Noah’s POV:
I blinked, taken aback by the familiarity in her tone.
“I… I think you have me confused with someone else,” I said gently, but she just smiled up at me.
“Oh, don’t be silly,” she said, clutching my hand. “You’ve always been there for me, every step of the way.” Her frail fingers tightened around mine, and my heart twisted at the softness in her voice.
Before I could say anything else, an older man approached us.
“I’m so sorry,” He said, forcing out a smile. “My wife… she has dementia. She thinks every kind young man is me, from when we were younger.” He took her hand from mine with a patient smile.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s sit down.”He led his wife to a bench, and they sat together, her head resting on his shoulder as he held her close.
I hesitated before asking. “How long have you both been married?”The man looked at me surprised, before smiling softly. “We’ve been married for over fifty years. Met when we were just kids, and we’ve been through… well, more than I can count. But she’s my heart, even now, when she barely remember my name.”
I hesitated before blurting out. “How… How did you stay together for so long? My marriage isn’t even ten years old, and I feel like it’s already falling apart.”
The man chuckled. “It’s never been easy, son. There were times when I thought it was over, when we fought and hurt each other, when life seemed to pull us apart. But we always found our way back, because in the end, love isn’t about being perfect. It’s about holding on, even when everything else is telling you to let go.” I felt a knot tighten in my stomach.
“What if… what if it feels like it’s already broken? Like you’ve made too many mistakes to fix it?” He looked at me with a knowing gaze.
“Then you start again. You make new promises, and you do better. It’s never too late, as long as you’re willing to try.” The man looked at me with a sad smile. “It’s never easy,” he said. “You fight, you hurt each other, you make mistakes. But if you love each other, you don’t give up. You keep trying, even when it feels impossible.”
I swallowed hard, his words sinking in. “What if… what if it feels like you’ve already lost them?” He reached over and patted my arm, his grip surprisingly strong.
“Then you start again. You make new promises, and you do better. You also remind yourself why you loved her in the first place. And you fight like hell to get them back. It’s never too late, as long as you’re willing to try.”
Sigh. “Thank you.” I forced a smile.
The man patted my shoulder before standing up. “Whatever you’re going through, son, don’t give up so easily. You’ll regret it.”
They walked away, hand in hand, while I sat there staring at them. Their love wasn’t perfect-it was real, messy, and full of flaws. And maybe, just maybe, that was the kind of love I needed to fight for.
I didn’t have all the answers yet, but I knew I had to try, to do better-for Mirabelle, for the kids, and for myself.
I pulled out my phone again, staring at the email draft to Natasha. The cursor blinked at me, waiting for a decision I wasn’t ready to make.
Shoving the phone back in my pocket, I got up and left the park. I needed to face the mess I had created, not hide from it.
And it started with going back home.
Mirabelle’s POV:
I sat at my desk, staring at the documents in front of me without really seeing them. The numbers, the charts, the endless figures-I couldn’t focus on any of it.
Everytime I tried to absorb the information, Noah’s words echoed in my head: “When you decide to come to your senses, then everything will be resolved.” His words from last night played over and over until I felt like I might scream.
My hand hovered over the stack of papers, but I knew it was pointless. I wasn’t going to get any work done today.
With a sigh, I gathered my things and left the office, ignoring the worried look from my assistant as I walked out. I needed a break.
I needed to breathe. I didn’t know where else to go, so I ended up texting Ken.
He suggested lunch at a new downtown restaurant he’d been meaning to try. We ordered salads and coffee, and as we ate, we talked about the project we were working on together-details about the company, marketing strategies, and market trends.
But the conversation drifted, Ken leaned in closer, his gaze lingering a little too long. “Mirabelle.” He called out. “You look tired. Is everything okay with you?”I paused, my fork hovering in midair.
What did he mean by that?
“I’m fine,” I lied, picking at my food. “Just a lot on my plate right now.”
He nodded, but I could see the doubt in his eyes. “You don’t look fine. You look… worn out. Is it Noah?”bI stiffened, my fingers tightening around my fork.
“I said I’m fine, Ken.” Ken didn’t back off. He never did.
“You don’t have to pretend with me, you know. We were married once, remember? I can tell when you’re upset. If he’s making you unhappy-” My phone buzzed on the table, interrupting whatever Ken was about to say.
I reached for it, my heart sinking as I saw an unknown number flash across the screen. I knew it belonged to Natasha, because the last four digits of her number were still stuck in my head from our last phone call.
“I hope you’re ready for the Shanghai trip. It’s going to be a big moment for Noah and me-both professionally and personally.” The words blurred in front of me, and I felt my hand begin to shake. I set the phone down, face down, and took a deep breath to calm myself.