“You look very well, Claire,” he said, the words feeling heavy and painfully inadequate on his dry tongue. “Better than I have ever seen you look, to be completely honest.”
“I am well, Daniel,” she replied softly, meeting his gaze with complete clarity. “I truly am happy now.”
Daniel looked at the floor for a moment, gathering the courage to say what had haunted him for months. “I know an apology cannot repair what I ruined, but I need you to hear it anyway, without expectations.”
Claire watched him quietly, neither encouraging him nor cutting him off, simply listening with calm, dignified patience. “I am so deeply sorry for the lies, the disrespect, and the cowardice I showed you,” he whispered.
“I destroyed the best thing that ever belonged in my life,” Daniel continued, fighting the tremor in his voice. “I didn’t understand what true devotion was until I stood on that sidewalk and watched you walk away.”
