I nodded, a million hopes and dreams cascading through my brain as I followed him into the master suite.

He waited long enough for me to be seated and buckled in before stalking over to the drinks cabinet. Dazedly, I watched him pour a glass of cognac, grimace, and pour a thimbleful into a second glass. Walking over, he handed the smaller drink to me.

‘A small sip won’t hurt,’ he stated gruffly, almost pleadingly.

With another befuddled nod I accepted it, took the tiniest sip and shuddered my way through swallowing it down. As the spirit warmed my insides, another sensation filtered through. But the joy bubbling beneath my skin fizzled out when Axios sank onto his knees before me.

‘Was it just about Andreos?’ he asked starkly. ‘Were you leaving only because of him or did I feature anywhere in your thoughts?’

‘Ax—’

‘I know I didn’t give you the wedding of your dreams, or make the time after that palatable. But did I drive you away completely, Calypso?’

There was a layer of self-loathing in his voice that propelled me to grip his hand. ‘I just didn’t want to burden you—’

‘Burden me? You’re my wife!’

‘One who was a stranger when we exchanged vows! I didn’t know how...what you would do...’

‘What I would do? What other option was there besides seeking medical—’ His curse ranged through the room. ‘Did you think I’d exploit you the way your father did your mother?’

‘I didn’t know then.’

For an eternity he simply stared at me. ‘Then? Does that mean you know different now?’ he asked, his voice awash with hope and his eyes alight with a peculiar kind of desperation that tore through me.

I didn’t realise my nails were digging into the sofa until he set his hand on mine, stilling my agitation. I wanted to cling to him. Theos did I want to. But the fear of fanning false hope, triggering another torrent of might-have-beens that would further shatter my heart, stopped me.

Discarding his drink, he took both my hands in his. ‘Tell me, please, if I have a chance with you. No matter what happens I intend to stay and fight this thing along with you. But after that—’

I pressed a hand to his lips. ‘We might not have a future,’ I whispered. ‘It wasn’t just about Andreos. I didn’t want to put you through that.’

His fingers tightened around mine, and when his eyes fused with mine, I felt the live wire of his desperation.

‘That’s why you tried to leave me again this time?’

Suspecting I wouldn’t be able to speak around the lump in my throat, I nodded.

A hoarse breath shuddered out of him. ‘I never thought I’d be so relieved at such a reason for being dumped.’

He stopped abruptly, caught my face between his hands and blazed me a look so intense my insides melted.

‘I love you, Calypso. I fell in love with your defiance in Bora Bora. Fell in love with you when I saw your love for our son. I adored your strength when I watched that video. Watching you paint, seeing your talent...awed me. Despite the odds, you have fought and continue to fight for what you want. One day our son will grow up to learn what an inspiration you are. He’ll watch you and know he has the best mother in the world.’