Her eyes met his, frustration mixed with the faint glimmer of what once was. “Sorry doesn’t change what happened, Miles,” Elena said evenly. “And it doesn’t change where we are now.”
Miles dragged a hand through his hair, regret heavy in his voice. “I was a coward. I thought leaving was the right choice, but I know now how wrong I was.”
Elena looked down at the stroller, at the small fists twitching beneath blankets. “These three are my life now. They don’t deserve to be caught in the wreckage of what we were.”
“I’ve changed,” Miles said softly. “I can’t undo what I did, but I want to be part of their lives—if you’ll let me.”
She studied him, torn between memory and mistrust. “I can’t promise anything. My priority is them.”
He nodded, accepting. “I’ll prove I’m not the man who left you at the altar.”
A long silence passed before Elena offered, “Start small. Come with us to their next checkup.”
Hope lit his eyes. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
As the sun dipped low, Elena rose, adjusting the stroller. “I need to get them home.”
Miles stood too, watching her go. “Take care, Elena.”
Her steps carried the strength she’d built alone, yet somewhere inside she wondered if people really could change—and if new beginnings were possible.
