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

moment before he rasped, "Who... did you

to have this album. It's a collection of her photos from birth to her first birthday Ms. Kensington found it for

for the album,

quickly set the album down and helped prop Stewart

against them, IV lines trailing from his thin wrist, Stewart slowly

little Nina,

so tiny and red and wrinkled, lying in an incubator with a breathing mask over her face—just the

He turned the pages-

Nina at one month;

Nina at two months;

Nina's first celebration;

month, from birth to her first birthday, every change in his daughter was there,

them, and a flush of red crept into the corners of his

gently

in the pictures,

promised her that night.

choed the words t

but you can't forget, okay? I only be

take

she would only wait

she'd be done with

early years are so heartbreakingly brief-miss them, and you

about to break it, about to

his chest, sharp and relentless,

was

must be videos inside-snippets of his daughter

raw and shuddering, his body wrapped in

Lorna, and Carl kept silent vigil around