Page 116 of Homewrecker

He shrugged. “A lot of the loudest people disappear.”

I stared at him.

“So I don’t believe anyone sitting outside your life gets to decide what sacrifice you were required to make with your body.”

He reached for my hand. “You knew what you could handle.”

I squeezed his fingers.

“You knew what kind of life you were willing to bring a child into. And you chose accordingly.”

I cried harder. “Stop.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re making me cry.”

“You started before me.”

He smiled slightly. “I think making a decision that you know people might judge you for because you believe it’s the healthiest decision for you takes courage.”

My chest hurt.

“You didn’t want to have a child just to say you had one.”

I nodded.

“You wanted to be able to give that child something.”

“Everything.”

“Exactly.”

He squeezed my hand. “And when you knew you couldn’t give that situation what you believed a child deserved, you made a choice.”

I closed my eyes.

“You don’t have to apologize to me for that.”

I opened them. “I wasn’t.”

“You were.”

I laughed through my tears. “Maybe.”

He stood and came around the island.

I wiped my face. “Where are you going?”

“Come here.”

“Nash—”

“Blair.”

I let him pull me off the stool. His arms wrapped around me. My face pressed against his chest and his hand moved over my back.

“I need you to stop being so hard on yourself.”