Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1879

He had a soft spot for Ozzy, feeling that the dog somehow brought him closer to his mom. With Ozzy by his side, he felt at ease. If his dad was around, he’d feel even more secure. He loved his dad and Ozzy the most.

Ozzy had been romping around the backyard all afternoon, coming back with a few leaves stuck in his wagging tail. Fitch grabbed a towel and wiped off Ozzy's four paws, then gave his tail a good rub. Ozzy seemed to be waiting for this moment—it was part of their daily ritual. As soon as Fitch finished, Ozzy would obediently hop onto the bed and curl up at the foot to sleep.

There used to be another dog in the house, one Fitch had bought to make it up to Zoey. But Zoey hadn’t wanted it, and four years ago, Tyler had taken it in. It was well cared for now.

After showering in the bedroom, Fitch came out to see his son gently patting Ozzy on the head. Ozzy was nuzzling back, contentedly.

Fitch’s eyes reddened, his voice a bit hoarse. “Nolan, you go to sleep, buddy. Daddy’s got to work late in the study.”

“Okay.”

It was only after leaving the bedroom that Fitch allowed himself a sigh of relief. That scene had inevitably brought Zoey to mind. Ozzy and Nolan were all he had left of her, her gifts to help him through four years of loneliness. But he knew, the tragedy of Zoey's passing was on him—his coldness, his cruelty.

For four years, he’d thought of her countless times, fearing that one day he might even forget her face. The years stretched on, so long he dared not recall how he’d raised Nolan, so long he couldn’t bear to relive it. Yet, he sadly realized, life would bring many more sets of four years. This torment was just the beginning. He was the one who failed Zoey, and so the pain endured.

Once in the study, his emotions were still unsettled, but he’d learned to hide them better.

*