His fingers trembled slightly as he continued, his voice low. “I thought Sarah was just… routine. A good wife, a kind mother but maybe too soft, too predictable. I wanted something fiery, something that reminded me of who I used to be. That’s what Tiana brought. Or so I thought.”
He paused, his throat tightening. “But when Sarah died, I realized it wasn’t routine I’d lost. It was peace. It was home.”
Kelvin’s face softened. “You loved both women, James. Just in different ways.”
James laughed bitterly. “If what I did to Sarah was love, then God help me.” He took another gulp, the burn of alcohol chasing the lump in his throat. “Sometimes I see her face in my dreams, calling my name from the fire. I wake up drenched in sweat, wishing I’d died there with her.”
Kelvin placed a hand on his
