Alex spent the rest of the evening with his daughter doing all of her favorite things and listening to her talk on and on and on. Crayons were scattered across the floor and Alex was coloring in one of the many Disney Princess books that Adelia handed to him.

It wasn't long before Adelia was plowing her way onto his lap and grabbing for the book with her tiny hands. Alex winced when she pushed on his abdomen but stayed silent as his daughter examined his work, which by the way he was pretty proud about the fact that he stayed in the lines.

“Whatcha think?” He finally asked, a smile gracing his face until the three year old shook her head.

“Sweeping beauty has a pink dwess.” She exclaimed and grabbed for the pink crayon. She immediately began to scribble over the blue that Alex had worked so hard on and handed the book back to him. Alex couldn’t help but smile at his daughter as she made her way back across the room to color in her own book.

Still though, he felt guilty that he had been missing out on the little things like coloring with his daughter. He felt even more guilty and angry with himself that he was confined to a wheel chair unable to run around with Adelia outside or play hide and seek with her. But he mostly felt an immense amount of anger towards himself that he had tried to leave her and the rest of the world behind all because he was upset. He had been so willing to throw it all away, his marriage, his life but more importantly to him his daughters innocence.

Adelia had never experienced a bigger death than her betta fish dying and even then she cried for days until Alex took her to the pet store and let her pick out a new one. Yet, there he was months ago ready to let that wide eyed, gibberish talking three year old lose something that no child deserved to lose, a parent. Perhaps that’s why when Adelia finally looked up from her coloring book and asked “Daddy, are you sick too?” tears were brought to Alex’s eyes like a heavy storm passing through in the middle of July. They were unexpected and came with no warning but Alex managed to hold in the thunderous sobs to answer her.

“No sweetie, why would you think that?”

“mommy says pappy is sick. He has to be puwshed awound in a chair too.”

“C’mere” Alex said simply, patting his lap. Adelia dropped her crayons and climbed into his lap, if she had hurt him at all Alex sure didn’t let it show.

“Daddy is just hurt baby. I have to sit in the chair until I get better.” Alex explained. He lifted his shirt up a bit to show his bandage.

“You have a owie?” Adelia asked, staring wide eyed at the large bandage that covered Alex’s abdomen.

“Yes, daddy has an owie and until it gets better I have to sit in this chair. But I’m not sick, okay babygirl? I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Adelia nodded her head and leant forward to press a kiss on the bandage just like Alex and Janie had done so many times to her when she was hurt. With that innocent three year old smile glowing on her face. She wrapped her stubby arms around Alex’s neck and placed a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek. “I love you, daddy.”

“I love you too sweetie, now go play.” Alex replied before placing her back down on the floor and watching her until she disappeared around the corner to who knows where.

“Ya know, she asked about you almost every single day.” Janie sighed, pulling the hot mug of chamomile tea to her lips and taking a small sip. Alex looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

A small smile played on Janie’s lips “It was always “where’s daddy?” “When’s daddy coming home?” And then when I came back and y-you didn’t, she cried all day, every day for almost a week. She missed you like crazy and she just didn’t understand. That’s when my dad took matters into his own hand and got her that dog. She named him pat and man, the way she would light up when that dog was around, it instantly made daddy smile.” Janie wiped a tear from her cheek and chuckled at the memory.

Instinctively Alex grabbed her free hand and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze.

“How is he?”

“Not good,” Janie whispered before clearing her throat. “Momma had to move him to hospice and that’s probably where he’s going to be until…” She trailed off, not wanting to say the word because that would make it real and a small part of Janie still believed that she was going to wake up and find that all of this was just a bad dream. But for the most part, Janie knew that wouldn’t be the case, she still wasn’t ready to accept it though.

“Janie…”

“It’s getting late. Momma made up the guest bedroom down the hall for you. I’m going to get Adelia ready for bed. Goodnight Alex.” Janie said quickly, giving Alex’s shoulder a squeeze as she passed him. It still broke Alex’s heart to know that his own wife was that distant towards him, to know that they were once so close and now…well now everything was just different.

Alex lied in bed that night and found himself sleepless. He checked his phone, 3 a.m. The house was soundless but he was almost positive he could hear the sound of soft cries coming from Janie's room and it killed him inside to know that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't very well maneuver his wheelchair up a flight of stairs, and he certainly couldn't walk at the moment--doctors’ orders. But when he heard another muffled sob he was seriously considering saying 'screw it' to the doctors’ orders, that was until he heard his own door creak open. He stayed silent; unsure of whom the intruder was until the inevitable sniffle of the nose gave it away. Janie.

"Alex?" She whispered unsure if he was awake.

"Yeah, love?" He answered.

"Can..c-can I-I" Janie stuttered through her crying.

"C'mere," Alex pulled the covers back and patted the spot beside of him. It didn't take long for Janie to rush over to the side of the bed and mold into Alex's side like they had so many times before, when life was simpler for them.

"I-I'm sorry i-if I woke y-you up" Alex could feel Janie's tears soak through his thin white t-shirt.

"Shhh, you didn't. I couldn't sleep anyways. Just go to sleep now Janie bug" Alex cooed, wiping the tears from Janie's cheeks with one hand as he held her other hand, rubbing circles on her palm with his thumb.

"Alex...will you do me a favor?" She reluctantly asked.

"For you, anything."

"W-will you hold me?"

Alex instantly wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her as close to him as humanly possible. His arms wrapped around her waist and his head rested on her shoulder where he softly pressed kisses until she had fallen asleep.

---

A week had passed since that first incident but Janie kept coming back to his room every night to fall asleep in his arms and with Alex was finally out of his chair she felt more comfortable with cuddling into him.The early morning sun was just peaking over the tall pine trees when Janie woke up to find herself cuddled into Alex’s warm body. She slowly pulled away from his embrace, being careful not to wake him. Running a hand through her knotted hair she stood up and made her way towards the door, stopping only once to admire the serene smile on Alex’s face. She quietly closed the door and walked into the kitchen where she knew her mother would be up getting everything ready for breakfast.

“Morning momma” Janie kissed her mom on the cheek.

“G’mornin honey,” Ann greeted her daughter in return while continuing to chop fresh vegetables. Janie sat down at the island, observing her mother. Noticing all of the small details like how tired her mother looked, of course it was no secret to Janie that her mother wasn’t sleeping well. On more than one occasion Janie had heard her mother breakdown when she thought no one was around.

“Janie, honey…I think you should give that boy another chance.” Ann said, putting the vegetables into a small bowl.

“I’m trying to momma”

Ann wiped her hands on her apron before looking Janie in the eyes.

“We both know that isn’t true, sweetheart. That boy is in love with you, he flew across down here prove it to you more than once. I know he hurt you but Janie, we all make mistakes and…hasn’t he suffered enough? Haven’t you?”

Janie looked down at her empty hands, her eyes focusing on the finger that used to be the holding place of her wedding ring. She never realized how empty and awkward it felt to not see that symbol of love and commitment sitting in its rightful place. A frown formed on her face as she processed her mother’s words. Was she right? Was she making Alex walk all the way instead of meeting him halfway in the healing process? Was she being selfish, foolish even? But even more she couldn’t shake the thought that she was being heartless. After all, Alex had flown across the country while still injured, and even before that it had been proved to her that he technically had done absolutely nothing wrong to begin with. He hadn’t had an affair, so why then was she holding it against him?

“Janie, I have loved you father for a very long time and now he’s being taken from me, I don’t have a choice in the matter, I don’t have a say but you do. Don’t live the rest of your life miserable because you have too much pride to let love back in.” Ann broke through her daughters thought process, unknowingly giving Janie all the answers to her questions.

Pride.

Janie had too much pride to admit that just maybe she was in the wrong. Maybe this time she was the one to blame, and maybe she should have been the one all along working to make everything right again.

“You’re right,” Janie says to her mother as she walked out of the kitchen only to run into Alex, whom she was about to wake up.

“Slow down there tiger” Alex lamely joked as he let go of her waist .Janie smiled, taking Alex by surprise when she wrapped her arms around him and pushed her head into the crook of his neck. Alex hesitantly wrapped his own arms around her back, pulling her closer to him.
“Is everything okay?” Alex asked cautiously, Janie nodded before lifting her head from his chest so she could see his face.

“Yeah, I…I just...do you wanna go somewhere with me…please?” She asked, feeling like a teenager asking a boy to the dance, afraid of the possible rejection.

“Now?”

“Yeah…you don’t have to go. Actually just forget it, it was stupid anyways. I shouldn’t have asked.” Janie muttered, pulling out of the embrace she walked away, more than ready to shut her out of reality. Meanwhile Alex stood outside of the kitchen door, confused at what had just happened. But he found himself chasing after Janie, catching her arm right before she was able to go up the stairs to her room.

“Should I grab a jacket?” He asked, his crooked smile shining on his face.

Janie too smiled, “yeah…”

“Okay, meet you downstairs,” Alex agreed before walking himself to his own room to grab a light jacket while Janie pulled her hair into a messy bun and slipped her favorite hoodie on, the one she stole from Alex when they first starting dating.

“Where are we going?” Alex asked once they were out onto the front porch.

“Just this place I know,” Janie answered; leaving Alex with his eyebrows raised waiting for a better answer.

“Oh, alright. We’re just going to the middle of the field. Think you can handle a short horse ride?” Janie joked, recalling that Alex was never a graceful horseback rider.

“You’re funny, shoulda been a comedian. Yes, I can handle a short ride.” Alex answered following behind Janie as she led them to the horse barn; where he continued to follow her example on saddling up the horses.

“Ready?” She asked as she hoisted herself onto the horse, much faster and easier than Alex whom had needed a couple tried but eventually found himself sitting almost comfortably in the saddle.

“Yep.”

They rode the horses for a while until Janie found the spot she was looking for, it was nothing too special just a huge oak tree surrounded by the wide open field with the forest in the near distance.

“What are we doing out here?”Alex asked after Janie secured both of the horses to the tree.

Janie turned to face Alex “I was wrong,” she admitted.

“I was so mad at you and I was wrong. I just need you to know that I forgive you and I love you. I love you so much, and I don’t want to lose you, ever. I’ve never felt so empty and lonely in my life until I didn’t have you in it. And, I just want to be a family again. I’m sorry Alex. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like less than my everything… and I know we never really talked about the affair but I can put it in the past if you can”

Janie was interrupted by Alex’s lips crashing into hers. Their lips moved in sync at first with a fiery passion that displayed all of the built up emotions before finally evolving into a slow, delicate, romantic kiss.

“I’ve missed you” Janie whispered, pushing her lips back against Alex’s.

Notes

I went back and edited this so sorry if you already read it once. I still ended up haveing to cut the next part off because some things need to be reworked and I might have to add a chapter in between this and the next...anyways, i'm rambling but thanks for reading and commenting
<3 Katy