My Love Until the Last Goodbye (Mary and Maximus) novel Chapter 953

“Oh, Mom… My life hasn’t been easy. Like I told you, I lost half of it—half of my memories. I’ve tried talking to everyone I know, piecing together fragments, building a version of myself. But today… today, in particular, speaking with one person affected me more than I expected,” Peter said, frustrated.

“Who was it?” Aria asked curiously.

“Her name is Valerie,” Peter admitted.

“Who is Valerie?” Aria asked, intrigued.

“Apparently, she was part of my past. Supposedly, I met her when I was 25. We lived together for a while, then she married Maximus, and… well, it’s a long story.”

Peter went on to tell his mother everything Valerie had told him, leaving nothing out. Aria sat down, listening attentively. As she watched him struggle with his thoughts, it was as if she were listening to her own conscience—the same one that, for years, had whispered that maybe meeting Leonardo hadn’t been the best thing to happen to her, despite what she had always believed.

When he finished, Aria spoke.

“Come, sit down. Do you want to know what I think?” she asked, seeing the internal battle raging within him.

“Yes… Tell me,” Peter said, searching for comfort.

“You have a wonderful wife, a beautiful family. You built all of this consciously. You didn’t just wake up one day to find yourself forced into marriage. You made your own choices—some of them mistakes, sure—but that doesn’t mean you’ll spend your whole life repeating them.

"You are a father and the head of your family. You need to learn to distinguish between what’s good and what’s not. I’m sure what Valerie told you is true—I have no reason to doubt it. And I’m sure you shared wonderful moments together. But that, my son, is the past.

"I spent years believing that Leonardo was the worst thing that ever happened to me. Losing you, living with that pain—I blamed him for everything. I suffered the consequences of my choices while he lived a happy life with his wife and children, including you.