Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 348

Tarquin was over the moon, giddy as a kid in a candy store after being handed a piece of Blossom's finest sweets. He gazed at Elijah with drunken adoration, his laugh ringing clear and pure, bursting with sunshine. That laugh, it was the real deal – sheer joy!

Elysia watched him with a mix of emotions. This unkempt, carefree version of him was a first for her, his eyes sparkling with childlike innocence she'd never seen before. For a moment, the roles seemed reversed – Elijah stood as the parental figure while he regressed to a childlike state.

They say every grown man harbors a child within, a spirit often cowered by life's relentless pressures, rarely daring to surface. It takes certain people or moments for a man to truly let go, for that inner child to bubble up, turning the man back into a boy. He'd shed his armor, reveal his vulnerabilities, perhaps even act coy, seek affection, and share those thoughts usually buried deep within.

Sure enough, Tarquin soon asked Elijah, tentatively, "Elijah, are you holding a grudge against me because of what happened with your mom?"

Elijah frowned. Yes, he was upset! Upset about what Tarquin had done to his mom years ago, causing such pain that now, despite having found her, he hesitated to reconnect. Fearing that the truth might drive her away for good. But he understood. Given the circumstances back then, from Tarquin's viewpoint, it was a move of desperation...

Elijah made sure Elysia heard him, "I am upset with you, but I get it. I know what kind of person you are; you wouldn't have done it if there had been any other way."

Tarquin's eyes welled up, "I still owe her an apology."

"Everyone makes mistakes, but the real fear is in not owning up to them, not trying to make amends, right, mom?"

Elysia, suddenly the center of attention, scrambled for words, "Uh, yes, to acknowledge one's fault and strive to correct it is commendable. True courage lies in facing the consequences of one's actions."