I'm pretty new here and I am no where near as familiar with the Godfather things and Godfather-related things as anyone else here. I guess my comments on this come strickly from an observer's point of view.

Back in the days when Kay and Michael lived, there was an intense taboo on abortion--not just in the Catholic Church, but in society in general. It seems to me that Kay was afraid of how their marriage and lifestyle was going. Remember when Connie came running into their house as they were preparing to move and accused Michael of killing Carlo. And at the end when the bodyguards took Connie away hysterical, Kay asks Michael about his "business". At first he gets extremely angry and refuses to answer her. Then, probably realizing that there were serious questions in Kay's mind, he relents and allows her one question--to which he replies with a lie. Her face was covered with relief and peace because had his answer been the truth, she knew she would be faced with the unthinkable: divorce in an Italian (mob, nonetheless!)Catholic family--unthinkable--at least in my family. An abortion is a total "anathema" in an Italian family--especially an old-fashioned Catholic one.

So, after this relieving response from Michael, and then she leaves his office and observes these men showing homage to him as the Don, the look on her face tells us that she then realizes what a farce not just her marriage is, but the whole lifestyle of this family. She knew that her marriage and lifestyle with Michael was a lie and said as much during her fight with Michael when she admitted that she had had an abortion. She said something to him like: "I knew that you could never forgive me for an abortion...not with this Sicilian thing!" That is when he slapped her. And, I think slapped her into reality--that he could very well kill her if angered enough--AND if she managed to step over the right lines in the sand. When he yelled at her that she would never take his children from her, she realized then, the gravity of the situation she caused. There was no way Kay would ever get custody of her children and there was no way Michael could ever forgive her.

The other scene which shows us that Kay hadn't really realized how Michael's reaction would be so completely far-reaching was when she had to sneak into the house to visit with her children. The look on Michael's face when he saw her--a cold, unmoving, emotionless, a stare that went right through her like an icicle thrust through her heart...and then the door shuts very quietly in her face as she lets out a little cry behind the door. Now that is one heck of an emotional scene. And all the while with her children within earshot of what was going on.

I think she wanted to get out of the marriage, but never dreamed that she would be so completely outside the family. I think she thought Michael's love for her was greater than her interpretation of his loyalty to his familglia was. In reality, no Italian husband would have allowed her back into the family--especially while the children were young. At least, none of the uncles, grandfather, friends, etc., in my family would have ever done.

~~ Lolly

P.S. I hope this didn't sound like I was rambling--it sounds like that to me....