Before there is a next time

 "I don't know what's going to happen," Bom cornered Jay as soon as he brought Hope over. "Ivy's been here all week."

"Did something happen?" He asked back quietly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Bom almost winked with a stressful smile. 

He put down Hope and looked around to see if Ivy was in the livingroom.

"Where is she?"

"In..in Keanu's room. She's been staying there." Bom edged toward the kitchen and Jay followed.

"Well, tell me what's going on?" He was certain she'd say it was all his fault in the next breath.

"She and her mom had kind of ...I dunno," Bom sighed. "Look, it's good news for us, because she doesn't want her mother's house, but Dan's pretty upset about it."

Jay nodded.

"But..but they're still together, right?"

"I hope," Bom sighed. "I doubt she'd want to talk to you."

"But..but I should talk to her," he decided. They couldn't walk around as if they were on eggshells around her. He took Hope's hand then and went to Keanu's room. Of course, Keenu was happy to see them both but Ivy was focused on the puzzle on the floor. She didn't even look up, but Hope came over and kicked it and the puzzle went everywhere.

Ivy looked up at her as if she was the worst.

"Guess, who's here," Jay smiled, but Ivy said nothing. She seemed so out of it. Of course, Hope came over and gave her a wet kiss. She might as well have slobbered all over her. She plopped right in Ivy's lap.

"See, she remembers you," Jay went on to say. Still, Ivy looked as if she'd just survived a war zone and didn't know what to do. It was sad, but he didn't want to push her into anything either.

"We just thought we might stop by and you know, see you for a bit. We won't stay long."

She finally nodded. Jay wasn't sure if Ivy should be here.

"I don't know, she seems so different," Jay said to Lindy when he got home. Yes, he had Hope with him. He thought it best just to keep her home on the schedule she was used to.

"How different?" Lindy wanted to know.

"Oh, she never said much of anything," this worried Jay the most. Of course, he didn't have any answers either. Lindy took Hope and got her settled at the table with her finger foods and sippy cup. Jay looked through his contacts on his phone and finally found Dan's number. He'd never had to call him before, but he guessed there was a first time for everything.