not look at him. Her thoughts replayed the past few weeks, seeing each gift and word anew, and her cheeks flamed. Sliding off the mattress, Mina nestled into Simon’s side, his arm coming around her and clinging to her as though she might disappear that very moment.
“I am sorry, Simon,” she whispered. “I did not realize how much damage I did that day.”
Her husband shook his head with a tense jerk. “You hold none of the blame, Mina. The fault lies squarely on my shoulders.”
Mina gave him a tiny smile. “I am not laying claim to all of it, but I am equally responsible for the current state of our marriage.”
Closing her eyes, she sucked in a breath, steeling herself. “I am a coward, Simon. I was so afraid to speak to you, so instead, I allowed my fears and hurt to fester and spread. And on that awful day, I vanished rather than face you. If you hadn’t chased me down, I would never have given you any explanation for my leaving. That was wrong of me.”
“Mina—”
“And I continue to hide my feelings rather than simply speaking to you about my fears and worries.” Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she added, “If your behavior was wrong, then so was mine. We have both made this mess.”
*
Tears gathered in his eyes as she spoke, and Simon did not fight them. Each one was a testament to the agony he felt at hearing his beloved Mina’s confession. She hid away from him still, keeping her eyes closed as she unburdened her heart, and Simon could guess at the reasons behind those fears. She had all but admitted it already with that heart-wrenching question, “Have you grown tired of me?”
Despite his greatest efforts, Mina still doubted him.
Simon brushed a finger across her jaw, drawing her eyes open once more. Her warm brown eyes were rimmed with unshed tears, but it was the bone-deep fear mirrored there that had his heart twisting.
“Why do you think my love is fleeting?” he asked, giving voice to his most pressing question. Surely he had shown her in so many ways that his heart belonged only to her, yet still, she harbored those fears.
Mina flinched and tried to pull free of him, but Simon held firm, repeating his question.
“I watched as you pined for another,” she whispered, and Simon ignored the wrenching pain in his chest; as much as his guilt demanded his attention, his feelings were not the more pressing matter.
Mina raised a hand to rest against his as his thumb caressed her cheek. “And then a miracle happened, and your heart changed, erasing her from existence and embracing me. I don’t doubt your love is real, but what if one morning you wake to find it changed again?”
Holding her gaze, Simon wished there was some token or sign he could give her to prove his constancy. It was impossible for him to love anyone else, for no other woman compared with her. Mina’s eyes shone with the goodness of her soul, and kindness blazed in her heart, giving warmth to his cold life.
“I spent years searching for love, Mina,” he whispered. “I was convinced it existed but didn’t find it until I met you.”
“But she—”
Simon shook his head. “That woman never had my heart. What I feel for you is nothing like that pale imitation of affection I harbored for so long. You say my heart turned suddenly, but it didn’t. I loved you love before I said it, though I did not understand what I felt.”
His throat tightened, and he blinked to keep himself from being overcome by the memories of those dark days.
“I don’t know what assurances I can give, but I do love you, Mina. More than anyone or anything in my life,” he whispered. “It is no fleeting thing. I love you because of who you are, and a world without you is dark and cold.”
Mina’s gaze darted away, her lips twitching as tears spilled down her cheeks. “But I am nothing special.”
“You are to me.”
Closing the distance, Mina pressed her lips to his, and the pressure in his chest eased as he reveled in her affection. Simon could never hope to articulate the feelings in his heart, but they expanded and wrapped around him, filling him with utter joy.
This was his wife. His Mina. His one and only love. A man could ask for no greater gift than to spend a lifetime with her.