CHAPTER 29
*PRESENT*
“If only I knew”
Aaron
Returning to the routine was even harder than I thought.
The clear image of my wife serene and happy made me smile in inopportune moments.
The bracelets that she gifted me served as a constant reminder of our little time away.
Things seemed to have settled down, and we had our next therapist appointment just a few days from now.
I still was executing my plan. My idea was to start slow—a relaxing bath, some playful time together, a couple of chill dates—things that could make my wife lower her walls enough that I could jump them.
One of the hard rules from my plan was to not bring up her parents.
That could only result in her defenses coming up, leaving us in the starting box.
It was Friday afternoon, and Maya told me she would try to get home sooner. I decided to go to her work. I could check Luca while also checking my wife.
After stopping the car in the parking lot, I breathed deeply.
This place always brought such horrible reminders.
Just a couple of steps from here, I had seen my strong wife collapse. Nothing could soothe her; there was no cure to her broken heart.
Little by little, we learnt every painful detail, tearing my wife’s soul piece by piece. The betrayal ran deep, the wound left untreated.
We made so many mistakes.
I made so many mistakes.
I put a Band-Aid on a deep, infected wound. I trusted that my wife was strong enough to deal with it, that that was what she needed.
And let her sail away from me. Even from herself.
Now the wound had scarred, and we needed to open it up, disinfect it, and close it again stitch by painful stitch.
I entered her building, and after checking on Luca and talking briefly with Sophia about how he was doing, I knocked on my wife’s door.
She was deep in thought, all her documents covering her desk, her hands only covered by her wedding ring and the two red ribbon bracelets I gave her.
Protección.
That was what my wife bought for our family. My no-bullshit Maya.
How could I think she didn’t care about me?
I was so blind, but now I understood better what was hurting my wife.
“If Mr. Musk-Smith has done another one of his wonderful ideas, it would have to wait until Monday. I promised Aaron—”
She looked up and smiled, surprised to see me here. I got closer and gave her a peck.
“Give me five minutes, and we can get going,”
she said, starting to put away all the documents.
“There’s no rush,”
I said. “I just wanted to check.”
“Luca’s doing an amazing job. Did you talk with Sophie?”
“I did. He told me he loves working here.”
Maya nodded, clearly smug.
“I’m going to take him home real quick. He needs to take care of his cousin.”
She nodded, giving me a kiss as goodbye.
Her computer made a sound that I knew all too well.
A new email.
Her phone followed, and Maya frowned.
“I guess I will learn what your client has done when I turn on the TV,” I joked.
If only I knew.