LOGINKillian.Six months later.My phone rings and I reach for it.It's a group video call.I swipe to answer.Seb is the first to roll his eyes. “I was beginning to think you'd ignore us,”I give him a look. “Why?”Damon chuckles. “Killian you've been sulking.”“I'm not.”“You don't see it but we do,” Seb quips.I shake my head. “It's just…business has been crazy. Tight schedule, and I'm a dad, my boys need me.”“And Tamara?”There's a pause.I swallow. “She's good…great actually, and uhm– we're heading out with Kyle and Keon soon,”“You know that's not what I mean,” Damon says, his tone calm.Of course I do.Six months of stalling, hoping Tamara would change her mind.We've been… just there, the kids gives us a lot of moments together.But Tamara always stands on business. I see what she does, it's subtle but I see it.She avoids been alone with me, if the kids aren't involved, then she's out.But she isn't forcing my hand with the divorce…I hold on to that.“I take it that you aren't s
Tamara.Keon’s awake, so I pick him up from his crib, not wanting his cries to jerk his brother awake.I soothe him, patting his back gently.His cries slows and he just stirs in my arms.Once outside, Katrina's there, her eyes fixed on Keon, wide and soft. She looks up at me, and for once, there's no hate, no calculated look, no pretense. Just a faint flicker of something that could be regret.I don't know what went down with mom but this is new to me.Katrina all calm and quiet.I see her expression crack, her walls breaking down, completely.I swallow nothing, not sure what to say, how to react.Her gaze shifts to Keon, then back to me. When she speaks, her voice is low, barely audible. “I– I'm sorry,” she lets out. “For everything, Tamara. I'm deeply sorry,”I blink, caught off guard by that apology. I didn't expect her to cave, not this easily.But deep down hearing her say it makes something coil inside me. All my anger and pain fades.I open my mouth, nothing comes out at first
Katrina.Tamara’s brows lifts, seemingly shocked but she shifts, letting me in.I think of the things that I want to say to her but words fail me.Killian was right, I put this anger on the wrong person.She didn't deserve that.Tamara leads me in but I can tell she's still unsure.Her steps are measured, deliberate.I look up.Caroline stands there, looking so much smaller than I remember. She's frail, almost unrecognizable.Her face is pale, gaunt, each cheekbone sharp. She's as well kept as she has always been, but there's no color to her face.And it beats me how I didn't even notice these things at the hospital.I barely even looked at her.A strange feeling clawed at me, it's way past my anger, the pain.It's foreign— maybe pity.My hands shake, just a little. I can feel every muscle tensed. I steady myself.Her eyes are wide, and I swear I could see tears prickle at the corner of her eyes.“I'll leave you two alone,” Tamara says and walks away but not without giving me a look.
Katrina.I have carried this pain for too long.It's been 29 years since Greg and Caroline broke me.My best friend, and my fiance.Caroline was someone I trusted, with everything in me.Greg, the man who promised me forever.Few weeks to our wedding and I was hit with a hard blow. Betrayed by two people I trusted the most.It shattered me.It ruined me.The impact was too much to bear, the blogs, gossips. I left home, cutting everyone else off at the time.I thought I had moved past it, not until Killian brought home the girl he wanted to marry.The girl he's been telling me about, it was all love from his end.He could go on and on about her.I've never seen Killian locked in about any woman like that before.He always stays off women, too cold to penetrate but when he came to me with it. I knew it was real.I was happy that he had finally met his soulmate.I waited for him to introduce her to me. I wore my finest dress, eager to see this girl who has swept my son off his feet.And
Tamara.A month and two weeks later.“How many flowers are you going to dispose in one week?” Hazel asked behind me.I give her a look and walk past her, she follows.It's been two weeks since we got back from Boston and Killian hasn't stopped sending gifts.I give him an inch and he wants a mile.He's definitely pushing his luck.Hazel takes a deep breath, her eyes on me. “Is this really what you want?”“Yes,”“Are you sure? I mean you used to love that man, what changed?”I go silent for a second. “Well, I'm choosing me, my peace and wellbeing. If loving Killian puts me at risk, then I don't want that love,”“He's sorry, Tammy,”I blink at Hazel, caught off guard.She has never spoken in favor of Killian before.I roll my eyes.“What?” she purrs and pause. “Yes. He was an asshole, and maybe he still is. But I know you love him, I know how good he treated you before that bitch came into the picture.”I don't say a word, I— I just allow her words sit.She takes my hand. “And you're le
Killian.Watching over Tamara and my sons has got to be the best moment of my life.They're so adorable.So cute.I catch myself smiling at them, their tiny kicks, their stirring, and cries keeps me grounded.Everything is starting to feel normal but I know it's not.Tamara hasn't spoken to me.Not in the way she used to.She's been too quiet, too calm.Her silence is killing me.It's eating me up alive.I think I prefer her screaming down my head, fussing.But this?It's new.And it scares me to the pit of my stomach.Of course I know she's mad. She has every right to be.All this chaos, this stunt, it was all my fault.I let it happen.I let her put her life on the line because of my lack of trust.Still.I don't want us this way.Right now our boys are not old enough to fly.We're in Boston.Her grandmother's cottage.I see the discomfort in her eyes, her movements.I don't want to act like everything is fine when it's not.I bought the house after Maria's.Just to stay close, and







