Where's My Happily Ever After?

The Aftertaste Of A Well Written Apology

“Jade, please let me in. You know I can let myself in if you don’t open this door right now,” Edwin warned, beating on the door with his knuckles

“Then why don’t you? You already force everything else on me anyway!” I yelled, giving up on ignoring him as I’d been doing for the past ten minutes.

“Please open the door,” he murmured. “I love you.”

“No! You don’t! You only have me here so you can have a baby! If you hadn’t gone and knocked me up I wouldn’t be here and you know that.”

I started crying even more when he turned silent. That proved it: he only had me around so he could snatch my baby boy right out of my arms and then kick me out. I clutched at my chest, almost feeling my black heart shattering into nothing but dust.

Sulking, I forced myself to my feet and walked to the sink to splash some cold water on my face, hoping it might relieve the tiniest bit of my pain. It didn’t. I glanced in the mirror and saw a tear-stained face staring back through bloodshot eyes. It took me a while to recognize myself. I sighed when I saw Edwin standing beside me. It was just like how this whole thing had started: he looked so flawless and I looked like a hideous monster that didn’t have a chance of being with him.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered softly, moving a stray hair out of my face as he kissed my forehead. I didn’t say a word, but continued staring dead ahead at the mix-match couple before me. Edwin sighed lightly and secured me beside him, leading me to a bigger mirror. The image only pained me even more. Now I saw a skinny, perfect boy whose face was glowing and that fat, disgusting girl who was crying at how pitiful she was.

“The thought of being a dad makes you so happy,” I choked,” And the thought of being a mother scares me to death. Why can’t I be beaming like you?” Edwin looked down at his feet.

“Because...I forced this on you—I forced a lot of things on you,” he muttered, a pained look on his face. “You...You didn’t ever even want a kid, did you?” I shook my head lightly. Well, I didn’t until the last second anyway. “And yet I ignored that. I’m so sorry.”

I glanced over at him softly, taking his hand gently in mine. Those three last words were the words I had wanted for so long, but were they enough to fix all the damage he’d caused? He glanced over and caught my gaze.

Oh, how dreadful was the aftertaste of a well written apology?

“It’s too late for that,” I told him, voice cracking.

I tore myself unwillingly from him, needing some time to think. No, those three words themselves couldn’t heal all of this, but maybe there was hope. It was a start anyway.

“I love you,” he called softly. I could actually hear his heart snap.

Maybe those words would help...