Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

After James tucked little Nina into bed, he turned around and saw Briony carrying little Mario in her arms. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"I'm going to lie down with the kids for a while." Briony's voice was soft, her face giving nothing away.

James recognized it for what it was a way to avoid everything.

In the end, he said nothing more. He stepped out of the room, gently pulling the door closed behind him.

Briony settled little Mario onto the bed, then lay down beside her two children. "Mom's here. Let's rest together, okay?"

Little Mario closed his eyes, drifting off almost instantly.

Briony watched her children's peaceful faces, then let her own eyes slip shut.

Outside, the wind and rain continued unabated.

Inside, the room was silent, broken only by the steady, even breathing of the children.

With her eyes closed, Briony couldn't help but replay the man's last words in her mind-

[Bryn, do you still resent me?]

Did she?

She hadn't answered him.

Because, truthfully, she didn't know the answer herself.

...

the rain had eased and the sky

at the clock. Two

children woke up in much better spirits after

was the thing about kids-their moods changed as quickly as

in each of hers, Briony led them

I went up around lunchtime, but you three were so sound asleep I didn't have the heart to wake

had slept

rainy weather," Briony replied. "I lay down

to eat? I'll

"Just some noodles, please."

"You got it!"

were already off, happily playing with their

groggy from

her head

the front door

at the

come out of nowhere and had been falling for hours, showing no

still in

the phone, only to

she wasn't even sure who to

her phone vibrated

at his name on the screen, hesitated, and

called again. And again. Briony didn't

died and

the dead phone back

finished making the

hands