Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

S imon had barely been able to sleep the night before. All he had done was wait for dawn to break, so that he could do exactly what he was about to do now.

Which was to stand at Harriet’s room, his hand resting on the door handle.

His heart was pounding in his chest, the weight of the decision he had made the night before pressing so heavily that it almost felt like a physical burden.

He had spent the night in agonizing contemplation, wrestling with his fears, his doubts, and the truth that had become impossible to ignore.

He loved her.

He loved Harriet with a depth he had never allowed himself to acknowledge, and the thought of losing her, of living a life without her, was unbearable.

But with that love came the fear of repeating the past, of becoming the man his father had been — a man who had destroyed the woman he was supposed to love. Simon knew he was far from perfect, but the last thing he wanted was to make the same mistakes, to hurt Harriet in the way his father had hurt his mother.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come.

This was Harriet’s decision now. He had made his choice, and now it was up to her to decide if she wanted him to stay or go. The thought of leaving her, of walking away and never looking back, made his chest tighten with pain, but he knew that if she told him to go, he would honor her wishes.

When he heard the first signs of movement coming in from Harriet’s room, he knew that she was finally awake.

Now was his chance. There was no delaying what needed to be done.

Simon pushed open the door, stepping into the room. Harriet was sitting on the edge of the bed, still in her nightgown, her hair loose around her shoulders. She looked up as he entered, her expression guarded.

“Did I wake you?” he started, sheepishly rubbing the side of his arm.

“No. I have been awake for some time,” came the reply.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Not at all,” Harriet admitted. “In fact, I barely got any sleep.”

“That makes two of us,” Simon sighed.

Harriet moved to the corner of her bed, and patted it for Simon to take a seat there.

“Simon,” she started in a soft voice. “Are you here to say goodbye?”

The words cut through him like a knife, and for a moment, Simon couldn’t find his voice. But then he noticed the way she was looking at him, her eyes flickering over his disheveled appearance, his rumpled clothes, the weariness etched into his features.

“You definitely need a change of outfit before you go,” she admitted her tone shifting from wary to concerned. “You are wearing the same clothes as the night before.”

“Harriet,” he began, his voice low and steady, “I need you to listen to me.”

It was now or never.

“You said you wanted to have a say in what happens between us, so now it’s your time to make your own choices.”

Harriet’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her features. “What are you talking about, Simon?”

He hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ve been a fool, Harriet. A fool for doubting what I feel for you, for being too scared to admit the truth — to you, and to myself.”

Harriet watched him, her heart pounding in her chest as she listened to his confession. She had never seen him like this before — so raw, so vulnerable. It was as if the walls he had built around himself were finally crumbling, revealing the man beneath.

“I’m scared, Harriet,” Simon continued. “I’m scared of hurting you, of becoming the man my father was. He never cared about my mother’s feelings, never cared about how much pain he caused her. And I did the same thing to you when I left. I didn’t want to, but I was so afraid… afraid that I would ruin everything, that I would destroy what we had before it even began.”

Harriet’s heart ached at the pain in his voice, at the depth of the fear that had driven him to push her away.

She had known that Simon struggled with his father’s legacy, but hearing him speak the words aloud, seeing the torment in his eyes, made her realize just how deeply those fears ran.

Simon took another step closer, his gaze locked on hers. “I love you, Harriet,” he said, his voice quiet but intense. “I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. But I’m not perfect. I’m going to make mistakes — hell, I’ve already made so many. But I don’t want to make the mistake of leaving you again. I want to stay.

“I want to build a life with you, to have a family with you. But only if that’s what you want. If you tell me to go, I will. I’ll leave, and I’ll never bother you again. But if you tell me to stay, you need to know that I’ll do my best, but I’m going to mess up. I can’t promise I won’t. But I can promise that I’ll love you every single day.”

Harriet was having trouble processing what he had just said to her.

She stared at him, her mind racing, her emotions swirling in a whirlwind of confusion, anger, and something else — something she had been trying to suppress for so long.

She felt a flicker of irritation at the idea that he thought she couldn’t handle this, that she would just accept whatever scraps of affection he decided to give her.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally spoke, her voice sharp with irritation. “Do I look like a pushover to you, Simon?”

Simon blinked in surprise, momentarily taken aback by her tone.

“No,” he said slowly.

“Do I look like someone who can’t stand her ground?” she continued, her voice rising slightly as she glared at him.

Simon’s confusion deepened, but he shook his head. “No, of course not.”

“Do I look like someone who will cower in front of you?” Harriet demanded, her eyes flashing with a fire that took Simon completely by surprise.

“No,” he repeated, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite himself. “You don’t.”

“Then you should stay,” Harriet said, her voice firm. “I don’t need you to be perfect, Simon. I don’t need you to have all the answers or to never make mistakes. But I do need you to be here. I need you to stay and fight for us, to fight for this marriage, for this family we’re trying to build.”

“Harriet,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I?—”

But before he could finish, Harriet closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him into a fierce, almost desperate embrace. Simon immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, feeling the warmth of her body against his, the steady beat of her heart against his chest.

For a long moment, they simply stood there, holding each other, neither of them needing to say anything. All the tension, all the fear, all the doubts that had plagued them for so long seemed to melt away in that embrace, leaving only the love they felt for each other — the love that had been there all along, waiting for them to finally acknowledge it.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Simon whispered into her hair, his voice filled with a quiet resolve. “I promise you, Harriet. I’m staying. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work.”

Harriet pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “And I promise you,” she said softly, “that I’ll stand by you, no matter what. We’ll face whatever comes our way, together.”

Simon gazed down at her, his heart overflowing with love for this incredible woman who had somehow, against all odds, managed to break down every wall he had built around himself. He leaned in, capturing her lips in a tender, heartfelt kiss — a kiss that spoke of all the love, all the passion, and all the hope that they now shared.

The kiss deepened, and for a moment, the world outside ceased to exist. There was only Harriet and Simon, lost in each other, in the love that had brought them to this moment. They had been through so much, had faced so many challenges, but now, they knew that they could face anything as long as they were together.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other as they caught their breath. Simon reached up to gently cup Harriet’s face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had escaped her eyes.

“I love you,” he whispered, his voice filled with emotion. “I love you so much.”

Harriet smiled, her heart swelling with happiness. “I love you too, Simon.”

They kissed again, this time slower, savoring the moment, the feeling of finally being in each other’s arms without any barriers, without any doubts. It was a kiss that sealed the promises they had made to each other, a kiss that marked the beginning of the life they would build together.

When they finally pulled away, Simon took Harriet’s hand in his, leading her over to the bed. They sat down together, their fingers still intertwined, neither of them wanting to let go.

“We have a lot to figure out,” Simon said quietly, his eyes searching hers. “So let us take this slow.”

They spent the next hour talking, sharing their hopes and fears, their dreams for the future. Simon opened up in a way he never had before. And Harriet listened, offering her support, her understanding, and her love.

It was a conversation they should have had long ago, but now, in the quiet of the morning, it felt like a new beginning — a chance to start over, to build a marriage based on trust, on honesty, and on love.

“Let’s go to bed,” he whispered against her lips.

Harriet smiled, a feeling of contentment settling over her. “Yes.”

They climbed into bed together, their bodies fitting perfectly against each other, as if they had been made to be together all along.

Tonight, they would only sleep in each other’s arms. But it was enough for them.

For the first time, Simon felt a sense of hope — a belief that he could be the husband, the father, the man that Harriet deserved.

And he had a feeling that Harriet felt the same way.

They had made their choices, and now, they would build their future together.

Finally in a way that was real, and not merely an act.