The Love That Came Too Late

my time was running out, I started tran

sary, I saw her kissing her firs

his arms and whispered, "You know I never loved

my lawyer and decided to do

it into the trunk of my car, clutching the

to be special-our

eworks display, and even planned a sea of roses, just l

d when she answered, I asked softly, "Honey, are

e to work overtime today. Just send me t

say another wor

are you sure you want to leave everything to her

pond. I didn

what I'd been trying

ntil it closed. She never sho

d, the streets around me buzzing

, Jake pointed ahead. "Mr. Broo

ssionate embrace with Mike Gordon, her childhood sweetheart. They

s chest, her voice trembling with tears. "You know I neve

had melted, dripping everywhere, just like my h

ew Rose did

o someone else? That hur

r her grandfather's medical trea

to force yourself. Our families were cl

stead, she stood on he

s her way of sa

, just maybe, s

er heart had alway

ents' divorce, and I never k

e was

was polite

usy, never tru

b at my company just so I

fulfill her, so she lef

t he

ng such a perfect wife-calm

g such a good wife, who always discuss

ruth. Her heart

er over. I believed she'd event

didn't have

gnosed with

e of love, so I decided to gi

e forgot our anniversary and

at the dining tab

ed in, her face was g

th the words "three years" barely vi

and said softly, "Honey, you're back.

lted, and only the three words "thir

ke, her expression fa

't slept?"

ng for you,"

ehead. "Sorry, I forgot about the anniv

a bag into the near

own company. Working overtime until this hour makes me worry about you. We ha

her hand,

e, apologetically kissed my fa

I clearly saw the kissing

t made me want to vomit, my heart felt squeezed

my mouth a

you coming down with a cold? Do

y head as a metallic taste filled my

e bathroom and tur

she couldn

the covers as the pain in my chest in

rms around my waist from behind, her breath warm a

ning to face her and

smiling sweetly. "Good. I'm

rned over and was

have been

riosity gnawing at me. I opened the storage cabine

hite shirt, smeared

epsa

e losing

ike were meant for each other-a mutu

s neighbors, th

but her heart had alw

eliable, and yet she

on wasn't worthy of Ros

even hoped someone would step in

not

clumsy, too

clothes. I'd done it for her, a

u're a CEO, yet at home, you're washing clothes and cooking

d, "Let them laug

happily wash her cl

rst possible time, and my instincts

octor, "Mr. Brooks, I still recommend you come in fo

iracle precisely because

my condition. A couple more years,

fe because I wanted t

find a reason to

se hand-washing clothes-Mike

her, frowning when she saw me. "Hon

mbarrass her, so I

ay. I didn't sleep well, so I'm

relaxed as I

er humiliate her, that I'd g

sh that shirt wit

-I'd done everything, even her laund

ck from managing the company and

ome, she didn't want colleagues to notice

hinking my persistence would

ielding her heart was, like a

as cold as stone, while to Mike, i

ice and saw them walk ou

given me for my first birthday with her -a

ung to Mik

rst, greeting me w

hile Rose faltered. "La

k. Is that not allowed?" My voi

she wouldn't eve

I got drunk last night and didn't have a change of clothes, so Rose lent me yours. We'v

if you like it. I have pl

ed. "It's fine. He doesn't lik

d. "I love it. I'll w

tion, but I kept smiling, my ot

hat I couldn't sit back

sual. She had never taken me to such events, the ki

never truly acknowledg

"Honey, can you take me to your company's annual p

replied flatly, "This year, the co

yself for this answer, so I stay

ressed up like a princess read

a shadow of myself-cheeks

ess made me avoid m

ady, she hurried downstairs,

and followed her, though I

es, Rose took the stage as the com

, Mike rushed up

m, her face glowin

ing them a perfect match and joki

and said,

ise, I stoo

xpression shifted. She pushed M

ast look, then t

her, Rose wouldn't

et, a

hat sense of duty kept her fro

ting for me

e came home, I pret

she left a new shirt

e I was really asleep, she grabbed her

ted in-light, carefree,

riage, I'd never hear

st flared, and my

tely, and I buried my face in t

t up under

y doctor, urging me to

This time, I wa

der whether Rose would

ne for an hour before

I pretended to stretch and

et to drown out the

could cou

and footsteps

sed my hand to

y now, so he was at the party. I didn't mean to leave you out.

, I looked dow

ps, spreading no matter h

I might not have

eded to make sure eve