Cyclists crossed the bridge.
Life continued.
Nathan glanced at me.
“Do you ever regret leaving?”
I thought carefully before answering.
The truth deserved honesty.
“I regret waiting so long.”
He nodded.
No judgment.
No lecture.
No attempt to rescue me.
Just understanding.
And that was exactly what I needed.
The woman who once apologized for existing inside her own marriage was gone.
The woman who believed love required suffering was gone.
The woman who spent eighteen years shrinking herself to make someone else comfortable was gone.
In her place stood someone stronger.
Someone wiser.