Lahat ng Kabanata ng Too Late for Regret: My Husband and My Son: Kabanata 91 - Kabanata 100

Vivienne's POV “Are you ready?” Julian asked at last.I nodded. Ready wasn’t the right word, but I had no other choice except to move forward. I took a deep breath, letting the air fill my lungs. Fear was coiled tightly in my chest, but there was something else too. I wasn’t going alone today.Maximilian tugged my hand gently. “Mom, I’ll sit in the back, okay? So I can see the ocean.”I smiled. “Okay.”Julian opened the door and stepped aside. I walked out, feeling the change in temperature and light. The apartment hallway felt longer than usual, or maybe my steps were slower. Every second felt precious, as if I wanted to hold time still so it wouldn’t rush me toward the place I knew would drain what little strength I had left.In front of the elevator, Julian stood a little closer. Not touching, but close enough for me to know he was there. I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes on the floor, steadying my breath.The drive to the hospital was quiet,

Vivienne's POV Time moved slowly. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours. I opened my eyes again, staring at the same white ceiling with a small stain in the corner, the mark I always counted to distract myself. One, two, three I stopped counting when dizziness came, pressing against my temples from the inside.I took a deep breath, remembering Julian’s voice that morning. His firm tone, the way he stood beside me without asking whether I needed him or not. He was simply there. And for the first time in a long while, I let myself accept that presence without feeling guilty.There was a soft knock against the curtain wall. Another nurse peeked in, offering a brief smile before returning to her tasks. The world in this room kept moving, indifferent to how heavy my body felt now. But I was still here. Still conscious. Still holding on.I imagine Maximilian outside, sitting in the waiting room with Julian. Maybe they’re drawing. Maybe Maximilian i

Vivienne's POV I fell silent. Part of me wanted to cling to my old role, the mother who always had to be ready, always alert. But another part was tired of fighting alone. I lowered my gaze, staring at my pale hands on the table.“I don’t like feeling weak,” I admitted softly, almost a whisper.Julian didn’t respond right away. He pulled out the chair across from me and sat down, level with me, not in a dominating position. “Being weak doesn’t mean you’ve failed, Vivienne,” he said finally. “Sometimes it’s just a sign that you’re human.”I swallowed hard. The words were simple, but they struck a place I’d kept tightly guarded. I lifted the empty glass in front of me, turning it slowly on the table, looking for a reason not to meet his eyes.Silence settled again, but this time it wasn’t suffocating. There was only the sound of our breathing, the hum of the old refrigerator, and the soft ticking of the wall clock. I felt my body truly give in to exhaustion, and

Vivienne's POV Julian agreed with a nod. "Then I will make soup. Something hot, so it won't hurt your tummy."I gave a dry laugh. “You can cook soup?”He made a small face. “I’m a dad to one kid. If I can’t even make soup, I should be embarrassed.”His words made me grin a bit, even if my heart was still at peace. Oddly, times like this were the most tiring. Because I knew I missed him. I missed the simple time together we used to have nearly each day.I leaned back on the couch, shut my eyes for a bit. My body felt tired in a way that wasn’t just about being worn out, more like a tiredness that came from the heart, from keeping too much inside for too long. A tiny smile stayed on my lips after what he said but it quickly went away ͏as quiet filled room again Julian went to the sink, cleaning his hands. The noise of flowing water was gentle, steady, nearly calming. I opened my eyes and saw him from a distance. His shoulders seemed w

Vivienne's POV “Do you want to go to school tomorrow?" Julian asked softly. “If you wish, we can go home now. I’ll cover you up so, you won’t be late for the morning.”Maximilian went silent.I saw his face ͏slowly shift from calm, to worried, then to unhappy. So unhappy that his bottom lip shook. He glanced down, looking at his notebook like the page meant more than all around him.“Maximilian?” Julian called again.The lad shook his head fast without raising his eyes. “I don’t want to go home.”Julian made a sad face. "Honey, you've been out of school for over a week. You need to study, you need to see your friends. It not good if you..."“I don’t want to go home!” the small voice broke.I saw Maximilian, feeling a weight on my chest. “Maximilian,” I said softly. “Why don't you want to go home?”He at last looked up and those brown eyes were wet. Tears gathered so fast that his cheeks turned red.