Mirabelle’s POV:
The days slipped by faster than I expected, and before I knew it, the night before Noah’s trip to Shanghai had arrived.
We were in our bedroom, and he was packing his bags, folding shirts, and arranging everything in a kind of way that always made me smile. I watched him from the edge of the bed, my thoughts racing.
I kept telling myself to stay strong, repeating it like a chant-Nothing is going to happen. Noah is nothing like him. Noah is not like Ken. Noah is mine and would never hurt me.
Yet, despite the reassurance, there was a subtle voice in my head trying to remind me that Noah and Ken both came from the same sperm.
There was a part of me that wanted to cling to him, to demand that he stayed and not leave me behind, but I knew better. I wouldn’t let those insecurities rule me.
“Are you sure you’ve got everything?” I asked. I hated how fragile I sounded, how small I felt just sitting there and watching him prepare to leave.
Noah glanced up at me and smiled. “I think so. Although if I forget something, I’ll just have to send Samuel to the Mall.” He chuckled softly, shoving a pair of socks into the side pocket of the suitcase. “Besides, it’s only for a few days. I’ll be back before you know it.”
I forced myself to smile back, but my heart wasn’t in it. His optimism didn’t soothe the tightness in my chest. “I know,” I said. “But I still wish you didn’t have to go.”
He paused in his packing and walked over to me, kneeling down so that we were on eye-level. “I’ll call you every day,” he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “We’ll talk as much as you want, and I promise to keep you updated on everything.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat. “I believe you, Noah.”
But even as I said it, Natasha’s warning echoed in my mind-Brace yourself and be ready to lose him. I didn’t want to give those words any power, but they lingered like in my thoughts.
“Do you?” he asked softly, his eyes searching mine.
“Yes,” I said firmly, lifting my chin. “I do.”
He smiled, leaning in to kiss me, a gentle brush of his lips against mine. I closed my eyes and let myself sink into the kiss, trying to drown out the doubts, the anxieties, the fears that still hadn’t fully released their grip on my heart.
We pulled apart, and he rested his forehead against mine for a moment. “I love you.” He said quietly.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, and for a moment, I believed that it was enough.
He stood up and returned to packing, and I watched him, with a wide smile.
I hated that I was comparing him to Ken, hated the way the scars of my past refused to fade, no matter how hard I tried to cover them up with new, happier memories.
I knew I was being unfair, that Noah wasn’t my ex-husband. He had never given me a reason not to trust him, not once, and yet the fear of being hurt again kept me on edge, always waiting for the other shoe to drop.
He zipped up the suitcase and looked over at me. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, smiling, but I saw the worry in his eyes. He knew me too well to be fooled.
“Just… thinking,” I said, giving him another smile, this one a little more genuine. “About how much I’ll miss you.”
He reached out a hand, and I took it, letting him pull me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of coffee on him. “I’ll miss you too,” he said into my hair. “But it’s just a few days, and then I’ll be home.”
“Right,” I murmured, closing my eyes and wishing I could believe it would be that simple.
We stood there like that for a long time, wrapped in each other’s embrace, until finally, he pulled away and gave me a quick peck on the forehead. “I should get some sleep,” he said with a yawn. “Big day tomorrow.”
“Yeah,” I said softly, releasing him and stepping back. “You should.”
He climbed into bed, and I slipped in beside him, lying still as he settled in. His breathing evened out, slow and steady.
But I lay awake, staring at the ceiling and wondering if I was strong enough to face the days ahead without letting my fears ruin everything. When I finally fell asleep, it was with my hand resting on his chest.
The next morning came too quickly. I hadn’t slept well. Noah was already up, preparing for the trip. He moved around the room quietly, trying not to wake me, but I was already wide awake, staring at the ceiling.
I decided not to go to work. I’d cleared my schedule the day before; I needed to be the one to drive him to the airport. It felt like the least I could do, even though a part of me wanted to bury my head under the covers and avoid the whole thing.
But I knew I couldn’t. If I let my fears dictate my actions now, I’d never forgive myself.
Downstairs, the kids were already prepped for school, all dressed in their uniforms and ready to leave. But they were waiting for one last thing-the chance to say goodbye to Noah. I saw the anxious excitement on their faces as they fidgeted by the front door, barely able to stand still.
Even Jamie, hovered in the background, smiling softly as she watched them.
Noah appeared at the top of the staircase, his suitcase in hand. I followed closely behind him, carrying a medium-sized duffel bag he’d insisted he could handle himself.
He looked back at me and smiled. I tried to return it, but it felt thin, stretched too tight over my face.
We descended the stairs together, and as we reached the bottom, Noah turned towards the kids, who were gathered near the banister.
They rushed forward, and he knelt down, setting the suitcase aside, and pulled them all into a group hug.
“I’m going to miss you guys,” he said softly. He kissed each of them on the forehead, holding Mika a little longer as she clung to him, tears streaming down her cheeks.