The silence that followed Jessica's departure was suffocating. Marie could barely breathe, her mind racing with questions and doubts she had never imagined she'd have about Welder. They had built a life together, laid the foundation for a future she thought she understood, and now it all felt like it was crumbling beneath her feet.
Welder stood before her, looking vulnerable in a way Marie had never seen. His strong, composed exterior, the confident businessman she had fallen for, was unraveling, and she didn't know how to feel. Anger, hurt, betrayal—they all swirled inside her, but most of all, she felt lost.
"I should have told you sooner," Welder said quietly, his voice breaking through the tension. He stepped closer, but Marie backed away, unable to look him in the eye.
"You should have told me the moment you found out," Marie replied, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I'm your wife, Welder. You kept something like this from me. A child. How could you?"
Welder ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders sagging under the weight of guilt. "I didn't know how to process it myself. Jessica told me only a few weeks ago, and I…I panicked. I wanted to protect us, protect what we've built."
Marie felt the sting of his words as if he had slapped her. Protecting them? How could he believe hiding something so monumental was protecting them?
"And what about me?" Marie's voice rose, frustration pouring out of her. "I'm pregnant with your child, Welder. We're supposed to be building a family together. How can I trust you now, when you've kept something this huge from me?"
Welder stepped forward again, this time with more urgency, his hands reaching for hers. "Marie, I love you. I didn't mean for any of this to happen, and I know I made a mistake. But I'm here now, and I want to make things right. I didn't want to hurt you, but I was afraid of losing you."
Marie looked down at his hands, his fingers trembling slightly as they grasped hers. Part of her wanted to pull away, to put more distance between them, but another part—the part that loved him deeply—wanted to hold on. But she couldn't ignore the breach of trust.
"Do you even know what this means for us?" she asked, her voice quieter now, tinged with sadness. "There's a child, Welder. Ethan. He's a part of your life now. And that means he's a part of my life, too. How are we supposed to move forward when you couldn't even tell me about him?"
Welder swallowed hard, his eyes filled with regret. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "But I know that I don't want to lose you. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this, to earn your trust back."
Marie's heart twisted painfully. She loved Welder, but the betrayal cut deep, and she wasn't sure how—or if—she could truly move past this.
"What are you going to do about Ethan?" Marie asked after a moment, needing to know how Welder planned to handle the situation. She was pregnant, and soon their own child would be born into a world already filled with complications she hadn't expected.
Welder hesitated, glancing toward the door as if Jessica might reappear at any moment. "I need to meet him. I need to be a father to him. I can't ignore this, and I don't want to. But I also don't want it to come between us."
Marie nodded slowly, processing his words. Ethan was an innocent child in all of this, and as much as she was angry with Welder, she knew deep down that Ethan deserved to know his father. But how would their lives change once Ethan became a part of it? How would her pregnancy, her plans for the future, fit into this new dynamic?
"I need time," Marie said finally, pulling her hands away from Welder. "I need to figure out how I feel about all of this."
Welder looked devastated, but he nodded. "I understand. Take all the time you need. I'll be here, waiting, ready to make things right."
Marie didn't respond. Instead, she turned and left the room, needing space to clear her mind, to think without the weight of Welder's presence pressing down on her. She walked through the sprawling estate, the home they had built together, and felt a pang of sadness. It had been their sanctuary, their retreat from the chaos of the city and the pressures of their careers, and now it felt tainted by secrets.
She found herself in the garden, standing by the flowers she and Welder had planted together. The sight of them—so beautiful, so carefully tended—brought tears to her eyes. Life had seemed so simple just a few weeks ago, and now everything felt complicated, messy.
Marie sat down on the garden bench, placing a hand on her stomach. The baby was still growing inside her, completely unaware of the turmoil surrounding them. A small part of her felt a surge of protectiveness, knowing that she had to think not only of herself but also of the future she wanted for her child. Could she raise their baby in a household filled with tension and unresolved issues? Could she trust Welder again?
As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the garden, Marie made a decision. She couldn't avoid this situation forever. Ethan was a part of Welder's life now, and by extension, hers. But she needed to know more. She needed to meet this child, to see if she could find a way to accept him and move forward.
With a deep breath, Marie e stood and made her way back into the house. She found Welder sitting in the living room, his face etched with worry and guilt. When he saw her, he stood, clearly waiting for her to speak.
"I need to meet him," Marie said softly but firmly. "I need to meet Ethan. If we're going to move forward, I need to know who he is."
Welder blinked in surprise, relief flooding his features. "Are you sure?"
Marie nodded. "Yes. But this doesn't mean everything is fixed between us. I'm still hurt, and I still need time to process. But if we're going to figure this out, I need to meet him."
Welder crossed the room in a few strides, pulling Marie into his arms. She didn't resist, but she didn't fully embrace him either. She rested her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her ear, and closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
The meeting with Ethan was set up for the following weekend. Marie was nervous, her stomach in knots as they drove to the park where they would meet Jessica and her son. Welder sat beside her in the car, equally tense, though he tried to reassure her with soft words of comfort.
When they arrived at the park, Marie's heart raced as she spotted Jessica sitting on a bench with a small boy beside her. Ethan. The child was playing with a toy car, oblivious to the gravity of the meeting that was about to take place.
Marie felt Welder's hand tighten around hers as they walked over, and her heart ached at the sight of the boy who was so clearly a part of Welder's past—and now, his future.
Jessica stood as they approached, offering a tentative smile. "Mariee, Welder, this is Ethan."
The boy looked up, his big brown eyes—so much like Welder's—gazing curiously at the two strangers. He seemed shy but innocent, unaware of the complicated emotions swirling between the adults.
"Hi," Welder said softly, kneeling down to Ethan's level. "I'm Welder."
Ethan looked at him, then at his mother, before nodding. "Hi," he mumbled, still clutching his toy car.
Marie watched, her heart conflicted. This was the child who would change everything. And as much as she wanted to hate the situation, she couldn't bring herself to feel anything but sadness for the little boy who didn't understand how his existence had turned their lives upside down.
"I'm Marie," she said, her voice gentle as she crouched beside Welder. "It's nice to meet you, Ethan."
Ethan glanced at her, his eyes wide and uncertain, but he offered a small smile before returning to his toy.As they sat there in the park, watching Welder interact with his son for the first time, Marie felt a strange mixture of emotions—pain, hope, fear. It would take time to navigate this new reality, and she didn't know how it would all unfold. But for now, she knew one thing: their lives had been forever altered, and they would have to find a way to move forward, no matter how difficult the road ahead.