"I give up."

He widened his eyes. "What does that mean?"

She looked around at the scenery around them. "I mean that I'm not going to try and make this work anymore. You love someone else. I know that. I get it." She reached up to wipe a lone tear from her delicate lashes. "I'm going to stay at the Seattle Inn." She announced softly. "I've signed the papers. The only thing left is for you to sign them. But if you want to try again I'll stay."

" I don't know what to say." His voice was softer, calmer now. "I'm sorry for lashing out at you when I shouldn't have."

"What do you want to do? Sign? Not sign?"

He took a last swig of beer and tossed the can aside. "I want to be with Meredith—and it absolutely kills me. I wish that I'd never met her. I wish that she didn't make me feel."

The silence was deafening.

"And I hate myself for being this way." He continued dully. "I hate myself for hurting you again. For not being here when you needed me. I don't want to think about her and if I could I would turn back the clock and never come to Seattle." He looked down at his hands and then back up at her. "But I can't."

She nodded. "I know."

"I'm so sorry, Addy. I'm sorry for everything."

Another tear slipped past and this time she let it fall. She sat down heavily and shook her head. "Than there's only one last thing to do." She said simply, although she was falling apart. Part of her had hoped that he'd tell her she was silly, that the last thing he would do was go and be with someone else. She had been wrong, she thought bitterly. She'd been a fool to come to Seattle. And she would continue to be a fool as long as she stayed with a man who was miserable.

"I know." She said softly. "It's just as much my fault as it was yours." She admitted, dabbing her lashes again. "I cheated on you with Mark and I started this—this—end to us. I really thought that when I came to Seattle that things would be different. And then I saw you with her and I knew that you were in love. I could see it in your eyes. They sparkled, Der."

He reached out and took her hand and squeezed. "We don't have to talk about this, you know."

'I know." She agreed. "But it feels good to finally be talking to you about something that you're passionate about. Even if it is another woman." She held up her hand before he could comment. "Derek, she lights you up like I used to do. She loves you completely and believe it or not I understand that kind of love. It was the love that we used to have before life got so complicated and upside down."

"I'm sorry." He repeated.

"I know you are and so am I. I'm sorry that our marriage had to end like this. You have always been my best friend and my other half and it will be hard to give that up. But I don't want to lose you in every way. It will take time and I won't be able to talk to you for a while but someday I want our friendship back. The kind that we had twelve years ago."

"I think we can do that." He smiled, a small turned down smile. "In time we can get there, Addy." He brought her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. "I don't deserve your kindness. But thank you for understanding."

"No. You don't." She agreed. "But I didn't deserve a second chance and you gave one to me. I do love you, Derek."

"I love you too—it's just a different kind of love now."

"I guess it is."

He stood up and stretched. "I guess I'll get those papers then?"

"I guess we should."

They both went inside and with a trembling hand, she brought them to him. He sat down at the table and took a pen from his shirt pocket. His hand shook. It was so real––so final. But necessary for him to prove to Meredith that he was ready for a real commitment.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked, watching him.

"Addy, I feel bad enough."

"I'm sorry."

He flipped through the pages and signed on the line. When he was finished he looked up at the woman he had been married to for twelve long years. She was crying openly now, tears streaming down her face. Immediately feeling guilty, knowing that he was the cause of so much pain, he stood and took her in his arms. She clung to him and sobbed.

"Goodbye Derek."

"Goodbye, Addison."

"Derek?" She asked, her head still laying on his shoulder.

"Umm?"

"Make sure you treat her right."

"I will."