Well, there’s not many words to describe the journey we’ve been on. What a ride!! Let’s see this out. Hoping Aurelia forgives him…

For a few minutes, they just stood there, staring at each other.

Breathing in and out.

Observing the emotions in each other’s eyes.

Jeremy’s eyes carried pain, regret and brokenness.

That of Aurelia’s carried hurt, anger and brokenness.

They continued to stare at each other, frozen in place.

Then Aurelia made the first move, slowly walking over to the couch. Jeremy moved to let her take a seat, which she did.

Jeremy moved carefully, not knowing how to start. This was the first time in over a month that they were seeing each other, and he had no idea how to start.

But now that she was there, he had to say something.

Anything.

The first thing to come to mind was what tumbled out of his mouth.

“I… I-I… I’m sorry, baby,” he whispered.

She looked sharply at him for a second, then looked down. “You don’t know how difficult it is for me sitting here to look you in the face, do you?” she sniffed. “It’s taken me a lot to walk in here after finding out what you did.”

Jeremy went silent. He knew there would be an outpouring once she finally spoke, and here it was. Best not to try and silence her.

Without looking up at him, she went on. “Jeremy… you know how I feel about infidelity. You know. You know it takes me to dark places I hate to be. Yet, you cheated. You slept with some… some fianga-fianga girl bi. A witch, no less. Jeremy, I’m angry, but… I’m so hurt. So, so hurt. I can’t… I just can’t…”

Running out of words, she threw her hands up in frustration, then rested her head against her upright arm.

Jeremy immediately fell to his knees and moved to her, ready to unload all his pleas.

“Aurie, I understand you. I absolutely do. And you’re right, I know everything you’ve been through. You don’t deserve this. And I regret everything that happened. From joining those idiots to Ada, right down to the filthy deed, I regret it all. I was stupid, Aurie. It was a mistake, a terrible mistake. I regret it more than anything else I’ve ever done in this lifetime. I know you probably don’t think I deserve forgiveness, but please, give me a chance to make things right.”

Tears streamed down Jeremy’s face, his vulnerability laid bare. Aurelia’s face wavered between the pain of betrayal and the pity she felt for him.

He continued, his voice choking up with each word. “Please, Aurie, I’ll do whatever it takes for you to forgive me. Whatever it takes. Because I love you. I love you so much, Aurie. I love you, I…”

Words failing him, he broke down and just began to weep bitterly.

With each loud cry, Aurelia felt her angry front lose its strength. The man she had upheld for so long as a beacon of strength was now a pitiful sight before her, wrecked by the guilt of his indiscretion. Eventually, his tears flattened her angry resolve, and she covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she watched him cry and whimper for forgiveness.

“I’m so sorry, my love, I’m so sorry. I love you so much, Aurie, I swear, I really do… I’ll do anything, honey, anything. Just don’t end what we have. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” he whimpered miserably.

Wiping her tears, she gently held his head and rested it on her lap. Stroking his head, the only sounds in the living room were the sounds of the Provencal couple sniffing and sobbing. Both broken by each other.

Silence reigned alongside those soft cries for a moment, both parties doing their best to regain their composure.

Then, as she continued to stroke his head, Aurelia spoke up.

“Jeremy… Jeremy, you have no idea how hurt I am. To know that the man I love, the man I’ve given my all to, had a fling elsewhere. It hurts me to the core, it really does. You know you’re the only man I’ve ever given my all to, and I always knew I was the only woman you’ve ever touched. And to know that’s no longer the case… it shattered me. Broke me. I’ve been so hurt, and this month hasn’t been easy to navigate, especially with memories of Madam Gloria rising to the fore. Honestly, there were times I said to myself that this was the end. That you didn’t deserve any forgiveness. Yeah, I really did think that way sometimes. It was that serious.

“That being said, I can’t ignore what I’ve heard. From that voice note you sent Kevin, and what that idiot Kenzy admitted to me. About how devastated you were afterwards, and how you cut them off for their part in it all. I can’t ignore the fact that you stayed away from me just to ensure you don’t infect me with any STD. And I definitely can’t ignore the madness that happened here about a month ago. If that isn’t enough of a lesson, then I don’t know what is.

“And Jeremy, we’ve been married for ten years. Honestly, I’ve seen you choose me every single time. I’ve seen slim little girls move to you, and watched as you shoved them aside and tell them you’re married. I’ve seen it more often than you think I have. So, it feels like it’ll be unfair to break it off after one big error you’re clearly sorry about. And truthfully, Jeremy, it hurts me so much to see you crying this hard. I hate seeing my knight in shining armour a hot mess like this. It reminds me of one thing: you are not like my mother.”

That really warmed his heart. Her mother had never shown any kind of remorse for her actions; her happiness was superior to the family she had.

Lifting his head to face her, she wiped another tear, took a deep breath and concluded. “Jeremy, I can’t say that my heart is healed, because it’s not. It still hurts. So much. But… I don’t think it’s fair to remain in that hurt when I consider all the circumstances. So, honey, I forgive you. I think I’m ready to come back home with the boys and work on healing well.”

The relief that coursed through Jeremy’s entire being was probably stronger than what he had felt when the witch was defeated. Oh, thank goodness she had seen this was not a fling he had happily jumped into and regretted with every sinew of his being!

“Thank you, thank you, babe!” he cried gratefully, throwing his arms around her. “Ohh, thank the Lord, honey! Thank you for not giving up on us, thank you! I promise you, honey, it’s you and only you! I promise! There’s no other woman but you, Aurelia. You’re my queen, my heart, my soul, my everything! It’s you until the end. All I need is you, baby. Just you and our two boys. Nobody else. Nobody.”

Aurelia chuckled as she rubbed the back of his head. “Mmmm. Are you sure that’s all you need?”

Jeremy looked up at her and grinned. “Well… our parents and relatives all dey inside, but… you get the idea, right?”

Still chuckling, she reached for her bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to him.

Curious, he took it and opened it up. Scanning the contents, his jaw dropped.

“Here’s another reason I can’t leave you.”

It was the result of a pregnancy test. And it was positive.

He looked up at Aurelia. “You’re… you’re pregnant?”

She nodded.

“Oh my God! Wow!” he gasped. “Already?”

She gave him a deadpan look. “Mr. Man. You were folding me like a lawn chair like five times a week during the ovulation period. What did you expect? And you were enjoying it a little too much, too.”

Jeremy guffawed. “You say it like you didn’t like it.”

Aurelia gave him a side eye. “I didn’t.”

“That’s not the impression I got when you told me to come feed you while shaking that incredible ass of yours in that mad sexy nightie.”

For the first time in a long time, Aurelia let out a giggle.

“Oh, my God, I’m so happy,” he gushed, hugging her tightly. “Oh, babe, forgive me. It’s you and our three children that are my priority. Then our parents and all, you know that thing.”

Aurelia nodded simply. Then she rubbed her belly. “Yep. Our two boys and upcoming baby girl.”

Jeremy raised his hands. “Amen to that. I want it to be a girl, too.”

Aurelia shook her head. “It is a girl. I say so, and so it is. Period.”

“Yes, please, Madam. I’m not coming to argue.”

She laughed softly.

“But, everything aside,” Jeremy stated, holding her hands and looking her straight in the eye, “I know you’re hurt and it’ll take time to fully get over it. I understand. Totally. But I want you to know that from the bottom of my heart, it’s an act I’ll regret until the day I die. Because Aurie, there’s no other woman I wanna make love to but you. There’s no other woman I wanna continue the rest of my life with but you. There’s no other woman I’m happier raising this family with but you. You mean everything to me, baby. You’re my heart, my soul, my everything, and I love you so much. I love you so much, Aurelia, believe me, I really do…”

She gently wrested her hands from his grip and held his face. “Sssshhhhh, it’s okay”, she calmed gently. “It’s okay. I believe you, Jeremy. I really do. And in spite of everything, I still love you. I don’t think I could ever stop loving you. You are an amazing man. An amazing husband. And an amazing father. I couldn’t imagine life without you, either.

“I can’t lie, I felt angry all over again when I saw your face, but… everything considered, I know I can’t end this. And I don’t want to. I love you, Jeremy. I’m happy to be yours, and I’m happy to be carrying your child. I’m staying right here, babe. Right here.”

She kissed him gently for a few seconds, then placed his head back on her lap, stroking his head gently. “I love you, and I know we’ll get through this,” she assured him. “It’s been one hell of a painful month, but… it’s time to move on and make our bond stronger.”

“Amen, baby. Amen,” he whispered. “We’ll get through this for real. I believe that.”

She continued to stroke his head lovingly, glad to have her husband back.

Then she whispered in a mock scary voice, “You are mine, do you hear me? You are miiinnneeee!”

Jeremy flinched, then looked up at her, not looking very amused. “Babe. I still have PTSD flashbacks of that night. Please don’t.”

She snickered mischievously. “Sorry, honey. Couldn’t resist. But, whatever the case may be, as far as we’re concerned, it’s the truth, isn’t it? I am yours, and you are mine.”

Nodding as he placed his head back on her lap, he smiled and closed his eyes, joy overflowing in his heart as he rested on the large lap of the woman he would love for the rest of his days.

“Yes it is, Mrs. Aurelia Provencal. Yes, it is. Now and forevermore. I am yours… and you are mine.”

THE END

Awwww, a sweet reconciliation right there, with a sweet little surprise in the mix. Well, Jeremy’s little mistake might have brought him serious problems, but he made it out and learned a lot.

Thank you for reading, and do continue to enjoy yourself around the State!