Page 146 of Aria

I refused to drag you and your father down my toxic path.

You deserved a motherly figure who wasn’t broken.

You deserved so much more than the person I used to be.

I knew I couldn’t say any of those things.

I lowered myself to one knee until I was at his level, his face curious and expectant. “Sam… I couldn’t stay. I hope you can forgive me,” I said to him. My gaze was fixed on Sam, but my words were meant for them both.

Sam blinked a few times before nodding his head, as if contemplating his response. “We’re learning about forgiveness in school,” he told me. “I will definitely forgive you, Miss Chelsie.”

Miss Chelsie.

I replied with a watery smile, rising back to my feet, knowing that a simple explanation and apology had been the way to go. My only hope was that Sam would carry that forgiveness with him through adulthood. “That means a lot to me,” I replied. “Thank you.”

Sam looked up at his father. “Do you forgive her, too? You were really sad when she left. You wrote a lot of songs. I think you should forgive her, Dad.”

It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. Noah closed his eyes and appeared to be grinding his teeth together. His shoulders were tense, and I had to resist the urge to lay a quieting hand against his arm. I interlocked my fingers together as a physical reminder to keep my hands to myself.

“Sam, why don’t you go find Beth and your brothers? I’ll be out in a minute,” Noah advised.

Sam waved at me as he bounced away, unaware of the unresolved tension he was leaving behind. I held a hand up in goodbye.

“Sorry,” Noah apologized. He hesitated a moment before saying, “I need to get back to my wife.”

Wife.

The word stung.

I was happy for Noah and Beth, but there was still a subtle bite lingering just beneath the surface. I’d wanted Noah to move on and find peace, but when he had… well, it prickled.

Beth was bubbly, self-confident, and stable—all the things I was not back then. She seemed to bring out the best in Noah, even all those years ago, acting as a light in his life when I had been a black hole.

As much as it hurt, I had to believe this was exactly the way the story was destined to play out. Maybe it wasn’t the ending I had originally planned or hoped for, but it was the right ending. It was the necessary ending for all of us.

“I completely understand,” I said, wringing my hands together.

Noah studied me for another moment, almost as if he were questioning my presence. He narrowed his eyes, his brow furrowed and contemplative.

Then he cleared his throat, glanced at his shoes, and walked away.

I tried to regain my composure. I hadn’t realized my legs were quivering beneath my weight until I tried to move.

As I began to trek back over to Lisa, who was awkwardly making small talk with a stranger in the corner of the room, I felt a strong hand squeeze my upper arm. I whipped my head around, surprised to find Noah standing in front of me again.

“How long are you in town?” he asked. His face was still unreflective as to what he might be feeling.

I, on the other hand, was an open book, clearly flustered and shaken. I chewed on my bottom lip as I often did when I was nervous. “Um… I leave tomorrow morning,” I told him.

Noah nodded, my response sinking in. “Have a drink with me tonight.”

“What?”

“Ernie’s. Can you meet me at seven?”

My voice stumbled for words. “You’re… married.”

Noah shook his head, his gold wedding band catching the light as he ran a hand through chestnut hair. “No, I don’t mean it like that. I just want to talk,” he explained. “Beth knows.”

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