Chapter 0859
“Tell me more about us,” Peter said as he drove.
Celeste stared at him, momentarily stunned. But she understood–he was trying to connect the missing pieces of his memory.
So, she told him.
She talked about everything they had lived through in Valentia and Slovenia. The memories brought out a mix of emotions–love, tenderness, sadness, even anxiety.
“What’s wrong?” Peter asked when he noticed how her expression shifted from calm to withdrawn.
Celeste took a deep breath, letting out a sigh as if trying to release the knot in her throat. That knot had been sitting there ever since she left Peter’s house in Slovenia, when she had convinced herself she needed to walk
away.
“Nothing,” she answered curtly.
“Are you completely sure?” Peter raised an eyebrow, pulling the car over to the side of the road.
Then, without another word, he got out, walked around the car, and opened her door. He extended his hand, helping her step out.
It was obvious she was trying to hold it together. But her eyes were filled with unshed tears, a silent proof of the pain she had been carrying.
“Come here,” Peter said softly. “Tell me what’s wrong. I know you’re not saying everything you want to. I can see it in your eyes. And those tears? They’re saying more than your words ever could.”
“It’s not easy, Peter!” she burst out. “This pregnancy hasn’t been easy… Don’t take this the wrong way, but from the moment you came into my life, I knew you were a hurricane. I knew you would come in and destroy everything in your path.”
She took another shaky breath, trying to hold back her tears
“For almost a year, I lived by your side. Sometimes, you were everything a woman could ever want. But other times … you were gone. Absent. You would disappear for months, and I had no idea if you would ever come back.
“For the longest time, I thought it would’ve been better if we had never met.
“Right before your surgery, I had decided–it was best for us to part ways. Being with you only brought me pain.
“But then, knowing that your life was at risk, I couldn’t let go.
“I know how hard it is to grow up without parents, Peter. And I don’t want that for my children.”
She wiped at her tears, though they kept falling.
“I was an orphan. You have no idea how hard that was for me.
“I always dreamed of finding someone to love, getting married, having children, living in a modest house with a garden and a small vegetable patch… Watching my kids grow up with the man I loved.
“I never imagined my life turning out like this.
“I never imagined becoming a widow so young.
“I never imagined losing my first child.”
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Chapter 0859
Peter felt something twist painfully inside him as she spoke.
“Part of me loves you,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “But your love hurts, Peter. It breaks me.
“I will never know if everything you told me was true–if you were really faithful to me, if you never had anyone else. Only you would know that. And, well… now, you don’t even remember.
“But that’s not even the most important thing.
“What matters is that now I have a new version of Peter. One I don’t recognize.
“I don’t know how to react to you.
“I don’t know how to accept you.
“I swear, part of me still loves you.
“But there are days when I feel like I can’t do this anymore.
“I don’t even know who I’m with right now,” she whispered through her tears.
Peter stood there, silent.
Watching her cry, hearing her say all of this–it stirred something inside him.
He didn’t know what to do with the life he had now.
But one thing he did know?
He couldn’t fail her.
He couldn’t fail their children.
What he hadn’t expected… was for her to give him a chance, knowing full well that, given the kind of man he had been, he had probably cheated on her.
After listening to her for a few minutes, Peter pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. It was a strong, warm embrace–one he knew she needed. Then, he spoke.
“Celeste, I know everything is fucked up. I know it looks that way. I’m still in shock myself. I can’t believe I’m 48 years old. I can’t believe I’m a father, a grandfather, and that you’re here by my side, even giving me the chance to be a father again… I still can’t wrap my head around it.
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