I felt a strange mixture of emotions wash over me. Part of me wanted to yell at him—tell him it was too little, too late. But the other part, the part that had been quietly hopeful for some kind of resolution, felt a flicker of something: trust. Maybe this was the beginning of him finally realizing what he had neglected. What he had failed to protect.
“You should’ve done that before,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “You could’ve saved us both a lot of pain.”
“I know. I know,” he muttered. “But I’m trying now. I’m trying to make it right. I’ve seen what Rachel’s capable of, and I won’t let her treat you or Lily like that anymore.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me. “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”
After a long pause, Mark added, “I’m sorry, Anna. For everything. For letting this go on as long as it did. For standing by and watching.”
My breath caught in my throat, and I quickly exhaled. “It’s too late for apologies, Mark. But I appreciate the effort.”
“I’ll do better,” he promised.
I said nothing for a moment. “Just… do better.”