Why Haven’t You Let Me Go?
The afternoon sun was fading behind the clouds, casting long shadows across the quiet living room. The atmosphere inside Anthony’s apartment was heavy, almost thick enough to cut with a knife. Sheila stood by the window, arms folded tightly, her eyes fixed on the swirling skyline as if she were trying to find answers in the clouds.
Anthony sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, staring down at the manila envelope resting on the coffee table. Inside were the untouched divorce papers—documents that should’ve been signed weeks ago.
Sheila turned to face him. Her voice didn’t crack, didn’t raise—but it held a quiet storm.
“Anthony, why haven’t you signed them yet?”
Anthony didn’t answer at first. He rubbed his palms together, avoiding her gaze, his throat tight with a thousand unsaid words. The clock on the wall ticked louder than usual.
Sheila took a step forward. “We agreed. You said you understood. That we were done.”
He looked up, eyes tired, worn. “I know what I said.”
“Then why are those papers still sitting there?” she demanded, voice still calm but colder now. “Why haven’t you let me go, Anthony?”
Flashbacks of What Was
Anthony’s mind raced with memories—some soft, some sharp.
The way Sheila used to laugh in the kitchen while burning toast. How she’d wear his hoodie even in summer. The day Kai was born and she cried in his arms. Those memories weren’t just nostalgia—they were the pieces of a life they had built.
But in between those moments were the arguments, the lies, the things left unsaid. The betrayal. The secrets. The emotional drift that slowly turned love into silence.
“I just…” he started, but the words choked him. “I thought maybe we needed time. Maybe things would settle.”
Sheila stepped back, shaking her head. “You thought I’d come running back. That I’d forget everything. Anthony—this isn’t just time. This is a choice.”
Sheila’s Truth
Sheila’s voice grew shakier now, but her spine remained steel. “You’re not the only one who’s hurting. But I can’t stay in limbo because you’re afraid to let go.”
She gestured to the papers. “I didn’t file those just to scare you. I filed them because I’m exhausted. Exhausted of waiting for the man I loved to be honest. To fight for me when it mattered. And when he didn’t—I chose myself.”
Anthony’s jaw clenched. “You think I didn’t want to fight? You think I didn’t try?”
Sheila cut him off. “You tried too late. After the lies. After Amber. After the secrets with Shayla. After Kai’s paternity. After everything blew up, then you wanted to make it right.”
Anthony’s Confession
“I didn’t sign them,” Anthony finally said, “because it made it real. Because the moment I put my name down, I’m admitting that I failed. That I lost you.”
Tears welled in his eyes, but he didn’t let them fall. “I still wake up hoping you’ll call. That maybe… you’ll walk in and tell me there’s still a chance.”
Sheila’s face softened—but only slightly.
“I’ve cried over you more than I’ve ever cried over anyone in my life,” she whispered. “But now I’m crying for myself. For the time I wasted hoping you’d change.”
The Turning Point
Anthony stood up. For the first time, he met her eyes—fully, completely. “I love you, Sheila.”
She nodded slowly. “I know you do. But sometimes, love isn’t enough.”
She walked over to the table and picked up the pen. Placed it next to the envelope.
“If you love me… set me free. Let me find peace.”
She walked toward the door, pausing only to say, “And maybe one day, we’ll look back at all this and smile. But today? We need to let go.”
The Final Decision
The door closed gently behind her.
Anthony stood in silence, staring at the pen. The room felt colder now. Emptier.
He picked up the envelope, opened it slowly, and with a deep breath… signed his name.
Not out of spite. Not out of defeat. But because he finally realized—holding on wasn’t love. Letting go was.
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