James came home after finishing his business at the hospital. He plopped down on the sofa and sighed. His heart and mind were tired. It had only been a few days since he had met Sheryl, and memories of the past were once again disturbing his peace.

"Why can't I forget you, Sheryl? Two years have passed and you're still in my heart. How can I move on?"

James closed his eyes. He tried to calm himself down to avoid stress. He had experienced depression after his divorce from Sheryl. He didn't want that to happen again.

A few moments later James felt someone sitting next to him. He slowly opened his eyes. A warm smile radiated from his mother, Maria.

James immediately sat down and returned Maria's smile. "When did you get here? Is the business in Paris over?"

"Mom's been here since this afternoon. The business in Paris is finished as well. So I flew straight here to see you. I miss you a lot, James," Maria said.

"I've missed you too, ma'am. It's good that your business is over. I don't feel lonely anymore," James said.

Maria smiled. "Yes, son. Maybe your father will be here tomorrow. Dad's business in California is over too. The three of us can get together again."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"If that's the case, I'll throw a party for Mom and Dad's homecoming. Tomorrow, after work, I'll go shopping. How about it, Mom? Do you agree?"

"Of course I agree, James. Do whatever you want. Mom will support you," Maria said.

"Thank you, Mom."

James smiled happily. It had been a year since he had been with his parents. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"Sheryl, if we were still together, maybe we could meet my parents," James mused.

****

At noon, Sheryl left the office to make a call. She ignored James. She wasn't focused on anyone.

James saw Sheryl leaving and wanted to follow. But Rebecca called him at the wrong time.

"Sir, I have an important document to sign," Rebecca said, handing it over.

"Put it on the table. I'll sign it later."

"This can't wait, sir. The company we merged with is starting a new project. They need your approval," Rebecca said.

"Damn!”

James was upset. He had to take care of work and lost track of Sheryl. He was curious about her departure.

James took the document and went back to the room to look at it.

Meanwhile, Sheryl arrived at a café near her workplace. She looked for someone who had made an appointment with her.

Someone waved at Sheryl from a distance. She hurried to the place, which was a little far from the entrance.

"Hi, Sheryl. How are you?"

Sheryl smiled. "Hi, Maria. I'm doing well. How are you?"

"I'm good. It's been a while," Maria said.

Maria called Sheryl to talk about something. She had thought about what James said while sitting on the sofa last night.

"Yeah. I know you're busy," Sheryl said.

Maria smiled. "You're right, Sheryl. I'm busy, but I'm off work now."

"Oh, thank goodness. I'm glad.”

Maria sighed. "Sheryl, my only purpose in coming here is for my son's happiness. When I came home yesterday, I was surprised to hear what James said."

"What did he say, Maria?" asked Sheryl curiously.

"He still hasn't gotten over you. He still loves you very much," Maria replied.

Sheryl was silent. She also couldn't sleep all night thinking about it. She still couldn't believe that James still loved her and was still waiting for her.

"Sheryl, you should know the truth about James," Maria continued. "When you decided to divorce, James went into a deep depression. He wouldn't eat or drink. He even attempted suicide. He did all this because of his disappointment in you, Sheryl. You unilaterally decided to separate. It was hard for him to go through all that. Until you came back and reopened those memories."

"Depression?"

Maria nodded and replied, "Yes. James was depressed for a while. But I'm thankful that God is still healing him. He's my only son and you ruined his feelings."

"But that's not what I meant," Sheryl said.

"I know that. You just want him to understand your desires. You want to be like your friends who often share happiness with their husbands. You want to get more attention from James, like a husband and wife. But you can't understand your own husband. You don't want to understand him. You only care about yourself.

"As a mother, I cannot accept your treatment of my son. Without realizing it, you've hurt him. You made him depressed and almost killed himself. He is ignorant, but he loves you very much," Maria continued.

"Remember, Sheryl. You don't have to share your happiness on social media. Be grateful for your husband. You know how many women want to be with James? You're one of the lucky ones. It's not easy to capture James' heart.”

Sheryl looked down in shame. Maria was right. James was loyal, but not romantic. She should be grateful to have him.

Many women wanted James, including Luciana. Why didn't she think that way from the start?

"I'm sorry. I didn't know James was that depressed. I never thought about the consequences of our divorce. You were right, I was selfish," Sheryl said.

"It's good you realize your mistake," Maria said. "Stay away from my son. Don't come back. You've already hurt him. Don't hurt him again.”

"Should I resign?"

Maria nodded. "That's best."

"I still need money for my mom's treatment," Sheryl said.

"Name the amount. I'll write you a check."

Maria took out a check and wrote down the amount to pay Sheryl.

"How much do you need?"

Sheryl shook her head. "No need. I'll find another job. Sorry."

Maria wrote the amount on the check anyway and gave it to Sheryl.

"Use the check for your mother's treatment and stay away from my son. I'm leaving," Maria said.