I hurt you because I thought you would always be there. Yes. I thought 4 years meant you would forgive anything. It doesn't. I know that now.
She wiped away a tear. I don't want you to forgive me because you still love me. I want you to forgive me because I finally understand what I did. I studied her face. That matters.
Her eyes lifted. But but forgiveness isn't permission to come back. She nodded. I know. We stood there quietly.
Then she asked, "Are you happy? " I considered the question. Yes. Without me? Yes.
That answer clearly hurt, but she nodded. I'm glad. I almost believed her. She took a step backward. I won't come here again.
Good. She smiled faintly. You're still very direct. You knew that before. I did.
She turned toward her car. Then she stopped. Harry? Yeah. If John had never come back, would you still be with me?
I looked at her. Probably. She closed her eyes for a second. That's what makes this so hard. What?
Knowing I destroyed something that was working. I didn't answer. She got into her car and drove away. I watched until the car disappeared. That evening, Grant came over.
He looked at me. She came by. Yes. What did you say? The truth.
And she's finally accepting it. Grant nodded. How do you feel? I looked around my apartment. For the first time, I realized I wasn't waiting for Marilyn anymore.
I feel finished. And I meant it. But two weeks later, I got one final message from her. She said she was leaving Seattle. She had accepted a job in another state and was starting over.
Then she added one sentence. I hope one day you remember me without remembering what I did. I read it twice. Then I deleted it. Not because I hated her, because I didn't need the reminder.
I thought that was the end. I was wrong. 3 months passed before I saw Marilyn again. By then, I had stopped expecting her to return. My life had changed in small ways.
I had moved into a better apartment, taken on a larger project at work, and started spending more time with people I had neglected while planning the wedding. I wasn't looking for another relationship. I wasn't waiting for Marilyn either. Then one Saturday afternoon, I walked into a hardware store and saw her standing near the entrance. She saw me at the same time.
For a moment, neither of us moved. She looked different, not dramatically, just calmer. She walked toward me. Harry Marilyn, I didn't know you came here. I do sometimes.
She smiled nervously. I've been back for a week. Why? My job situation changed. I nodded.
I heard you moved away. I did. Why did you come back? She looked at me. Because I realized running away didn't change anything.