“You can see him as safe,” she added, quieter now, “and still not choose him.”
The words settled into me slowly. Because I had been treating every shift inside me like it demanded a decision. Like if my heart softened, I had to return. Like if my body stopped bracing, I had to forgive completely. Like healing meant going backward.
But there was one thing I hadn’t considered—maybe healing could mean something else.
Moving forward. And forward didn’t always lead back to him.
“So what do I do with this?” I asked quietly.
Dr. Bonnie smiled gently. “You do nothing right now,” she said. “You observe.”
I blinked.
“You don’t force conclusions,” she continued. “You don’t rush meaning. And you don’t punish yourself for feeling better.”
She met my eyes, then added, “Just because your body is starting to relax doesn’t mean your life has to change.”
The words hit me like warmth, loosening the tightness in my chest—not completely, but enough to make me understand the truth I’d been avoiding. I wasn’t scared of healing. I was scared of what healing would unlock. Because the moment Adrian stopped feeling like a threat... he would start feeling like home.
CHAPTER 37
Elena
Five months after Family Day at Haille’s daycare, Adrian told me he’d been assigned to represent the board in Abu Dhabi. That day, he had just dropped Haille off at my place, and instead of leaving right away, he stayed—long enough to ask if we could talk.
I tried not to look surprised when he said it. Because Adrian had always belonged to a world that demanded him, as if life never ran out of ways to pull him away from me.
“We’ve got a project in Abu Dhabi that’s drifting off track. The board doesn’t want it escalating into a dispute or a write-off, so they’re sending me in to take control before it gets worse.”
Something shifted slowly inside my chest.
It wasn’t like before, when he left for weeks or months and I was still his wife—when distance still meant he’d come home to me. This was different. Now, he could leave, and I had no claim on where or when he returned.
But I could still do this—for Haille.
“How long?” I asked.
He went quiet, just a beat too long. Then he said, “It’s going to take time. A few months, at least—until we get the schedule and costs under control.” He quickly added, “This isn’t sudden. I just got the final confirmation this week. I wanted you to know as soon as possible.”
I nodded slowly, as if I were hearing it like any other schedule update. Like my heart wasn’t tightening at the thought of him leaving.
“So… what about Haille’s schedule?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.
He lifted his phone slightly, as if it were proof he’d already thought everything through—proof he wasn’t just a man leaving, but a father trying to do it right.
“I’ve drafted a schedule,” he said. “I can still take her a few days before I leave. And before I go—” His voice dipped, softer now. “—I want as much quality time with her as possible.”
I looked at him briefly. Because if I looked too long, I might see something that would weaken my resolve.
“I can do that,” I said finally. “Take her more often until you leave, so it won’t feel like she’s suddenly losing you when you’re gone.”
Adrian nodded. Relief flickered across his face, as if he didn’t want to show how much that answer meant. “Thank you,” he said. Then, almost immediately, he added, “If anything comes up, you can call Avery. Or Mom. They said they’re ready to help anytime.”
I let out a slow breath. “Okay.”
Adrian looked at me like there was something else he wanted to say, but didn’t.
“I won’t keep you long,” he said as he stood, as if he was afraid his presence in this space was already too much.
