She glanced down at her notes, then looked back at me.
“Adrian, you’re fighting for your marriage. That much is clear. But healing isn’t linear. It isn’t fast, and it isn’t neat. Your wife is still living with a wound you created. You have to give her space without interpreting it as a lack of love.”
I leaned back, her words settling heavily in my chest—a weight I knew I deserved.
She closed her notebook and set it aside. “Let me ask you one more thing,” she said. “Why are you still here?”
The answer came without effort. “Because she’s my wife,” I said. “And I love her.”
She nodded once, as if confirming something to herself.
“Your job isn’t to measure how close she is to trusting you again. It’s to remain consistent without demanding certainty in return.”
I took that in.
“If you can do that,” she continued, “you give the relationship the best chance it has.”
I nodded.
Because for Elena, I would.
CHAPTER 15
Elena
“Yes, we’re already on our way to Judy’s,” I told my parents over FaceTime.
My phone was propped on the dashboard mount, angled toward us. I reached over and unhooked it, turning the camera so they could see Haille in her car seat, completely absorbed in her toys.
“Haille, say hi to Nana and Papa.”
“Haii Nana, haii Papa,” she chirped, waving her little hand.
I smiled as my parents lit up on the screen, laughing and waving back at their granddaughter. My mom signed something quickly, her hands moving with excitement, asking about Adrian.
He glanced over, caught her eye through the screen, and signed a quick greeting back—hi, love you—before returning his focus to the road.
After a few more minutes of small talk, we ended the call.
“Are you excited, Haille?” I asked.
“Yesss, play with Avewyyy!” Haille practically shouted. Her little curls bounced when she said Avery’s name, making her look even more excited.
This weekend, we had promised to have lunch at Judy’s house. She lived close by, which was a lifesaver whenever we needed help with Haille.
Adrian glanced my way. “By the way, I have to leave for the project next week. There’s a problem on site, and they need me there as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” I said quietly, forcing my voice to stay calm.
“If you want, you can ask Mom or Avery to stay over with you,” he added.
“I’ll think about it,” I replied.
“I won’t be long,” Adrian continued. “This work trip should only take about two weeks at most.”
“Alright,” I said. “Where to?”
“Ohio,” he answered.
