Benny studied the ring he held in the center of his palm before tightening his fingers around it, closing his hand into a fist. "This is idiotic," he muttered softly, mostly to himself. He sat there on the edge of his bed for a moment longer, head bowed, before sighing and getting to his feet to walk to the other room. "Tom, tell me I'm being an idiot."

Collins looked up and simply watched his friend for several seconds, one eyebrow slightly raised. "Well, that would be nothing new. And the reason you're an idiot today would be…?"

Benny walked across the room to sit on the couch beside Collins. Wordlessly, he opened his hand so Collins could see the ring.

"Oh…" Collins said slowly, and smirked a little after a moment of consideration. "So you're going to ask her and you're nervous. That's cute."

Benny looked up at him, his eyes narrowed slightly, lips pressed tight together. "I'm not nervous. Much. I just… I don't… She can't say yes."

"Well, unless she's literally incapable of saying the word yes…"

"Tom. You know what I mean." He held up the ring to study it once more and shook his head. "This is a joke. She's not going to say yes."

Collins rolled his eyes. "Look, are you trying to talk yourself out of asking her to marry you?"

"No, of course not. What kind of stupid—"

"Then stop worrying about it. Just ask her, instead of driving yourself crazy thinking about what she might say."

For a minute, Benny didn't answer, staring silently at the ring in his hand. At last, he nodded slightly, and smiled a little as he looked back up at Collins. "Right. You know, her father's going to hate me for this."

"All the more reason to ask."

"Alison, please don't… Look, we can talk this out. Just please, stop and give me a chance to—"

Alison stopped dead halfway across the living room, halfway to the door, and pivoted to glare at her husband. "A chance to what, Benny? You've had all the chances I'm giving you, more than you deserve, and you've thrown away every one. Not this time."

She turned around again and started for the front door once more. Benny hurried to catch up with her and caught her arm just before she reached it, turning her to face him while she glowered at him with her jaw tight, looking very much as if she would like to smack him.

"Alison, please," he repeated, more quietly than before. "I never meant to hurt you. I swear to God it'll never happen again."

"No," she said softly, her voice low and subdued, an abrupt change from her earlier tone. "It won't." She jerked her arm from Benny's grasp and opened the front door wide, holding it as she stood there watching him. "You go, or I do, but I'm not staying here while you turn our marriage upside down and treat me like some… expensive doll you can put away and forget about when you're done with it. I can't do this anymore." When Benny hesitated, searching desperately for a response, Alison gestured violently to the door. "Well? Are you going to go, or do I have to?"

Benny closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. This could not be happening. "Ali, baby…"

"Fine." Alison pulled her wedding ring off her finger and flung it to the floor at Benny's feet. She met his eyes for a second, her own eyes glimmering slightly with tears she'd obviously been fighting back, her jaw tight, lips pressed tightly together as she fought to control her expression so no trace of undue emotion leaked out. Benny knew the sins, and knew that to argue with her when she was like this proved ultimately futile. "Goodbye, Benny."

Benny didn't try to follow her out the door once she'd gone, just stood there for a moment or two as the reality of the situation sank in and struck home. Slowly, he bent to pick up Alison's ring, his fingers curling tight around it and pressing it into his palm.