Chapter 20 - Wyatt
WYATT
Wyatt had gone for an early morning run and was on his way back to the rental cottage when he spotted Edith on the beach.
She was walking down to the sea, and it stopped him in his tracks.
He thought about going over to her when he saw someone coming out of the water and walking over to Edith.
In the early morning light, he thought he recognised the other person as Rosie, which would make sense as she was a keen swimmer.
Rosie sat down next to Edith on a rock. Her body language suggested she was telling Edith something of import and he wondered if he should go down and check that all was well, but it looked like Edith had it covered.
Sitting on a bench, he reasoned with himself that he was taking a moment to catch his breath.
While browsing his phone to see how far he’d run, snippets of their conversation drifted to him on the breeze.
Rosie said something about feeling conflicted and not fitting in, and his heart flipped over.
It was like she’d reached down inside him and pulled out his own insecurities.
He’d spent much of his life in New York, but he’d never felt like he belonged — not since he was a young boy when tragedy had struck.
He felt he had no right to be there either.
His eyes burnt with tears, and he hunched over his legs, rubbed at his throat and tried not to break down.
When he’d gathered his composure, he sat up and wiped his eyes, then looked over at the women again.
Edith was speaking and Rosie was listening intently.
He knew how it felt to speak to Edith about his feelings, and a wave of longing for her swept over him.
She had been his safe port in the storm of life, and he had loved her so, so much.
But then, he had left her, left the life they’d talked about having behind him as he felt she deserved so much better than him with all of his baggage.
How could he have planned a life with her after what he’d done?
How could he have allowed himself to become a husband and father when he was unworthy of ever having that kind of happiness?
He stood up, needing to run again, but as he did so, Edith stood up too and then held out a hand for Rosie.
Edith was a nurturer, kind, compassionate and with a loving heart.
By denying himself the things he had craved, he had also denied Edith them.
He’d thought she’d move on and find someone else, but it seemed that hadn’t happened, and what if…
Oh, what an awful thought. What if, by denying himself those things, he had then hurt her beyond repair?
If that was the case, then he had created a whole new problem, damaged a whole other person, and not protected her as he should have done.
Edith had trusted him, and he had hurt her and stolen away the life they’d dreamt about having. What could he ever do to make it up to her?
Before they spotted him, he turned and ran towards the harbour. His heart pounded in time with his footsteps and tried to put his pain behind him as he ran, but he knew that he’d never be able to do that until he’d made things right with the only woman he had ever loved.