The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 111

Safe Enough to Breathe 

HANNAH’S POV: 

My cheeks got warm and we both glanced at the twins finished building their wobbly masterpiece. Andrew stood proudly. 

“Daddy! Mommy! Look!” We clapped like the structure had won an engineering award. 

Then Amelia shouted, “Let’s play tag!” 

Before anyone could react, she took off running. Laughing. Happy. Alive in a way she hadn’t been for months. I loved how we had the entire place to ourselves and everything in this moment seemed so perfect. I stood too, ready to run after her and join them but suddenly she stumbled. 

Her foot caught in the sand. She fell forward, face-down, a small cry escaping before she hit the ground. / Everything inside me froze. My heart jumped into my throat. 

Oh no. Oh no. No, please, not again..I didn’t walk. I ran towards her in speed. 

“Amelia!” I dropped to the ground, panic clawing through my chest. “Baby where does it hurt? Look at me please.” 

She sat up slowly, rubbing her knee where a little scrape smeared with sand. 

“It’s okay, Mommy,” she whispered, blinking through tiny tears. “It’s okay.” 

I could feel Elijah heavily behind me but my breathing wouldn’t slow. My brain went to the hospital. The weak immune system. The illness she had survived. The nights I sat awake praying I don’t hear she dies. 

Elijah touched Amelia’s cheek softly. “Brave girl. Want Daddy to clean it up?” She nodded sniffling, he gave her a pat on the head and went for a few minutes and returned. 

Elijah helped her clean her legs and put on a bandage making her grin. Andrew held her hand as she went to grab the glass of lemonade and eat the finger foods that was just served. 

“What if something’s wrong?” The words came out in a low, shaking whisper. “What if..what if I didn’t notice because I’m too distracted and..” 

Warm hands settled gently on my shoulders. 

He knelt beside me, voice calm and steady. “Hannah. She’s okay.” 

I looked at Amelia again who was now dancing happily as she ate her food. And yes, she was just a child who scraped her knee. Nothing more. Nothing fatal. Nothing life-threatening. 

Still, my eyes stung and I folded my arms trying to relax. 

Elijah sat beside me and placed one hand behind my head, drawing me close until my forehead rested against his 

We returned to the sand. The sun was warm, the waves gentle. The twins counted loudly. 

“One!” “Two!” “THREE!” 

And we ran. 

We chased each other across the beach, laughing breathlessly. Amelia shrieked when I caught her, Andrew tackled us both, sand flew everywhere, Elijah watched us with the softest smile I had ever seen on him. 

And for the first time in years, I wasn’t worrying. 

I was just… happy. 

Happy in a way that felt new and familiar at the same time. Happy in a way that told me healing was possible. Happy in a way that told me maybe this was always meant to be. 

Maybe this laughing under the sun with my children and the man I had once married in pain but was now learning to love again was home. 

Maybe we were going to be okay and maybe this is how my happy ending begins.