julia. Everyone is walking on eggshells. All of this is a lot to take in.

Both me and Julia  sit at the kitchen island while Jonah pushes her to eat. Paul and Nate sit in the living room immersed in their phone scrolling.

"Hey, I'm gonna have to go home for a bit today. Lindsay is gonna be traveling for work, and I need to keep Maggie a little longer."  I rub Julia's back. She nods, understanding I can't be here 24/7.

"I wish she could come here." Julia sighs.

"Not a fucking chance." Nate doesn't remove his eyes from his phone while he talks. "No pets allowed here and I'm allergic to dogs anyway. Now eat your breakfast so Jonah will shut the hell up."

Julia sighs at the grumpy, tired, moody Nate and I'm relieved to be leaving the house for a little while

*****

*James*

This entire day seems like a blur.

Everyone is overtired. Everyone is on edge. Julia is overly quiet all day. Most of the day she secluded herself on the balcony and cried, not wanting anyone near her. Her detox is taking over her body and her husband's affair is taking over her mind.

It breaks my heart to see her like this.

I can't blame Julia for being so broken today. Jonah said the medications and therapy would open up things she's suppressed. But none of us knew THIS was what she suppressed, on TOP of grieving her only child. What an awful way to exist.

I sit on the couch in the living room, while Julia is in the office, a.k.a Paul's bedroom, having a virtual counseling session. This is the 3rd one in the last week and each time, she comes out worse than she goes in. I can only imagine how she will be today. I worry about the therapist bringing up her dream last night. Julia is no ready to face that nightmare. Not yet at least.

I realize I'm bouncing my knee nervously while waiting for Julia to come out of the room. I have to leave soon but want to wait for her to come out so I can say goodbye. Nate is loading his fancy dishwasher I'm envious of, Paul is sitting on the couch being Paul, Jonah is at the hospital submitting charts and all that crap. Trisha has yet to make her appearance. She purposely only comes when  me or Paul gives her the thumbs up that everything is calm here. She doesn't do well with Julia shit.

The door opens. Here we go. Nate and I share a look before Julia comes out of the room. Paul straightens his back, now on high alert in case Jules has a meltdown.

She comes out of the room and plops down on the couch next to me. Her eyes are puffy and lips swollen from crying during her therapy session. She's completely drained yet her body still deals with her tremors.

"I don't see the point in any of this. She just keeps saying the same damn shit over and over again." Jules talks to me and rests her head in my lap. I continuously run my fingers through her hair, comforting her.

"What did she say?" I ask.

"I just fricken told you. The same damn shit." Julia snaps but I take no offense. I'm getting use to her mood swings now. I continue to comfort her and for the time being she lets me.

No one asks if she brought up her dream last night. No one dares to right now.

"Wanna go sit out on the balcony with me?" I ask. I glance at the time, knowing I have to leave but I don't care. I still want to spend time with Julia.

She nods and we both head out, closing the sliders behind us. Julia leans against the railing of the balcony  looking out at the view. I stand behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, resting my chin on the top of her head. It's sprinkling out but it doesn't seem to bother Julia.

"Wanna talk about it?" I sway her back and forth a little while we talk.

"I can't win. The doctor just says the same thing. 'It will all take time.' Time for the withdrawals to stop. Time for the medication to kick in. Time for me to feel myself again. I couldn't bring up.... you know... I can't. It's like it's all brand new."

I stay quiet like she needs me to for the moment.

"I don't know how I got here. I'm currently the worst version of myself."

"I'll take all your versions." I smirk and she smiles, leaning her head back against my chest.

"Thanks for being patient and putting up with me."

"Tell me the first thing you want to do when you start feeling yourself." I continue to sway us.

"Hmmm. Definitely not Griffith Park, I can tell you that much. That was a nightmare."

"We still need a redo for that one. Picnic in the park." I say.

"Someday." She holds on to my arms. "Maybe find a cheesy Karaoke bar and sing really bad together. Though you actually have a good voice."

"Do I?" I raise an eyebrow. I never really thought of it. Julia turns around and faces me now, both of us still wrapping our arms around each other's waists.

 "You do."

"Does that mean I'll finally get you all to myself??" I ask. Julia knows what I mean. I'm sick of sharing her with Nate  Hollan.

"Yes. That means you'll finally get me all to yourself."

"Then cheesy Karaoke it is." I kiss the top of Julia's head. "Then what?"

"Then....you take me back to your house."

"Oh yeah?" I like where this is going. Now this mood, I can handle. I lower my face closer to hers. "Then what?"

"Then you take me up to your bedroom." She says softly. Our lips aren't touching yet but we still let our words linger.

"Mmhmmm. Then what..." I match the softness in her voice and my lips brush against her lips.

"Then you take my top off." 

"Can I request the red bra and underwear?" My lips touch hers lightly while I talk but we don't kiss yet, driving each other insane.

"You can request anything you want." Julia sighs and closes her eyes. 

"Anything??" I raise my eyebrows.

"Anything."

"Julia..."

"James."

I cup her face, unable to take any more of this teasing and crash my mouth in to hers. 

What was once just an annoying sprinkling of rain suddenly turns into a full on downpour. Neither of us pull away, like some scene from a movie. We are both drenched instantly with how hard it's raining. It doesn't affect me one bit. I continue to kiss Julia, never wanting to stop, but she shivers and pulls away, I groan but get it and open the slider door.

We quickly go back inside. Nate is on the couch scrolling through his phone and looks up at us.

"Sorry. It came down fast." Julia looks at the water dripping on the floor. 

"I need a shower." Julia announces, trying to brush through her wet hair.

"No fucking in my shower." Nate scolds.

Nate earns a laugh from Jonah and a smirk from Julia.

"Actually, I need to head out anyways. I have to take care of my dog and run a few errands for my mom tonight." I kiss the top of Julia' s head and quickly head out, now out of time.