A Woman Moves Into Her Childhood Home – What She Finds Terrifies Her

3. The Speech

John watched the glimmer, almost reptilian, flicker in Kate’s eyes before dissipating. His gut churned. He hoped he wouldn’t regret this. John gave Kate his speech—how they weren’t right for each other, how there was friction with his family, how John was expected to marry someone of a higher social status.

“Alright, John,” she said, her voice surprisingly composed, though her eyes betrayed the hurt. “That’s alright then.” The finality of her response left John with a mix of relief and sorrow. As he walked away from their fairground meeting place, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had just made a grave mistake, leaving behind a love that may have been worth fighting for.