The Cherished Wife

Sean's mouth quirked in a half-smile. "No way!" How could he not be happy? She was married then, living the dream. That was the best possible ending for them both. "As long as you're happy, that's what counts!"

Steven's eyes wandered from Sean, taking in the view outside. "Some things just aren't meant for us, no matter how much we want them. You were the one who let her go. It's time to stop holding on. I came here to let you know she's doing great, so you can get on with your life too."

Sean's laugh was sharp, edged with ice. "You're really going out of your way, aren't you?" He shrugged. "I'm not hung up on her, and I'm not about to start. If she's happy, great. If she's not... well, that's none of my business!" He exhaled slowly, releasing a tension he had not admitted to holding. "You don't need to probe, you know. If we're talking cold-hearted, I can't hold a candle to you."

Steven looked at Sean, a brief flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

Youth has its impatience, after all. He twirled the cigarette between his fingers before finally speaking. "I haven't mentioned this to Charles. He probably doesn't want her back either."

Sean's smile was a twist of lips. "So why spill the beans to me? Our fling was nothing more than a fleeting moment. She walked away, and that was that." He inhaled sharply, a line drawn. "However, now that you've told me, I know."

time are you heading over

make it eight. We'll catch the place when it's just

Steven clapped Sean on the shoulder before

smaller in the distance.

the tree branches were bare, their leaves scattered across

in that same bleak winter moment, the sky a dull gray, the yard deserted. Sean had been just a kid

on his way back, a crying sound caught his

filled with

poke his nose into other people's business, but that day, for some reason, he found himself drawn into the yard, standing under the tree, looking up at a little girl clinging