Seraphina did not answer immediately. She watched Adrian carefully; his question had not been asked to trap her, and it had not been asked to make her feel guilty; it came from a man who had finally stopped hiding behind pride. He stood quietly, waiting.
"I will answer you," she said at last. "But you have to let me finish before you respond."
Adrian gave a slow nod. "I promise."
Seraphina folded her hands in front of her. "There was a time when I believed love could survive anything."
Adrian lowered his eyes.
"I believed that if I stayed patient, you would notice how much I was sacrificing. I believed that if I worked harder, understood you better, and forgave you one more time, we would eventually become the people I hoped we could be." A faint smile crossed her face, but it carried sadness instead of warmth. "I kept waiting for a day that never came."
Adrian swallowed. "I remember how determined you were."
