Page 55 of Sorry, Not Sorry

Delilah hadn’t set foot in that part of the cemetery since the day they had buried her father, and as they approached the spot, she felt her heart pounding and the hairs rise up on her arms. She shivered and would have pulled back if Noah hadn’t urged her forward, his grip on her hand warm and reassuring.

Moments later, she stopped. There it was. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the faded lettering engraved on the worn brass plaque. Justin Braithwaite .

They stood in silence, the birds chirping in the morning sunshine and the chilly February breeze rustling the leaves of the surrounding trees. Slowly, Delilah felt her heart rate calm and the tightness in her chest ease. She let go of Noah’s hand and took a step closer to the unadorned grave.

This patch of damp grass with its rusty plaque was all that remained of the man whose actions had devastated her past and threatened to destroy her future.

She would never know what had driven him or understand how he could take the life of someone he claimed to love, but it wasn’t her mystery to solve or her burden to carry.

Something positive has to come from such an evil action , she thought soberly .

Noah was right. She didn’t have to forgive her father, but she did have to let her anger go – not for his sake, but because it was corroding her inside and pushing her towards destructive choices.

She could hear Arne’s voice: ‘ Find compassion for the hurt child you were then and give it to the woman you are now .’ She thought of the bewildered, frightened child caught up in the complex emotional dance of the adults around her.

None of it was her fault, and she deserved to love and be loved.

It was time to heal the hurt child and be at peace with herself.

It was time to accept that it was over; that she was safe, and he was gone.

Noah stepped forward to stand beside her, and when Delilah’s hand crept into his, he held onto it tightly, as if he would never let go. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of damp grass, freshly dug soil and the faint lemon tang of his cologne.

Then, with Noah by her side and his hand firmly holding hers, Delilah exhaled.