Page 57 of The Hotel Room

And the truth—theugliestpart—was that he hadn’t appreciated how rare it was until it was gone.

Until he saw the way she looked at him now. Like she didn’t know him. Like the love they’d built had turned into a stranger.

Dr. Adler’s voice cut through the silence, calm but direct.

“Kate, I hear your pain. You have every right to feel this deeply hurt. What James did was a profound betrayal. It severed a bond you both valued. And James—” she turned her attention to him now— “You’ve spoken a lot about your guilt. But guiltalone isn’t enough to rebuild trust. What does accountability mean to you now?”

James swallowed hard, his hands clenching on his thighs as he forced the words out.

“I didn’t just hurt Kate. I stole something from her. I let myself believe that because we’d been together since we were kids, that it was...normal to feel restless. That I had a right to see what else was out there.”

His stomach twisted as the words left his mouth—truth laid bare.

“I waswrong. There was nothing missing from our marriage, Kate. The problem was me. I didn’t know how to face my own feelings of...stagnation. So I ran from them instead. I ran straight into something meaningless and let it destroy somethingirreplaceable.”

His voice cracked.

“I love you but more than that Irespectyou, Kate. I always have. But I didn’tshowthat respect. And I hate myself for it.”

The words hung in the air, raw and heavy.

For a moment, Kate stayed silent. Her face didn’t soften—but it wasn’t closed off either.

And then, quietly, she whispered, “I loved the life we built, James. I never felt trapped in it. I felt safe.Loved. And I can’t understand how you didn’t see that.”

James’s voice broke on the reply.

“I see it now, Kate. I swear to you—I see it now.”

Dr. Adler’s voice filled the space between them, calm yet steady.

“Rebuilding trust takes time. James, the work you’ve been doing matters. But it’s not about proving your worth with grand gestures. It’s aboutconsistency. Vulnerability. Facing the consequences with humility, not self-punishment.”

Kate nodded slowly, arms still folded, her face guarded but not unfeeling.

And James—he could feel it. He hadn’t earned her trust back yet.

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The scent of disinfectant clung faintly to the air, sterile and impersonal. But James barely registered it.

His focus was on Kate.

She sat beside him in the uncomfortable vinyl chair, one hand resting gently over her belly. Her head was turned slightly away, watching the clock, and even in the harsh lighting of this place, she looked...

Beautiful.

She always had.

Even now, when everything between them felt fractured, when her smiles were rare and careful, there was something inthe softness of her features—something vulnerable and strong all at once—that still made his chest ache.

And yet, there was a distance between them he couldn’t bridge.

He remembered the first time they’d sat in a waiting room like this, years ago. When they were both younger. So much younger. Expecting Noah.

She’d been so full of life then, clutching his hand, cheeks flushed with excitement. Their entire world had felt wide open. They hadn’t known what they were doing, but they’d beenin it together.

Back then, the idea of a third child had been a dream, a vaguesomedayconversation.

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