The Runaway Groom

Irene hesitated for a moment as she watched Isaac raise a hand, but she eventually walked up and put her hand in his palm.

He grasped her fingers firmly as he gently pulled a little, and Irene followed the motion to lean in and climb into his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Isaac asked, brushing his fingers through her hair.

“You wouldn't have let me come if I did," she purred in his arms. Isaac sighed. "I just didn't want you to see me like this."

"You're my husband," Irene said, looking up at him just then. “I'll love you however you are."

And with those words, she leaned in to kiss his lips.

Isaac's whole body stiffened and he rasped, "I smell like medicine.” Irene stared at him—that was certainly not his issue.

After all, he was just used to being proud and was therefore insecure now that he lost the initiative.

She smiled. “I don't mind. What are you upset about?"

smiled in return, and she lay her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. "Don't chase me away. Let me stay and take care

even know if he's still alive. But I know Lulu, and he's most definitely dead. She wouldn't have passed her baby to Zachary otherwise... To think that this would happen to them when she and Zachary were university sweethearts and the

arms firmly around Isaac, she murmured, "I don't want to live with disappointments like them. I want to be with

And they were them.

were different for Lulu and Zachary—maybe they were destined to be apart, and it was just how things were meant to be for them. "Did you miss me when I wasn't around?" Irene asked

say that over the phone?" she

wanted to

said, staring him in the

here, just

not about to fall for it. “Don't

lips, gathered her in his

Very much so.

unbuttoned his patient's garb then and put