Regretting The Wife He Threw Away

Briony bent down and zipped up the little yellow duck backpack. "From the kids' perspective, of course I want them to have both their parents. If Stewart truly cherishes them, he'll take care of himself."

She looked up at James, her voice soft, her tone calm. "I've never thought I mattered much to Stewart. Maybe we shared five years as husband and wife, but it was never love. Stewart never loved me, and I'll never love him again."

James watched her, his hand tightening at his side.

He pressed his lips together, wrestling with himself.

He wanted to say, Bryn, you're wrong. Stewart might love you more than you know. He's probably still hopelessly in love with you.

But how could he say that? To confess the feelings of his rival in love? Even if James couldn't fight and claw for her, he certainly couldn't step aside and play matchmaker for Stewart.

So he let it go. If he could be her knight, standing quietly at her side for the rest of his life—even if only as family—that would be enough.

...

Briony and James came downstairs together.

"Is there enough room for the car seats?" Briony asked, glancing at Stewart.

"I installed an extra one before I came," Stewart replied, meeting her eyes. "I'll take good care of them. Both of them."

It was a promise, spoken as a father to the mother of his children.

Briony simply nodded, then stepped over to say goodbye to the kids.

James loaded Little Nina's suitcase into the trunk.

children into their car seats, making sure they

the car, their faces bright with innocent,

back, her heart caught in

opened the driver's door, gave Briony one last look, his lips pressed tight. After a moment, he finally said, "We're

didn't look at

climbed into the

around, and pulled away into

the darkness before she finally closed her eyes, took a deep

her, worry etched on his face. "Are you

to it." Just two days ago, she'd quietly made an appointment with a therapist. She'd talked about so much during that

this world no one is worth you sacrificing your happiness for-except

I have to tell you-learn to find peace within yourself. No

will get hurt. These days, I keep dreaming something bad happens

stress ball into her palm. "Squeeze this.

notice the deep crescent marks her nails had left in her skin. Just thinking about those dreams had pushed

the stress ball, the

world someday. Every day they grow is just one step closer to that. A mother's only feal job is to learn,

in words like 'mother's love' or 'a mother's duty.' But if you peel all that away, maybe it's just our

You're a mother,

but don't make

salvation. Don't treat them as your entire world. You need to learn