Chapter 137

• "We were dealt a difficult hand and endured a hellish ordeal, but altering our past actions wouldn't have changed the outcome. Tia was never destined to be with us... I've come to terms with that, and you should too. I regret that I abandoned you and focused on my grief instead of helping you deal with yours. I was a disappointing husband when you needed me the most." Leon pulls her back into his body with a firmer squeeze, trying to convey how much he means every word, and it helps bring some of her senses back. Comforting her.
• "I did the same. I pushed you away and ignored your pain too. I was so consumed with my own and running away from it. We failed each other, Leon. We should have faced it like this."
• "We both did things, and we're both sorry... what matters now is that Tia knows we love her and never forget her. Whatever we face in the future, we do it together, and we talk about what hurts us." Leon turns Sophia, pulling her bodily into his lap as he slides his legs under her and somehow manages to cradle her sideways with little effort. He uses his fingers to dry her face and tame the hair back that clings to her skin. Lifting her chin so he can gaze into her eyes, Sophia sees his own sodden and tear-streaked expression and frowns at him. There's such raw intensity between them when this way.