“I thought you wanted to forget.”
“I did want to forget. But wanting something and knowing how to achieve it are different things.”
Claire wiped her cheek.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cole looked at her for a long time.
“Because I was ashamed.”
She seemed startled.
“Of what?”
“Of still being affected by it. Of waking up at night. Of being uncomfortable in crowds. Of not knowing how to explain things that didn’t make sense even to me.”
He glanced down at his knee.
“And because I thought a good husband was supposed to handle his problems without making them anyone else’s burden.”
Claire shook her head.
“You didn’t have to do that alone.”
“I know that now.”
“Cole, I could have helped.”
“Maybe.”
The answer hurt her more than anger would have.
He continued.
“But you didn’t know what I was going through, and I didn’t give you a chance to understand. That’s something I’ll have to take responsibility for.”
