Chapter 17 - The Price of Regret
Mark sold the mansion the following spring.
He told people it was a financial decision.
That was partly true.
But the real reason was simpler.
He could no longer stand living there.
Every hallway contained a memory.
Leo's first steps near the kitchen.
His wife decorating the staircase at Christmas.
The dent in the bedroom wall from the crib.
The stone ledge where she left the ring.
The mansion had become a museum dedicated to everything Mark had destroyed.
He moved into a smaller apartment downtown.
For the first few weeks, he drank too much.
Then he missed one of Leo's supervised visits.
The disappointment on Leo's face became the turning point.
Mark poured every bottle in the apartment down the sink.
He began therapy.
He stopped blaming Chloe.
That was harder than expected.
Blaming Chloe had been comforting.
It made Mark a victim.
Therapy forced him to say the truth aloud.
"I cheated because I wanted to."
"I lied because the truth would have cost me something."
"I ignored my wife because I assumed she would always stay."
Each sentence hurt.
Each sentence was necessary.
Months later, his visitation expanded.
The first afternoon Leo was allowed to spend time alone with him, Mark took him to a small park.
No expensive gifts.
No luxury restaurants.
Just swings and ice cream.
Leo dropped half the ice cream on his shirt.
Mark laughed.
He almost cried because the moment was so ordinary.
He had spent years chasing extraordinary things.
Money.
Status.
Attention.
A secret affair.
Now ordinary felt priceless.
When he returned Leo, Ethan opened the apartment door.
For several seconds, the two men studied each other.
Mark disliked him instinctively.
Then he realized why.
Ethan represented everything Mark should have been.
Patient.
Present.
Reliable.
"He's asleep," Mark said.
Ethan gently took Leo.
"Thanks."
Mark hesitated.
"Is she home?"
"Working."
Mark nodded.
Before leaving, he looked at Ethan.
"Take care of them."
Ethan's expression became serious.
"I will."
Mark walked toward the elevator.
Then Ethan added something.
"But I'm not doing it for you."
Mark stopped.
"I know."
The elevator doors closed.
Inside, Mark looked at his reflection.
For the first time, jealousy did not control him.
May you like
Only grief.
And acceptance.
