“I forgive you.”
Cody broke down in tears.
Ryan looked at me with gratitude.
“Do you forgive me too?” he asked.
“I forgive you for hiding the truth from me. But Ryan, we can’t start a marriage with secrets. If we want this to work, you have to be honest with me. About everything.”
“Do you forgive me too?”
“I will be. I promise you.”
I took her hand.
“And you’re not responsible for what happened to me. You saved me. That’s what matters.”
He hugged me tightly.
Marie wiped away her tears.
That evening, Ryan and I went home.
We sat on the sofa, my head resting on his shoulder.
We sat down on the sofa.
“I’m sorry I ruined our wedding night,” he said.
“You didn’t ruin it. You made it complicated.”
I’ve thought about it. About everything we’ve been through. The lies, the truth, this imperfect and complex love.
Love is not perfect. It is not built on fairy tales or easy answers.
It is built on truth. On forgiveness. On choosing the other, even when it is difficult.
Some truths break you. Others set you free.
Ours did both.
