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.

...

rain had eased and the sky had brightened a

the clock.

up in much better

thing about kids-their moods changed as quickly as the

hand in each of hers, Briony led

around lunchtime, but you three were so sound asleep

had slept

"I lay down

you want to eat? I'll whip something up

"Just some noodles, please."

"You got it!"

little Mario were already off, happily playing

still groggy

her head pounding

the front door

up at the

nowhere and had

she remembered her phone was still in her purse, which

and fished out the phone, only

calls, she wasn't even

her phone vibrated again-Cedric

hesitated, and let it ring until it went to

again. And again.

battery died and the phone

slipped the dead phone

finished making the

their hands and