95 No Maybe

(Winona)

Phillip stands at the secure office door, looking like a ghost of the man I once knew.

His eyes are hollow, his frame gaunt, and he seems smaller in presence, as if the actions of his past mistakes have physically diminished him. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what’s to come, and open the door wider to let him in.

Then I carefully close it behind him.

“Phillip, sit down,” Gordon instructs, gesturing to the chair opposite mine.

Phillip steps inside the office, his movements tentative, and sits down heavily. I move to sit in the chair next to him, feeling the tension in the room thicken with every second.

“Hi, Phillip,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. The words feel weird coming out, like I’m talking to a stranger rather than the man I considered spending my life with.

“Winona,” he replies, his voice cracking. “Thank you for… for letting me come back.” His eyes meet mine, and I can see the depth of his regret, the guilt weighing heavily on him.

I nod, not tru