model call || h.s

80.

6:00 P.M — Harry

Rosie and Peter were both growing restless as each minute passed, but they were currently talking with my dad, who hadn't seen them in months. Evelyn sat in the chair beside me and it was all very...uncomfortable. We didn't say much, aside from some very small talk. I listened to Des's conversation with my children, mainly.

"I am surprised..." I turn to my ex, confused by her words and feeling immediately defensive.

"Why?" She's smiling softly as she watches the twins.

"I never expected that the two of you would...well, make it this far, if I'm being honest." I shake my head.

"And I never envisioned this life with you. I saw it with Nora from day one."

"You don't have to be cruel, Harry. I'm not being mean. I'm simply stating that...I never knew that it was this serious."

"I told you it was, Evelyn. Years ago."

"I suppose I just didn't want to believe it."

"It's been Nora since...it's just always been Nora."

"I see that now." Her voice is soft and she nods towards the kids. "They're beautiful."

"They're pretty special kids."

"Rosie looks so much like her."

"She's the spitting image, but with blue eyes."

"And he looks like you, with blue eyes."

"Yeah, m'not sure where the blue eyes came from." I chuckle lightly. "But, yeah...they're just the most amazing little things in this world."

"I always knew you'd be a good dad. It's always been in you."

"It's always been what I've wanted." She's quiet for a minute and she keeps her eyes away from mine.

"I wanted it with you...I didn't necessarily want it, but it was something I would have been alright with, because it was...well, it was you, and I wanted a life with you. For so long..."

"Evelyn..."

"I just can't have you thinking that I didn't love you or that I didn't want to spend my life with you. I feel like you thought differently."

"No, I knew that you loved me, I knew that. But I also knew that we weren't right for each other, anyone with a single working eye could have seen that."

"That's not true."

"It is though, you have to know that by now."

"Harry, the only thing I knew was that you met Nora and our entire life together...those three years were flushed down the toilet. It was like...I meant nothing to you—our relationship meant nothing to you."

"I admit that I went about the end in a bad way. I didn't treat you with the respect that you deserved, but we shouldn't be discussing this. It's been seven years, Eve. It's so far in the past."

"I never got to discuss it with you! We barely had a conversation about it, because you were so wrapped up in her that you couldn't see or hear anything else around you."

"There was no discussion to be had! I met Nora, I fell in love with her and I just couldn't see a life with you. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but I couldn't. Loving her made me realize that I had never truly loved you, at least not the way I was supposed to."

"Do you regret anything?" I exhale, finding myself growing more agitated by the second.

"I wish I'd been honest with you from the start, and not so scared of hurting your feelings. You deserved that. But no, aside from that, I don't have a single regret. I have the most amazing wife, and two unbelievably incredible children and I've never, ever been happier. I don't regret anything else." I knew I was being hurtful, but I also knew that I had to be. She had to know the truth, and if she couldn't handle it seven years after the fact, than that was her own problem. A very sleepy Rosie trudged over, saving me from furthering this fairly annoying conversation. She climbed into my lap and snuggled against my chest and I pulled her as close as I could.