( Matthew's Point of View)
The things I had said to Esther still hung in the air, heavy and raw. The promises I made felt like a thin thread that could break at any time. I had promised to fight for us, to face everything that had held me back, and to stop hiding once and for all. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I had to show Esther that I was all in if I wanted to build a life with her.
I could feel the weight of my past pressing against me even as I spoke. The ghosts of everything I had been running from Rebecca, Aaron, and my father were hiding in the dark. And I didn't know how much longer I could keep them from coming.
I looked at Esther, and her eyes were still searching mine for something or anything that would make her believe what I said. She had every right to not trust me and
