Marriage mistakes

Marks P.O.V - The meeting

On the final day of my stay I had finished packing my belongings back into the tiny bag I had brought with me, preparing to admit defeat and acknowledge I had lost my wife and baby. My baby. That's not something I ever thought I'd say but in that moment I realised it was exactly what I wanted. A family to call my own.

I left my bags in the room so I could check out after breakfast but as I took the final few steps to reception, my breath caught in my throat and I could have sworn I was hallucinating.
As I got close to the reception desk, the lady from the first day I arrived pointed towards me, and in a moment that felt like forever as if it was in slow motion, I finally got to see my wife for the first time in over 9 months holding a tiny newborn wrapped in a blanket as if her life depended on it.

I approached slowly (as if she was a wild deer who would bolt with any sudden movement) and say my name form on her lips in shock. For the first time since she left I felt all the tension, regret and worry leave my body with one single tear falling down my cheek and I made no attempt to remove the evidence of my relief from my face.

"Please Rosie, I need to speak to you and if afterwards you never want to speak to me, I will sign the divorce papers and stay away from you." I beg showing every emotion I am currently feeling on my face. I watch her try to find the words but see her turn to the guy which was standing slightly behind her (I can only assume was Stephan who silently took the newborn and signaled he would be in the restaurant kitchen while she lead me to a small table at the back of the restaurant and ordered us both a cup of tea for a distraction.

What felt like hours passed before she spoke but when I checked my watch it had only been 3 minutes. "How have you been Mark? I'm assuming the fact your here means you got my letter" I nodded my head before clearing my throat trying to come up with the words to explain the last few months without her. "I've missed you. This time without you has opened my eye to how much I depended on you and what I was taking for granted, I've been a mess without you and I can't imagine going on without you by my side. Is that why you left? because you were pregnant again?" Her head nodded so subtly that had I not have been paying close attention I would have missed it. "Is it mine?" I whisper before holding my breath for the answer. Once again she nods "Her name is Amelia Elizabeth and shes 5 days old, I found out I was pregnant a month or so before I left and after your previous reaction I decided it would be better if I left to give me and my baby the best chance at being safe and happy." I stare at her for a few moments taking in all of what she has just said. Safe and happy?! Did she not feel that with me? I thought back to the beginning of our relationship and all the way through to today and tears started rolling down my face as the reality of how badly I treated her kicked in. So many thoughts flitted through my mind one after another in a steady stream but my mouth unable to form any of them except

"I'm so sorry"