“Miserable,” Lois says bluntly. “Just like you, from the looks of it.”
“I’m fine,” I argue, my whole body stiffening.
“Don’t.” She holds up a hand. “Don’t lie to me, Calvin. I may be old, but I’m not blind. You’re just as unhappy as she is, and you’re both too stubborn to do anything about it.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“Georgia told me what happened,” Lois continues. “About the argument. About you telling her she was replaceable. About her walking away.”
Shame burns through me. “I shouldn’t have said that. I was angry and just wanted the best for the project. I thought that meant going to the press immediately.”
“You were an idiot,” Lois finishes. “But you already know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“So, why haven’t you done anything about it?”
I lean forward, elbows on my desk, suddenly exhausted. “Because there’s nothing to do. I destroyed what we had. She made it clear she doesn’t want to work with me, and I don’t blame her. Why would she give me another chance after how I treated her?”
“Because she loves you, you fool.”
The words stop my breath. “She doesn’t?—”
“She does. She won’t admit it, I bet she won’t even let herself think it most days, but I see it. I see it in how she gets quiet and stares out the window like she’s in some gothic romance novel. I see it in how she checks the news every day, looking for announcements about the discovery. I see it in how she cries when she thinks no one’s listening.”
Each word is a knife. Georgia has been crying because of me. Because I was too damaged to fight for what we had.
“That doesn’t mean she wants to hear from me,” I say quietly. “Wanting something and it being gone, that’s grief. It doesn’t mean she wants it back. Sometimes things are too broken to fix, Lois, and this is one of those things.”
“Are you really going to give up that easily?” Lois’s voice sharpens. “I watched you with her, Calvin. I saw how you looked at each other, even before I got sick and the two of you weren’t doing anything other than bickering. There was something real there. Something worth fighting for.”
I sigh and look down at my hands, which are clenched into fists on my desk. “I lost that fight the moment I let her walk away.”
“Then start a new fight. A better one. One where you’re honest about what you feel and what you want.” She leans forward. “Calvin, Georgia has convinced herself that she can’t trust her judgment. That she picks the wrong men, that she’s better off alone. And you’re proving her right by giving up.”
“I’m not giving up. I’m accepting reality. I hurt her. I told her she was replaceable when she’s the most irreplaceable person I’ve ever met. I chose my pride over her. Why would she forgive that?”
“Because people who love each other forgive things. That’s what love is: choosing each other even when it’s hard, even when you’ve hurt each other, even when you’re both scared and flawed and making mistakes.” Lois’s voice softens. “But you have to give her the chance to forgive you. You have to reach out. You have to be brave enough to be vulnerable.”
I want to believe her. God, I want to believe that there’s still a chance. That Georgia might be willing to listen, to forgive, to try again. But the hope feels dangerous. Like setting myself up for another devastating loss.
“Even if you’re right,” I say slowly, “even if she would be willing to talk to me, what would I say? How do I apologize for something that fundamental? I showed her exactly who I am when things get difficult. A controlling businessman who can’t handle vulnerability. Why would she trust me to be different?”
“Because youaredifferent. You learned. You kept the tomb covered, didn’t you? Didn’t announce it to the press like you wanted to?”
“How do you know about that?”
“Georgia told me. She checks every day, looking for news about the discovery. And there’s nothing. Which means you listened to her. You respected what she said, even after she left.”
“That doesn’t fix what I broke.”
“No. But it’s a start.” Lois reaches into her purse and pulls out a piece of paper, setting it on my desk. “This is her address. You already know it, of course, but here it is anyway. A reminder that she’s just a plane ride away. That it’s not too late to try.”
I stare at the paper without touching it. “Lois…”
“She hasn’t moved on, Calvin. She’s raising Ella and working and going through the motions, but she hasn’t moved on. And neither have you.” She pauses. “Also, she has some important news. News that I know you’ll want to hear.”
My head snaps up. “What news?”
