“Dada!” Heath said excitedly, and Layla put the baby into Mark’s arms, and he took a second to rub his cheek against Heath’s. The baby seemed to like that as he ran his fingers over the day-old stubble. He typically shaved each day but had been too distracted by his thoughts to leave time for this habit.
Mark shot Layla a quizzical look over the top of Heath’s head, and she nodded toward her father. “If you don’t mind, Mark, my father and I are going to head into town. He needs to check on the store, and Eliza and I have agreed to accompany him.”
“That’s fine, Layla. Let me get the buggy or at least a horse ready for you,” Mark replied, eager to help her.
“Thank you, Mark, but that won’t be necessary. Father and I need to take a good long walk together,” Layla said, smiling at her father. Emmett rose from his seat and nodded in agreement with his daughter.
“Then let me accompany you. We can bundle up Heath, and we’ll be on our way in—”
“Mark,” Layla said quietly. She placed a steadying hand on his forearm. “You need to stay here and speak with Trudie. She has traveled quite a way to see you and Heath again.” She lifted her eyebrows meaningfully. “The two of you need to talk.”
Mark nodded his head. Though it was strange that Layla insisted he stay and speak to Trudie, he also knew how she felt about the forgiveness of others. He figured she must be angling for him to spend time with his ex-wife so they could discuss the situation, but he was still jarred by the prospect. “Go ahead then, Layla. Mr. Fitzpatrick, enjoy your time in town. If you think of it, pick up a jar of those peaches on the way home.”
Layla squeezed Mark’s arm. “We can do that.” She and her father padded from the room, and Mark found himself alone with his ex-wife and his son. He kept Heath cuddled in his arms but sat in Layla’s comfortable chair.
“Trudie,” Mark said, doing his best to keep his tone even, working hard to control his temper. He wanted to yell at her and say several discourteous things, but with his son in his arms, he reminded himself that he needed to stay on his best behavior.
“Thank you for agreeing to speak with me, Mark, and for letting me see Heath. He’s becoming such a big boy,” Trudie said gently. Mark eyed Trudie carefully and saw that she was sincere, so he bit back the retort that had sprung to his mind.
“He is doing well,” Mark told her and shifted Heath in his arms so that the baby was facing his mother.
“And he seems to love you very much,” Trudie said, her head tipping, observing Heath play with Mark’s calloused fingers.
“He is a good boy, and we love each other very much,” Mark said, and his throat went dry. He licked his lips nervously. “I want to ask you, Trudie—” Mark stopped when Trudie opened her mouth to speak at the same time. “You go first,” he said politely.
“I want to explain to you why I’m here, Mark. I’ve come to apologize to you and Heath, but mostly to you. I’m asking you to forgive me. Ineedyou to forgive me for leaving.” Tears slipped down her cheeks. She lifted a white cotton handkerchief to her face and dabbed at her tears. “Please say that you forgive me, Mark. I need to hear it.”
“It’s not that simple, Trudie. A great deal has passed between us, and these things take time to heal.” When he said the words, his chest tightened, realizing this was different.Hewas different. Time had passed, and he and Heath had continued growing without her. Slowly, they had found their way. He had changed, and his feelings for Trudie altered as well. “I mean to say,” Mark said, clearing his throat. “I will do my best to forgive you, Trudie. I can see that it means a great deal to you.”
“It does,” Trudie said eagerly, her face brightening considerably. “I have long since resented the way I behaved, and I have wished that I could apologize to you. Allow me to do it now: I’m sorry, Mark. I never meant to hurt you or our child. I think of you both every day, and I always wish you the very best.”
Mark tilted his head as he considered Trudie’s words. He knew what she meant. It had been a while since he had thought about Trudie negatively. When she did cross his mind, he hoped that she was doing well and finding peace. Maybe this had to do with Layla’s influence. She was always talking about loving others and doing the best for each other because that’s what God would want people to do. He nodded at Trudie. “I wish for us to move forward. I … forgive you, Trudie.”
She smiled at him broadly, her cheeks wobbly with the effort. “Thank you, Mark. Thank you for your understanding and your compassion.”
“I am glad to see you so well-pleased, Trudie,” and he knew he meant it. Even though she caused much pain, he loved her once and was his son’s mother. “It has been a long time since I have seen you smile this way.”
Trudie touched the side of her face. “I know that things, in the end, were rather miserable, but I hope we can move past that now. I would like to spend some time with our son if you permit me. I traveled three hours this morning on an early train, but I’m eager to get back home … to my husband.”
Mark’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “Husband?” he asked. “I had no idea you’d remarried.”
“I didn’t know that you’d remarried either,” Trudie replied, a playful twinkle hinting in her eyes.
“Well—I …” Mark stammered.
“It’s fine, Mark. Layla is lovely, and I am glad to see that she makes you happy. Most of all, I’m pleased to see the way she loves Heath. He adores her, and I can tell that she cherishes him. She is just the kind of woman I would want to help you raise our son.”
Mark’s eyebrow twitched in surprise. “Then you will let Heath stay here with me … and Layla?”
“Yes, of course,” Trudie replied, looking at Mark quizzically. “I never thought about taking him away from you.” She tentatively reached out a hand toward him and laid it on his knee where Heath was perched. “I only came here to seek your forgiveness and to see the baby.”
Mark breathed a sigh of relief. Swallowing down his anxiety, he asked, “Would you like to hold him?” Trudie snatched her hand away from his knee quickly.
“I hadn’t dared to imagine that you might let me hold him,” Trudie whispered in awe. “That is so nice of you, Mark. I … would like to hold baby Heath.”
Mark adjusted Heath in his arms and whispered to his son softly, “Heath, I’m going to pass you over to this lady. Her name is Trudie, and she … is your mother. I’m not going to leave, but I want you to spend time with her.”
“Dada,” Heath replied as though telling his father he understood and reassure him that everything would be all right.
