with emotion but I did my best to keep it together.
“Well, go ahead,” I said, impatiently.
Connor sighed as he looked at me. A defeated expression was on his face.
“I’ve made some mistakes in my life, Emily. I’m by no means a perfect man. By the sound of it, it seems you already know a fair amount about my history. But I’ll give you the short version of what happened,” he said.
My arms were still crossed as I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“I moved to Boston when I was eighteen. My whole life I had watched my dad struggle with money, and I went out there with the intention of getting a degree and a high paying job. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the degree. I did, however, get the high paying job. But as you may already know, it was an illegal job. I robbed banks, Emily. I did it for years before I finally got caught.”
My heart began beating faster in my chest as I listened to his words.
“The thing is, Emily,” Connor continued. “Is that I was good at it. And I never hurt anybody. And most importantly, because of the risks that I took, I was able to get my dad completely out of debt. He would have lost this farm if it hadn’t been for the mistakes that I made in Boston. And yes, I had plenty of other charges on my record besides bank robbing. But it all comes with the territory.”
“Is that everything?” I asked.
Connor nodded, keeping his eyes locked with mine.
“Yes,” he stated. “That’s everything, Emily. I made some mistakes when I was younger but my intentions were always pure. I was a stupid kid. I didn’t realize that there were better ways to make good money. I’m really sorry that I never told you. But ever since I got out of jail, I’ve spent every moment just trying to put that life behind me. Every time I think about it, I just die inside. I wasted so much of my life inside of those concrete walls.”
Tears began to fill my eyes. I suddenly felt guilty for even bringing it up. It was clear that it was a sore spot for him and the fact that he had come clean to me was enough for me to forgive him. I scooted up next to him on the bench and leaned my head against his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Connor,” I whispered. “I just can’t believe that you’d ever do something like that.”
Connor wrapped an arm over my shoulder and held me close.
“Neither can I,” he responded. “But I was a different person, then. I was rebellious, angry, and didn't consider the consequences. But you know what? As I sit here next to you right now, I can’t say that I completely regret having done anything in my past. If I hadn’t done those things, then I may not have met you. I mean, if we had lost the farm all of those years ago then my dad probably would have been so depressed that he wouldn’t have ever gone on that dating site and met your mother.”
The tears that were filling my eyes finally overflowed and began to slide down my cheeks.
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” I said.
Connor reached over and squeezed my shoulder affectionately.
“I just want you to know that I’m not a bad person, Emily,” he said. “And I hope, that in time, you’ll be able to see that on your own.”
I looked up at Connor through my tears.
“I already do, baby,” I whispered. “I already do.”
There was a long road ahead of me, though. There were so many things about Connor’s past that I had to accept. But I was willing to do it. I loved the man, after all. And I guess that’s what love is. It’s accepting someone for who they are and who they were. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew that if I wanted to stay with him then I didn’t really have a choice.
And as we held each other next to the wildflower field, the strangest thing began to happen. I felt all of the anxiety and tension release from my body. Connor had been so forward with me about everything, and he had good reason to do what he did in Boston. And whether that was just a
“Well, go ahead,” I said, impatiently.
Connor sighed as he looked at me. A defeated expression was on his face.
“I’ve made some mistakes in my life, Emily. I’m by no means a perfect man. By the sound of it, it seems you already know a fair amount about my history. But I’ll give you the short version of what happened,” he said.
My arms were still crossed as I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
“I moved to Boston when I was eighteen. My whole life I had watched my dad struggle with money, and I went out there with the intention of getting a degree and a high paying job. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the degree. I did, however, get the high paying job. But as you may already know, it was an illegal job. I robbed banks, Emily. I did it for years before I finally got caught.”
My heart began beating faster in my chest as I listened to his words.
“The thing is, Emily,” Connor continued. “Is that I was good at it. And I never hurt anybody. And most importantly, because of the risks that I took, I was able to get my dad completely out of debt. He would have lost this farm if it hadn’t been for the mistakes that I made in Boston. And yes, I had plenty of other charges on my record besides bank robbing. But it all comes with the territory.”
“Is that everything?” I asked.
Connor nodded, keeping his eyes locked with mine.
“Yes,” he stated. “That’s everything, Emily. I made some mistakes when I was younger but my intentions were always pure. I was a stupid kid. I didn’t realize that there were better ways to make good money. I’m really sorry that I never told you. But ever since I got out of jail, I’ve spent every moment just trying to put that life behind me. Every time I think about it, I just die inside. I wasted so much of my life inside of those concrete walls.”
Tears began to fill my eyes. I suddenly felt guilty for even bringing it up. It was clear that it was a sore spot for him and the fact that he had come clean to me was enough for me to forgive him. I scooted up next to him on the bench and leaned my head against his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Connor,” I whispered. “I just can’t believe that you’d ever do something like that.”
Connor wrapped an arm over my shoulder and held me close.
“Neither can I,” he responded. “But I was a different person, then. I was rebellious, angry, and didn't consider the consequences. But you know what? As I sit here next to you right now, I can’t say that I completely regret having done anything in my past. If I hadn’t done those things, then I may not have met you. I mean, if we had lost the farm all of those years ago then my dad probably would have been so depressed that he wouldn’t have ever gone on that dating site and met your mother.”
The tears that were filling my eyes finally overflowed and began to slide down my cheeks.
“I hadn’t thought of it like that,” I said.
Connor reached over and squeezed my shoulder affectionately.
“I just want you to know that I’m not a bad person, Emily,” he said. “And I hope, that in time, you’ll be able to see that on your own.”
I looked up at Connor through my tears.
“I already do, baby,” I whispered. “I already do.”
There was a long road ahead of me, though. There were so many things about Connor’s past that I had to accept. But I was willing to do it. I loved the man, after all. And I guess that’s what love is. It’s accepting someone for who they are and who they were. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I also knew that if I wanted to stay with him then I didn’t really have a choice.
And as we held each other next to the wildflower field, the strangest thing began to happen. I felt all of the anxiety and tension release from my body. Connor had been so forward with me about everything, and he had good reason to do what he did in Boston. And whether that was just a
Similar Books
