When he was near his house, he saw that the lights are on, and Ellie's car is properly parked in the garage. Much as he wants to come inside to talk to her, he felt the nerves that he is sweating profusely. He had never been more nervous his whole life than this moment.

He is also afraid, afraid of what Ellie have decided for them, she has so many hours to think things through. If he needed to kneel and plead, he will do so, if it means she will give their relationship another chance. He just hopes that this time...maybe, just maybe, the odds will not be against them.

He decided to step out of his car after taking several deep, calming breaths, but even so, he felt his legs are shaking with too much emotions. He passed the breezeway and was he was met by a sumptuous aroma of food. He entered the kitchen and found Ellie preparing the table, she even opened a wine to complement the food. She noticed him even before he made himself known and invited him for supper. He accepted it and sat at the table without a word.

'Is this some kind of a last supper with her? Is this her way of saying goodbye? Is she going to fill my belly first before dropping the bomb?' These questions run through his mind repeatedly.

"Eat, you haven't eaten anything since breakfast." her command which he immediately complied. As much as he wanted to say something, words eluded him.

"This is actually from the family dinner, they packed some for us." she informed him which he only nods.

The food tastes great as always, but it feels as if he is eating rock and sand for how difficult it is to swallow. They ate and finished their meal without another word and they silently cleared everything and washed the dishes after - still quietly.

Not being able to take the silence anymore, he took the initiative to talk.

"Ellie..." he started, but she cut him right away.

"Ethan, let me talk first."

"Okay." he agreed and sat on one of the arm chair, while Ellie sat on the big sofa.

"I had so many hours to think everything and had come up with a decision about us. But first, let me tell you that I met Faye, your ex-wife."

"Yeah, she called to inform me about your meeting." his reply.

"She is very pretty, that is why I understand why you were seduced to bed her in the first place." she said with a chuckle.

He swallowed the lump in his throat because he doesn't know whether she said it as a joke or for him to feel guilty.

"Ellie, I-"

"Let me finish my piece Ethan, I have been planning to talk to you about everything that happened before, but I always chicken out, but since we are already here, let me tell my tale." she cut him again and he can only nod. Her face is so serious, he cannot read any emotions from them.

"We met by accident you know, Faye. I just drove after I left your parent's house and thought of just driving without a destination in mind. I was busy crying my heart out, then suddenly, there she is, the woman I saw you married. But the funny thing is, I didn't know it was her, because the truth is, I didn't saw her face fully during your wedding ceremony." she turned then and smiled at him sadly. Her confession of being there stunned him, he didn't know she was there, if he did, he may have ran away with her, but why didn't she approached him?

"Yes Ethan, I was there during your wedding. If you are thinking that I should have went to you for you to know I was there, it was because I was still hoping that what I am seeing at that time wasn't true. That the groom isn't you, that the Ethan I heard marrying that day is someone else with the same name as yours. I had mustered the courage when I confirmed that it was you, but then I saw her, the bride with the bigger tummy than mine, then I thought that what if she was really your girlfriend and I am just a passing fancy while you are in a different town." he clenched his fist tightly because of the pain he saw in her eyes while reminiscing that day. He opened his mouth to say something but she continued her story.

"If I hadn't been crying during that time, I may have admired how beautiful the church was or how lovely the bride is, even though she was pregnant. But I attended the wedding that I had been dreaming to have with the very groom who is saying his vows to his newly wedded wife. I did stay until the wedding vows Ethan, still hoping that everything was just a nightmare and I am going to wake up any minute with me in your arms, but I didn't woke up, I was still there, watching the very life that I wanted for myself. Your mother told me that she thinks it was me who she saw crying at the very back, but didn't mind." he saw her took a shaky breath and was willing herself not to cry, but found that he is the one crying, his tears are falling silently.

"After you said 'I do' I left and then I met Melissa, and she lived with us, me and my mother. If you are wondering why I went there, it was because I was so impatient for you to come back and to inform you also of the news that I am pregnant, I wanted to surprise you, you see, but it was me who got surprised." she smiled again bitterly and wiped the lone tear that escaped her eye.

"So many things happened after that, my mother was kicked out by her employer's family and we got nowhere to go. Good thing Melissa was there, she have some savings and we three helped each other to make a living, even when my tummy gotten so big that working became so difficult, that at times I will find myself crying, feeling helpless, and the reality that the father of my children is already married to someone else. That time only one thing kept popping up in my mind," she sniffed several times and speaking became difficult, "that - that I... I had never been enough for you or my father to stay, because both of you left me, feeling unwanted." He wanted to get closer, to hold her and say that he is there, that he will not go and leave her again, but he can't, he is feeling the guilt and it is too much. He should have come back then, he shouldn't have left her in the first place. Too many regret on his part that he satrted weeping, the tears already streaming from his eyes that he hand his head low. He cannot bear to see the only woman he loved, hurting for the things he did in the past. Seeing her in pain because of him constricts his chest making it difficult to breath.

Just like that day when he weeped on his mother's arms, he cried for the lost days, for the lost times that they should have been together. He thought that being here again for her will be enough to replace all the things that happened in the past, but knowing how she suffered because of that one thing he didn't have the courage to do before, him being here will never be enough and he doesn't know how to make it up with her and their children - because everything that he will do for them will never be enough.

---

Ellie saw Ethan break down in front of her. If this is just a stranger on an ordinary day, she will be happy for the pain he is feeling rivals the pain and struggles she felt from the past years. But she had proven time and time again that she is not a vengeful person, so seeing him crying like this hurts her even more.

Not able to take the suffering he is currently feeling, she stood up and walk towards him, kneeled in front of him, cradled his face in her hands and wiped the tears on his face. She then smiled at him tenderly and comforted him.

"Hush darling, it's okay, I am okay now. It was all in the past."

"I am so sorry, sorry, so sorry...I shouldn't have left you, I love you so much, and I should have come back." he said while sniffling and wailing.

She let him cry in her arms and found herself sitting on his lap while comforting him, whispering that everything is fine. She doesn't know long they stayed that way, but she waited until Ethan's cry mellowed down. She separated his head from her chest where he cried, then cradled his head and tilted his head upward to look at her.

"Ethan, I didn't told you about what I experienced in the past to make you feel guilty or to inflict pain, I told you because I wanted you to understand and know what I've been through. Of why it was difficult for me to accept you in our lives again, of why it was difficult for me to trust you again. I just want you to understand, nothing else. I already know what happened on your end, and everyone proves that you didn't mean to leave, you were just pushed to do so, given the circumstances and I understand, do you get me?" she waited for his confirmation that he did get it, all the while staring intently at his blue eyes, he answered with a nod and she smiled at him.

"Thank you so much darling, I will do anything and everything to get your forgiveness, but if you cannot, I will understand. Even if it pains me to let you go once you decided to leave, I will understand, just let me see you once in a while and the kids, please let me be with them even just a day or a few hours, I will take whatever it is that you can give me. I will not demand for too much, just let me be in your lives, please Ellie, please. I will kneel and beg if you want, just spare me some time with you and the kids." she saw in his eyes that he is serious with his pleading that she smiled inwardly.

"Are you letting us go?" she asked.

"If it means that you will forgive me, then I will."

"Why?" she asked again.

"Because...because I don't know how I can make it up with you. I feel that everything that I will do, anything will not be enough for what I have done." he answered solemnly.

"I thought you love us?"

"I do, darling, I do, so much that I feel that I am going to die if I will not be with you. I'll die if I cannot hold you like this, if I cannot be with the twins." he said hurriedly and with conviction which made her smile.

"Then don't let us go. The kids will be sad if they cannot be with their father."

"Ellie..." he said her name as if in plea, his eyes wary but hopeful.

"Contrary to your belief, staying with us is enough, and you don't have to do anything in order to make it up to us. Just stay darling, it will be enough, it is more than enough."

"Am I already forgiven?" he asked, still hopeful.

"It's easy to forgive your mother, even Faye, it is not difficult to forgive you too. I wanted to start anew Ethan and living in the past will get us to nowhere, so might as well leave it all behind, don't you think?" she said that made him smile that signature smile of his.

"Thank you darling, I didn't know what I did to deserve you and the kids, but know that I will be forever grateful for giving me another chance to be with you and to be a father to our children. I love you so much Ellie, there has never been another woman who replaced you in all the years that we are apart." he said wholeheartedly.

"I know darling and I love you too." she answered.

"I know." he suddenly said.

"What?" she asked confused.

"I know that you love me too. You already confessed your feelings to me one time while you were sleeping." he said in a teasing voice which annoyed her.

"On second thought..." she started which made Ethan gape at her wide-eyed, she even stood up for good measure and stared at him with arched brow. She saw him gulp, but he may have seen the mirth in her eyes because he suddenly stood up, grabbed her, and kissed her thoroughly. Pouring everything in the kiss. They separated after sometime, both are gasping for air.

"You saying something darling?" Ethan teased while peppering her face with kisses.

"Make love to me darling." she said like a plea, one in which Ethan granted many times the whole night.