Page 103 of All That She Needs

I could only give her a nod; I didn't know what else to say.

"Aiden..." she started, her voice soft, then fell silent as she took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. For hurting you. I... I wasn't thinking clearly." She hesitated again, her eyes welling up. "I've wanted to call, wanted to see you, but I was afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore."

I stood there, still unsure of how to respond.

"Will you forgive me?" she asked, her golden eyes searching mine, filled with hope and shimmering with tears.

It took me a moment before my hand reached out, gently cupping her cheek. She leaned into it, closing her eyes as a single tear escaped from each corner. "From now on, we'll forget the past." My voice was steady, but inside, my mind was racing, replaying all we had been through—the good, the bad, everything in between. As the words left my mouth, a quiet realization settled over me. There was nothing left between us anymore. Even with her presence before me, it still wasn't enough to change my mind.

Vanessa was my past, and that's where she would stay. The reality was clear: what we had was over. It belonged to a time that no longer fit with whom I had become.

"We're going to look forward," I continued, "And carve our own separate paths. We'll learn from our past, and we'll both be better for it."

She looked up at me, tears flowing freely down her face. I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "Goodbye, Vanessa. I hope life is kind to you."

I slowly pulled my hand away from her and turned, pushing my cart towards the checkout. After paying, I walked out of the store and headed to my car, not once glancing back.

As I drove home, I left my past behind, focused only on the road ahead—the future, where my priority was being a better man for my kids and for myself.