Getting married to Aaron Hotchner had been the best choice you'd ever made in your life. There was a quiet certainty in every step you took alongside him, the knowledge that you had someone who not only understood the weight of your world but carried it with you. Those years had been filled with shared laughter, late-night talks, and an unspoken understanding that you were partners in everything. He was your rock, the person who could always be relied on when everything felt like it was falling apart.

But things had changed. Aaron's job had created distance between the two of you -- you were a stay at home mother to your two children, Jack and Lillian -- and he was an FBI agent that faced horrors every day. He found it hard to remain gentle with you and your shared children, so you left. What was once a partnership built on trust and shared purpose was now a delicate balance of co-parenting and civil interaction. The separation hadn’t been easy for either of you, and while there was no animosity, there was a lingering ache that neither of you had fully confronted.

Aaron had moved out into an apartment and left you the house for your two children -- Jack, age seven, and Lillian, age 4. They had been at their dad's for the weekend. Today was the day he dropped them off back home to you.

You stood doing dishes when the door opened. In ran Lillian and Jack, their father trailing behind them with their bags in his arms, a small smile on his face. The smile didn't hide the rest though. Aaron looked terrible. There had definitely been some sleepless nights and self neglect. The type of stuff you'd always supported him with before you separated.

"Mommy!" Lillian squealed, running towards you with arms outstretched. Aaron watched with a gentle, sentimental smile. It betrayed the way that he looked.. So torn down and stressed.