11 Ch 11: I saw it in your eyes

"I saw the pups in the paper, and I wanted to get them for myself, but then I thought of your girls and I figured they needed them more than I do. Besides, I have you now… That's if you feel the same?"

"Oh you have no idea," Maya replied. "So tell me," Isaac insisted. Maya looked up into his eyes, and though she was afraid that he would run for the hills if she told him how she had never stopped thinking about him, there was something in his eyes that told her that no matter what she said, he wasn't going anywhere.

"Okay," she began. "Do you remember when we first met?" "Sort of," he replied. "It was a long time ago, but you and Keith weren't married yet."

"Yes," she continued. "But we had problems even before I met you. Sure we loved each other, but there was always something missing. It always felt as if there was this big invisible wall between us."

She looked away, seeing Isabella stir on the couch and then sigh in her sleep. "Anyway, when I met you at first you were just a stigma; Keith 's sister had a major crush on you and told me all about you.

I guess she kinda planted the seed… anyway, after that I found myself thinking about you sometimes. I can't remember when it all started, but Keith and I were close to parting ways before we got married – and I still think we would have, but our parents pretty much forced the wedding on us.

He wanted to get married because he loved me, and I wanted to get married because I felt that it was the right thing to do."

"Ouch," Isaac said. "Yeah," she smiled sadly. "I hoped you would be at the wedding, but all for the wrong reasons. I was glad when you didn't come because I guess for me it kinda put the nail in the coffin and forced me to forget about you.

But I didn't. When you came down for the weekend one July and we got talking at that show, I wished it would last forever. Anyway, we were all supposed to meet at the beach the next day but Keith didn't want to go, and so I didn't get to see you…"

"I remember," Isaac interrupted. "And I have a confession to make; I wanted to see you too. But seen as you were married then, it was probably for the best that we didn't see each other again." "Probably," Maya agreed.

"It was so long ago, and I had almost forgotten about it until I saw you at the office the other day." Isaac sighed, taking Maya's hands in his and staring down at them. "Do you know why I stayed away?"

"Why?" "Because I was jealous of Keith," he said looking up into her hazel eyes. "He had it all; he had a beautiful little girl – at that time you hadn't had Samantha yet, and he had you. I didn't have anyone.

I was jealous of him; but I was angry with him too, I saw how he talked to you, how he treated you… And I just couldn't understand how he could treat such a beautiful woman with so much disrespect, and how you could stay with someone that treats you so badly."

"I distinctly remember you saying that we looked 'happy' together," Maya said questioningly. "What else could I say," Isaac replied seriously. "I knew you would never leave him.

I saw it in your eyes. I knew you loved him unconditionally, and I didn't stand a chance." His words brought tears to Maya's eyes, and he took her in his arms again and held her close to him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." "It's okay," she sniffed, feeling silly.

"I haven't cried in a long time; not even when Keith died. I just couldn't. I always thought I had to hold it together for my kids and be brave for them."