“You didn’t end things because you suddenly understood how badly you treated me. You ended them because the arrangement you wanted wasn’t going to happen.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Then look me in the eye and tell me you would have left Elena even if I’d accepted your schedule.”
Callum opened his mouth.
But no answer came.
He leaned forward.
“I messed up. I know that. I’ve ended it with her, and I’m choosing you. Just tell me what I need to do to fix this.”
And suddenly, I saw the problem more clearly than ever.
Once again, everything revolved around his decisions.
His wishes.
His choices.
Throughout the weekend, I had wondered whether Callum would eventually choose our family.
But I had been concentrating on the wrong question.
“For eight years, I kept choosing our marriage, even when life was difficult,” I said quietly. “You made a decision that affected me and our son without giving either of us a choice.”
Tears appeared in his eyes.
“Maggie, please don’t do this.”
I took a steady breath.
“Now I’m going to make a decision about my own life.”
He fell silent.
“We’re going to live separately for the time being.”
His expression crumpled.
“And Kieran?”
“You are still his father. We’re both going to show up for him, and we’re never going to make him feel responsible for whether our marriage survives.”
Callum covered his face with both hands.
“Do you think there’s any hope left for us?”
