The old photo album rested heavily on Amelia’s lap, the edges worn from years of being tucked away. She flipped through the pages slowly, each image tugging at memories she couldn’t suppress. The twins’ milestones were chronicled with painstaking detail—first steps, birthday parties, holidays—but Ryan wasn’t in any of them. Every smile, every celebration, carried the shadow of what was missing.
Amelia stopped at a picture of herself holding newborn Damien and Debby. Her face was glowing, though the strain of doing it alone was evident in her tired eyes. She had been so determined to give them everything, even without Ryan. And she had succeeded—mostly. But the past few weeks had unraveled emotions she thought she’d buried for good.
She wiped at her eyes, frustrated by the tears that wouldn’t stop. She had no right to feel this way, not after all that had happened. Ryan’s engagement wasn’t her business.
The sound of the front door opening startled her. Hale’s voice called from the hallway. “Amelia? You home?”
“In here,” she replied, hurriedly shutting the album and tucking it under a throw blanket.
Hale walked in, his usual polished appearance slightly rumpled, as if he’d rushed to get there. His gaze immediately zeroed in on her red-rimmed eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his tone gentle but firm.
“Nothing,” Amelia lied, forcing a smile. “Just sorting through some old things.”
Hale’s eyes landed on the edge of the photo album peeking out from under the blanket. His expression hardened. “Old things,” he repeated, his voice laced with skepticism. He pulled the album free before she could stop him, flipping it open. His jaw tightened as he took in the photos.
“You’re seriously sitting here, crying over a man who abandoned you and your kids?” Hale snapped, slamming the album shut.
“It’s not like that,” Amelia protested, standing up. “I’m not crying over Ryan. I’m just... processing everything. It’s been a lot.”
“A lot,” Hale echoed bitterly. “Yeah, I imagine it’s a lot, watching the man who couldn’t bother to raise his kids now play house with someone else.”
“That’s not fair,” Amelia said, her voice trembling.
Hale stepped closer, his tone sharp. “You think it’s fair for me? I’ve done everything I can to prove to you that I’m here, that I’m not like him. But no matter what I do, it’s never enough, is it? You’re still stuck in the past.”
Amelia flinched at his words, guilt and anger warring within her. “It’s not about him,” she said quietly. “It’s about the life I wanted for my kids, the life they deserved. And yes, maybe sometimes I wonder what could have been if he’d made different choices. But that doesn’t mean I’m still in love with him.”
“Doesn’t it?” Hale challenged, coming closer with an expression on his face Amelia couldn’t quite place. “Think really hard before you answer, Amelia”.