Chapter 348
“That’s because you’ve been doing it wrong,” he says. “Apologizing doesn’t fix shit, Noah. You have to do more than that… Right now, you represent every bad memory she has. Every scar she carries. You have to fix that first. You have to erase the image of the man who caused her pain and build a new one p>
I frown as the words hit deep. I open my mouth to respond, but he cuts me off.
“I’m not telling you to manipulate her with some fake version of yourself,” he says firmly. “I’m telling you to become the man she actually deserves p>
His voice softens slightly. “You want forgiveness? You want a chance? Then it starts with changing the parts of yourself you’re not proud of, because winning her back isn’t about force or manipulation… it’s about sincerity, patience, and consistency p>
I sink back into the chair, leaning forward with my elbows on my knees, letting his words settle.
For years, I wondered why Mom chose to forgive him. Why she gave him another chance after everything. I never understood it until now.
It wasn’t because she ignored the pain. It was because he changed. He became a better man. A man worthy of her love. A man worthy to stand beside her. He proved through his actions that he was a good choice.
“I won’t lie to you, it’s going to be an uphill task… It’s going to force you to face the pain you caused her. It’s going to force you to face the man you became. The man who willingly hurt the woman he claimed to love.” His eyes darken slightly. “You’ll have to confront your demons and trust me, it’s not going to be pretty, but it’s necessary p>
He takes a deep breath, and I can see it clearly now. He’s not just giving advice; he’s remembering. He’s reliving everything he had to go through to win Mom back.
“You can’t fight for her as you are right now, because this version of you? It’s tainted and doesn’t belong in her world.” His gaze locks onto mine. “But once you’ve done the work, once you’ve become better, only then will you have a real chance p>
A fair chance to fight for her—isn’t that what I’ve been dying for?
“And what if… after all that, she still doesn’t choose me?” I ask, my voice rough, trembling at the edges.
Dad closes his eyes for a moment, taking a slow breath before opening them again.
“One of the hardest things I had to accept was that your mom might never forgive me… might never want me back.” he says “It was a painful truth, but I knew I had to accept it. I knew that if she chose someone else, I would have to let her go p>
“You would have let her go?” I ask, staring at him stunned, disbelief lacing my voice. “Even though you were in love with her p>
I can’t wrap my head around it because the thought of Sierra choosing Adrian doesn’t just hurt. It feels like it would destroy me.
“If it made her happy… then yes,” he says softly.
I exhale shakily. I guess that’s what makes him a better man than I’ve ever been.
“The work I mentioned?” he adds, “It includes coming to terms with the possibility that she might never give you a second chance p>
I sit there, staring at my father. Staring at the man who made mistakes but still found a way to become better.
I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fix what I’ve broken, but one thing is clear; I can’t give up.
Dad is right, as long as she isn’t married there’s still a chance. A chance to fight for her. A chance to win her back.