He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to explain.
“Maybe we needed to mess up.” I stood up, restless, and grabbed another beer from the cooler. “Maybe feeling the sting of what we almost lost…maybe it’s the only way to come back stronger.” I sat drinking my beer pondering my next steps.
“I can’t keep working with her,” I said bluntly.
Danny frowned, leaning back in his chair. “You know it’s not that simple. Shannon’s good at what she does.”
“I know,” I said, my voice firm. “But I can’t keep putting my family on the line. Natalie knows about the kiss. If I’m serious about fixing things, Shannon can’t be in the picture.”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We can’t fire her outright. You know that’ll cause a storm we don’t need.”
“I’m not asking for that,” I replied. “But I need distance. I can’t go to New York as often, at least right now.”
Danny looked at me for a long moment, then nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
It wasn’t perfect, but it was a start. I couldn’t erase what had happened, but I could take steps to make sure it didn’t happen again.
“Just make sure you’re doing this for the right reasons,” he said finally.
That night, as I lay in bed alone, his words kept replaying in my head. Was I doing this for the right reasons? Or was I just afraid of letting go? And what reasons wereright, anyway?
When Natalie came to me in the bathroom that morning, she looked so vulnerable. And something shifted. It wasn’t just guilt or regret, it was determination. I had to prove to her that I was still her partner, that we could rebuild what we’d lost. Yet the timing felt off. Yet another work trip loomed over us, unavoidable and inconvenient. I hated leaving her when things were so fragile, but I promised myself that when I got back, I’d make it right.
The plane ride gave me too much time to think. I thought about the fights we didn’t have, the things we didn’t say, the quiet moments that had slipped away. I thought about Shannon, too, not as a temptation but as a reminder of how far I’d let things slide.
Shannon deserved better, someone who could take her seriously, someone who wasn’t using her to avoid his own problems. I hated the idea that I might have been that man toher. I owed it to Natalie, and to myself, to be better. By the time I landed, I had a plan.
I was going to remind her of who we were, who we used to be. I started planning the perfect date night. Otoro, our favorite sushi place, was the obvious choice. I could already picture her face when we walked in, the way her shoulders would relax in the quiet intimate setting, the way she’d smile as the chef greeted us like old friends. But that wasn’t enough. I wanted to do more to make her feel like the center of my world again.
After dinner, I booked a night at Lido House, just ten minutes away from home. It wasn’t extravagant, but it was thoughtful. The boutique hotel was a place we talked about visiting but never did. A night away from the house, the kids, and the stress of everyday life felt like exactly what we needed.
Natalie told me Meredith was coming to town, I texted her to see if she would watch the kids for a night, and she agreed to stay overnight with the kids. I told Natalie about the date. I didn’t give all the details but, enough for her to plan and know I was trying.Trying for us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t just a date night. It was a last chance to reconnect, to remind ourselves of who we were before all the glaring imperfections in our marriage revealed themselves.
As the week dragged on,I found myself thinking about Natalie more than ever.
I thought about the way she used to light up when she talked about her design projects, the way she would rearrange furniture on a whim, making our house feel more like a home. I thought about the way she laughed when James said something clever or the way she smoothed Bebe’s hair when she was upset.
I thought about the life we built together, the good and the bad, and I knew I wasn’t ready to let it go. When Friday finally arrived, I felt a nervous energy I hadn’t felt in years. This wasn’t just a date. It was a step toward something bigger.
It was the next chapter, and I was ready to turn the page.
CHAPTER 45
ALMOST SOMETHING
WILL
After Natalie ended things with me, I felt an overwhelming sense of loss. I didn’t expect to feel this way about anyone again, not after Kelly. But this was different.
With Natalie, it felt like I’d found something real, something I didn’t even know I was missing. It wasn’t just about the connection. It was about the ease. Being with her felt simple, natural, like breathing. She wasn’t just someone I was drawn to; she felt like a best friend, the kind of person who brought calm without even trying.
Kelly and I looked good together on paper; it seemed like we were meant to be. We had the house, the kids, the social circle, but if I’m honest, it was…vanilla. Predictable. Comfortable. There wasn’t anything inherently wrong with it, but it lacked depth.
Natalie brought out a side of me I hadn’t seen in years, maybe ever. She made me laugh in a way that felt natural and made mestop taking everything so seriously. I’d spent so much of my life letting work and obligations control me. She let me live freely, even if only for a short time.
If my mother knew about her, she’d probably call it a midlife crisis.Will, she’d say,this is what men your age do. They find some shiny new thing to make them feel alive again. But this wasn’t about chasing something fleeting. It wasn’t about buying a sports car or trying to reclaim my youth. This was more.
Since it was over, I knew I had to move on, no matter how much it hurt. My kids needed me, and they had to be my priority, but it wasn’t easy. Every corner of my house held traces of Natalie. Her laughter still seemed to echo in the kitchen, and the way she’d rearranged my furniture to make it feel less sterile, more like a home, was impossible to ignore. Even the throw pillows she insisted on adding to my overly masculine couch, and the oversized candles she’d carefully placed on the ottoman lingered, their faint scent refusing to let me forget her. I found myself standing in the living room one evening, staring at the couch where she’d once sat, legs tucked under her, talking about everything and nothing. It was the kind of conversation I hadn’t had with anyone in years. The memory hit me so hard that I had to sit down.
