Lily hadn't predicted that James would come upstairs, but she should have guessed he would eventually; all his stuff was up there and he would need his toothbrush and a change of clothes eventually. She didn't hear the door open, but heard the creek as he stepped inside followed by a muttered greeting. Unimpressed and really not in the mood to see or speak to him at that moment, she settled for a chaste, "Hello," before going over to her vanity and retrieving her lotion.

As she applied the lotion to her legs, she didn't even glance over at him in the bathroom. Instead, she kept a watch on her journal and waited for Marlene to reply as a means for distraction while he was in there. They had had fights, hundreds probably, and this one wasn't much different from some of the others except for the derogative names used and another hint about their marriage.