Jackson Kenner sighed deeply as she twisted his wedding ring around his finger and watched his wife as she leaned against the kitchen counter and picked at her cuticles. It was a nervous habit that had Jackson wanting to go over and comfort her, but glossing over their problems wouldn't help anything. Instead, he took a long, slow drink of his coffee and steeled himself before putting his mug back on the table. "How was your appointment?"
"It was fine," Hayley replied, her hand absently moving to rest over her lower abdomen. "Dr. Martin said the baby is healthy and that the pregnancy is progressing normally."
"That's good."
"It is, but I don't want to talk about the baby." Hayley crossed the room and sat down across from Jackson. "When we talked a couple of weeks ago, I told you what I wished for, but you never answered the same question."
"Honestly, I've spent a lot of time the last few months wishing I could forget you."
Hayley barely managed to keep from flinching at Jackson's words. Not just because of how much it hurt to them, but also because they echoed the words she'd said to Klaus the day before. The difference was that Hayley had angrily spat her words at Klaus, aiming to inflict as much damage as possible. Jack's words had been spoken with a deep resignation and were colored with grief and heartache. "Jack, I—"
"Don't, Hayley," Jackson cut her off. "Let me get through what I need to say without any false platitudes or well-meaning, but empty promises."
Hayley simply nodded in response as she reached for the mug of tea Jackson had made for her when she arrived and pulled it closer.
"I may wish I could forget your, but then I would be forgetting the last five years of my life and as bad as things have been the last few months, I don't want to forget that. Loving you has been one of the best parts of my life, Hayley. And learning you were pregnant was as great as it was terrible because I knew there was a chance I might not be the father. That doesn't change the fact that I already love this baby. Just like nothing that's happened has changed the face that I still love you."
"Jack, I don't—I can't—" Hayley cut herself off, taking a slow sip of her tea and brushing away the tears that had fallen at her husband's words as she collected her thoughts. "I love you, too. And I know you love this baby. I saw it at the first ultrasound. And it just makes me love you even more."
"But you still love Klaus."
"I'm sorry. I know I've made a mess of our marriage and the life we built together. And I know that an apology isn't anywhere close to adequate, especially when it's all I've done lately." Hayley sighed as she traced the rim of her mug with her index finger. "Is there even a way to fix what's left of our marriage?"
"I don't know."