262

Damien

I took some time off work to fully be there for my wife as she mourned her estranged and deceased father. It was disheartening watching Isabella break down over and over again. Most times, she wanted to be alone and I respected her privacy.

Isabella did not want me to orbit around her like she was some fragile girl but I could not help it. The stress of the grief she was going through could affect our child and that was what scared me the most.

As I watched Isabella mourn her father's passing, a profound sense of guilt weighed heavily on my shoulders. Emilio's death was a tragedy that I couldn't shake off, knowing that it happened under my roof, under my watch. I wanted nothing more than to ease Isabella's pain, to take away her sorrow, but I felt utterly helpless in the face of such profound loss.

Every moment with Isabella felt like walking on eggshells, afraid that any wrong word or action would only add to her grief. I tiptoed around her, offering what little comfort I cou