His silence his pride ( continuation)

Next day

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He finds her in the garden, standing by the flowers she tends with the same quiet dedication she's shown to everything in her life, even to him. She hears his footsteps but doesn't turn, her fingers tracing the petals of a flower, a fragile, fleeting beauty she's cared for more than he's ever cared for her.For a moment, he's unsure if he should disturb her, but the weight of his guilt pushes him forward. He takes a breath, stepping closer."Why didn't you tell me?" His voice is almost pleading. "About the kidney...about everything?"She stays silent, and he can feel the echo of his own neglect reflected in her silence. Finally, she turns to him, her eyes filled with a softness he doesn't deserve."What would it have changed?" she asks quietly. "Would it have made you see me any differently?"The question slices through him. He wants to deny it, to tell her that he would have been there for her, that he would have held her hand in the hospital, begged her not to risk herself. But the truth is, he knows he wouldn't have. He would have brushed it off, seen it as her own decision, and continued to wait for his "real life" to start with someone else."I don't know," he admits, the honesty heavy in his chest. "I was so wrapped up in my own life... in my own plans... I didn't see what was right in front of me."She studies him for a long moment, and he wonders if she's looking for sincerity, for some trace of the man she once hoped he could be."Do you remember what I told you when we first got married?" she asks suddenly, her gaze steady.He hesitates, a guilty flush creeping up his neck. He'd barely listened back then, distracted by thoughts of someone else."I told you that I knew this wasn't what you wanted," she says, her voice calm but filled with a quiet, enduring pain. "But I promised to be there for you, in whatever way you needed. And I meant it. I meant every word."Her words hit him like a punch. She'd given him more than just loyalty; she'd given him love, unasked, unreciprocated, and he'd squandered it."Then why did you go through with it?" he asks, struggling to understand the depth of her commitment. "Why would you give so much when I gave you nothing in return?""Because I believed in us," she says simply, her tone both resigned and hopeful. "Not the love we had when we started, but the love I thought we could build. I thought that if I just waited, if I gave you time, you'd see that too."He feels the sting of her words, the way each one holds a lifetime of patience, of quiet strength he never truly appreciated. For the first time, he sees how much he's taken for granted, how much he's let her down."I don't deserve you," he murmurs, his voice breaking. "I don't even know if I can be the man you need me to be, but... I want to try. I don't want to spend the rest of my life regretting what I could've had."She sighs, looking away. "Trying doesn't erase the hurt. It doesn't give back the time, the dreams, or the parts of myself I gave up waiting for you."He steps closer, desperate, and for the first time, he reaches out, gently taking her hand. "I know that. I can't take away what I did, or what I didn't do. But maybe... we could start small. Maybe you could let me try, not for my sake, but for yours."She looks down at their joined hands, her expression softening. "I don't know if I have anything left to give," she whispers, the sadness thick in her voice. "I've spent so long hoping... and I'm tired of waiting for you to care."The honesty in her words pierces him, making him realize just how much he's truly lost. But he won't let her slip away, not if there's a chance—no matter how small—that they could rewrite their story."Then don't wait for me," he says, his voice strong. "This time, let me be the one who waits. Let me be the one who works, who tries. I owe you that much."She meets his gaze, searching his face for signs of truth, of sincerity. And after a long moment, she gives the faintest nod."Alright," she says, her voice barely audible, as if she's scared to hope again. "But understand this: I'm not waiting forever. If you want me, then show me, not with promises but with actions."The challenge in her words ignites something in him, a determination he's never felt before. This time, he won't just offer her hollow words or temporary affection. This time, he'll show her, day by day, that she deserves more than he's given, more than he's ever been willing to give.And as he walks beside her, hand in hand, he feels the weight of his guilt shift, transforming into something else. Not just regret, but purpose—the drive to be the man she deserves, even if it takes a lifetime to earn her forgiveness.