When he didn’t speak, she continued. “I’ve also been thinking . . . and praying. And I’ve tried to put myself in your place. To wonder, if the situation had been reversed, whether I would have sought comfort in the arms of . . . another man.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I don’t think I would have.”

He already knew that. In their marriage, Kimberly had always been the glue. The strong one whose buoyant optimism, determination, and rock-solid values and faith had helped them weather countless storms—including the death of their son.

That’s why he’d been lost after the accident. Without her steadying, loving presence, he’d floundered . . . and sought solace wherever he could.

He was, and had always been, the weak link in their relationship.

“I’m well aware of my character flaws, Kimberly.” His shoulders sagged. “I’ve never had your grit and courage and fortitude, nor your unshakable values. I know I stumbled, and—”

“Dave.” She leaned forward. “I didn’t tell you that to . . . denigrate your character. I’m just saying it’s been very hard for me to . . . understand how you could have done what you did.” Her phrasing was more halting and choppy than usual, but she persisted. “The thing is, though . . . maybe I don’t have to. Maybe I have to accept that no one is perfect and . . . and that people can cave under enough pressure. We all have our breaking point.”

She sat back and twisted her hands together in her lap. “There’s a lot I don’t understand . . . but here’s what I do know. During all the years of our marriage before the accident, you were a loving, devoted husband . . . who I trusted with all my heart and soul. As far as I know, you never betrayed that trust.”

“I didn’t.” God, please let her believe that! “You were always the center of my world.”

She searched his face . . . then continued. “I also know that since the day I woke up from the coma, you’ve done everything you can to help me recover. You work harder than any man I know. You’ve dedicated your life to making mine as . . . close to normal as possible. Nothing I ask you to do is too much trouble. Your tender care has touched my heart day after day . . . year after year. Bad as the accident was, good also came from it. It made me love you more than I already did.”

Dave gripped the arms of his chair, bracing for the but.

It didn’t come.

As the silence between them lengthened, he drew a shaky breath and tried to tamp down the tiny spark of hope that sprang to life in his soul. “What are you saying?”

A tear welled on her lower eyelid. “When you told me your story, my first instinct was to walk away. In fact, if someone had asked me . . . in the past what I would do in a situation like this, that’s what I would have predicted. But I know you’re sorry, and I can . . . imagine the despair and hopelessness you felt four years ago. I also realize that if you hadn’t loved me as much as you did . . . your sense of loss wouldn’t have been as overwhelming. You did what you did because you loved me so much, not because your love for me had faded.”