Reunited

“Good. Glad I didn’t scare you away.”

“You didn’t.” He couldn’t. “I just never thought I’d see you again.”

“You came back.”

“Yeah, but I came back to a different suburb from where we grew up. I had no idea you’d be here.”

“Fate, I guess.” He squeezed the hand he still held. “Luck.”

“Maybe. What brought you up here, anyway?”

“Work. I start

ed my own construction company a few years ago and last year I partnered up with a guy I’d worked under a while back. He had some ideas, and coming up here seemed to work well. Once Michelle and I separated I didn’t need to stay in Edgewood, so here I am.”

“Does Zoe live with you full time?”

“Yeah, she does. It worked out better that way. Since I own my own business, my schedule is more flexible than Michelle’s. She goes with Michelle on the weekends.”

“And your older girls?”

“Candy’s nineteen and in her first year of college. Evie lives with Michelle. She wanted to stay at school with her friends.”

“Makes sense. Has it been hard on Zoe, being separated from her big sisters?”

“She’s acclimated. Kids are great like that.”

“Yeah, they are. But Maya really misses Danny. He lives in Cleveland and drives down to pick her up every weekend, but it’s hard.”

“Divorce is always hard.”

“He gave me a hard time about moving back here, but I needed to. Geez, it’s been so long since I’ve been here. I never came back after I left.”

“I know. I looked for you for a while. I eventually gave up.”

She shook her head, still fingering the note in her hands. “I can’t believe you looked for me.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I was married to Michelle and I was always faithful. Even if I’d found you, I still would have been faithful. I just needed to know you were okay. I always wondered.”

Kathryn swallowed a lump in her throat. All this time, she had been running, trying to make peace with her past. She hadn’t given a thought to what her leaving might have done to Brett. “God, Brett, I’m so sorry.”

“For what?”

“For leaving you hanging.” Her eyes misted.

“Hey.” He squeezed her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t. I’m more upset with myself for being so self-centered.”

“You were never self-centered, Kath. You always thought of others first.”

“Not when I left, I didn’t. I…there were reasons I had to leave. Reasons I couldn’t tell anyone. I—I should have thought what it might do to you. I mean…I knew you cared for me. I just had no idea—”

“That I loved you?”

“Yeah. I really didn’t. I’m sorry.”

“I should have told you.”