Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Cedric Clarke and Lorna stood at the foot of the bed, taking turns to gently coax him, patiently repeating words of comfort.

The man who had always been proud and domineering now lay there in silence, meeting the end with a strange, calm acceptance.

The early August sun was setting, its warm glow slanting through the window, washing everything in red. Yet, no matter how the light touched his face, it couldn't bring color to his deathly pale cheeks.

A car rumbled into the driveway.

Carl was back.

Moments later, hurried footsteps pounded down the hall.

The bedroom door burst open.

Carl, breathless and flushed, rushed in clutching the photo album Briony had given him.

"Mr. Wentworth! Mr. Wentworth!"

He was rarely so reckless.

Stewart, who'd been slipping toward unconsciousness, was startled awake. His heavy eyelids lifted, and he gazed at Carl standing by the bed.

A faint crease appeared between Stewart's brows, a subtle wince betraying the worsening pain.

Carl's eyes were rimmed red as he thrust the album forward. "Mr. Wentworth, please look at this!"

Cedric and Lorna exchanged a glance.

They both guessed what Carl had brought must be from Briony.

But Stewart barely reacted.

Carl pressed on. "Miss Briony asked me to bring this to you."

finally made Stewart

took him a moment before he rasped,

with urgency. "She wanted you to have this album. It's a collection of her photos from birth to

Stewart lifted a hand, reaching for the

the album down and helped prop Stewart up, arranging two

his thin wrist,

Nina,

premature baby, so tiny and red and wrinkled, lying in an incubator with a breathing mask over her face—just the sight of her made Stewart's

He turned the pages-

Nina at one month;

Nina at two months;

Nina's first celebration;

to her first birthday, every change in his daughter was there, captured in those

flush of

brushed gently over

in the pictures, and in

promised her that night.

choed the words t

busy, I can wait, but you can't forget, okay? I only be in kindergarten

to take her to school

had said she

after three years, she'd be

are so heartbreakingly brief-miss them,

he was, about to break it, about to run away like a

breath hitched; pain stabbed through his chest, sharp and relentless, as if someone were

was

must be videos inside-snippets

eyes, each breath raw and shuddering, his body wrapped in unspeakable

Carl kept silent vigil