Chapter 20

Xander and Isabella seemed to be deliberately avoiding one other in the days that followed. There were just small, subtle shifts, no dramatic healings or breakthroughs—a touch that lasted only a moment longer, a lingering look, and conversations that shifted from confrontation to hesitant attempts at understanding.

Isabella threw herself into philanthropic activities that she had put on hold during her and Xander's turbulent time. She felt a sense of fulfilment in her work, which also provided a distraction from the uncertainty in their relationship. Acutely aware of the paradox that she was trying to heal other families while her own was falling apart, she focused on helping children from troubled homes.

Xander immersed himself into his business in the interim, filling his days with meetings and phone calls. Even though it appeared to others that he was avoiding the emotional turmoil of their relationship, he was actually using his work as a way to escape the pain he was going through on the inside.

Despite sharing a home, they seldom ever interacted during their parallel lifetimes. The brief moments of intimacy that did happen, though, were too important for them to ignore.

While reading in the living room one evening, Isabella felt footsteps behind her. Xander stood in the doorway, unsure, when she turned around. She could sense his distance from her, and the sight of him there made her heart accelerate.

He whispered softly, "Would you mind if I joined you?"

Isabella nodded, looking shocked. “Of course.”

He sat next her on the couch, a fair distance away. For a few moments, the room was quiet. Despite pretending to read, Isabella's eyes were always on Xander since she could sense he was struggling to talk.

The silence was finally broken by him. "Your statement from the other day has been on my mind."

Isabella leaped with delight. She shut her book and turned to him. What if we started over?

With his jaw clenched in tension, Xander nodded. Isabella, I'd like to try it. Indeed, I do. But I'm not sure how.

He was so vulnerable that it shocked her. Now, the confident man she knew was voicing his uncertainties and fears.

With strong assurance, she said, "We'll figure it out together." "Perfectionism is not necessary. One step at a time is the best approach.

Xander's eyes glowed with a mix of uncertainty and hope. "What if we're too hurt? What would happen if there was no way to go back?

His words weighed heavily on Isabella, who echoed her own concerns. She inhaled deeply, then reached out and clasped his hand.

"Xander, we're not broken," she said softly. We are just wounded. Injuries also heal. They take time, but they do.

This was the first time in a long while that Xander chose not to give up. Isabella reached out and placed her hand on his. He turned his palm up and softly laced his fingers with hers.

His voice was emotional as he mumbled, "I want to believe that."

As best she could, Isabella squeezed his hand to comfort him. "We'll arrive." "I swear."

When Xander offered to join Isabella for breakfast the next morning, Isabella was shocked. Their emotional distance made it appear enormous even though it was only a small act.

Despite the awkwardness of the previous evening, there was hope that they may begin to mend the broken pieces as they sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"I was thinking, maybe we should get away for a while," Xander said between the bread bites. Just the two of us.

Isabella's head jerked upward. "You mean a vacation, right?"

His brow wrinkled, he explained, struggling to find the appropriate words. Saying, "Not exactly a vacation," "Please, take a little vacation from everything. We require a peaceful setting in order to focus.

The idea made her heart race. Although running away sounded like the fresh start they both needed, she questioned whether it would actually solve anything.

"Where would we go?" she enquired warily.

Xander's tone softened as he replied, "There's a cabin upstate." "Away from it all, in nature." Just quiet and no distractions. Maybe we could get back in touch.

Isabella paused; it was an exciting, but intimidating, thought. She couldn't resist it, though, after seeing the hope in Xander's eyes.

With a slight smile on her face, she remarked, "That sounds... perfect."

A ray of optimism passed between them for the first time in weeks as Xander's demeanour softened. Not much, but enough to provide hope that they might begin to recover.

Packing for the trip later that evening seemed oddly healing. Isabella folded her clothes with care, choosing warm socks and cosy sweaters to represent her readiness for a new chapter and the potential for recovery.

Although Xander packed light and efficiently as usual, there was a silent reflection of the emotional journey ahead in the way he moved as he zipped up his suitcase.

Isabella was both anxious and excited as they loaded the car. Although this journey felt like a big beginning, it was also brittle, like a dream that could end if they weren't careful.

The engine's hum and the steady thump of tires filled the quiet between them as they travelled for the most of the journey. It was a quiet quietness, however, as two people gradually reconnected and learnt to live together.

When they reached the cabin, Isabella was in amazement. Encircled by tall trees and a layer of snow, it appeared enchanted, nestled in a clearing. The metropolis stood in sharp contrast to the quiet of the woodland and the clear, clean air.

With wide eyes, Isabella said, "This is beautiful."

Her heart skipped a beat as she saw the sincere smile on Xander's face. “I thought you would enjoy it.”

During the first few hours, they settled in, unpacked, and got used to the silence. It was only the two of them and the huge wilderness, with neither cell service nor internet.

The warmth from the fire chased away the evening cold as they sat by the fireplace while the sun went down. Only the sound of the crackling fire and the soft rustling of the trees outside made it feel cozy.

Isabella's heart was bursting with hope as she looked at Xander.Chapter 20: The Gradual Restoration

For both Xander and Isabella, the days that followed felt like they had to tread very carefully. There was no miraculous moment of healing or unexpected insight. A glance that lasted a fraction of a second longer, a touch that remained slightly longer than it should have, and conversations that seemed less like confrontations and more like tentative attempts at understanding were the little, nearly unnoticeable shifts that followed.

Throughout her time with Xander, Isabella worked on the charitable endeavours she had placed on hold. In contrast to the painful emptiness of uncertainty in their relationship, it provided her with a sense of direction and something to concentrate on. Ironically, she knew that she was working to mend other families while her own was collapsing, so she pushed herself into assisting children from broken homes, a cause that was dear to her heart.

Xander, however, immersed himself in his task. He took calls all day long and had back-to-back meetings scheduled. From the outside, he appeared to be avoiding the emotional burden of their relationship. In truth, though, he was using his job as a diversion from the fact that he was internally broken.

Their lives felt parallel, never fully coming together, even though they shared a house. However, the little moments of connection that would unexpectedly arise were too subtle for either of them to ignore.

Isabella sensed footsteps behind her one evening as she was reading in the living room. Xander was waiting at the doorway, looking uncertain, when she turned around. Seeing him there made her heart rush because he had been aloof and had hardly spoken to her except for the necessities for days.

"Do you mind if I join you?" In an unusually quiet voice, he asked.

With a startled glance, Isabella nodded. “Obviously.”

Keeping a fair distance from her, he sat down on the couch beside her. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds. Isabella pretended to continue reading, but her gaze kept going to Xander because she could tell he was trying to communicate but was having trouble finding the appropriate words.

He finally said anything. "I've been considering what you mentioned the other day."

Isabella jumped with joy. She put down her book and looked him in the face. How about beginning anew?

Xander nodded, clenching his jaw as though he were anticipating agony. "I want to give it a shot, Isabella. Yes, I do. However, I'm not sure how.

It was his vulnerability that surprised her. The strong, self-assured man who had always appeared to have everything under control was suddenly seated in front of her, acknowledging his uncertainties and worries.

She said in a quiet but firm voice, "We'll work it out together." "It need not be flawless. We simply have to do one step at a time.

With a mix of uncertainty and hope in his eyes, Xander gazed at her at that moment. "What if we are too damaged? And what if... there's no turning back?

The worry that had been eating away at Isabella ever since everything had gone apart was weighed down by his words. After inhaling deeply, she extended her hand and lightly touched his.

"Xander, we're not broken," she muttered. "We're just hurt. And injuries recover. Although it takes time, they do.

In what seemed like an eternity, Xander didn't resist her touch for the first time. His palm slowly turned upward, entwining their fingers as he let her hand rest on his.

With emotion in his voice, he muttered, "I want to believe that."

Squeezing his hand, Isabella gave him the only consolation she could. "We'll arrive." “I swear.”

Xander stunned Isabella the next morning by proposing to eat breakfast with her. Despite being a tiny gesture, it seemed enormous given the emotional distance they had been experiencing.

Even though the discomfort from the previous evening was still present, they sat across from one another at the kitchen table and were hopeful that they would be able to begin repairing what had been destroyed.

Xander remarked, "I was thinking, maybe we should get away for a while," in between mouthfuls of toast. Just the two of us.

Isabella raised her head in surprise. "You mean a vacation, right?"

"Not a vacation exactly," he explained, scowling as he tried to find the correct phrase. "I just need a little time away from everything." Out of town and away from work. We need a calm place where we can concentrate.

At the thought, her heart skipped a beat. It sounded like the new beginning they both much needed. She couldn't help but question, though, if fleeing their troubles would truly make them better.

"Where would we go?" she enquired warily.

Xander's tone softened as he replied, "There's a cabin upstate." It's isolated and encircled by greenery. Quiet, without interruptions. We could get in touch again.

The thought was both exciting and terrible, and Isabella paused. After she saw the vulnerability he was offering her and the optimism in Xander's eyes, she realised she couldn't refuse him.

A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she murmured, "That sounds… perfect."

A ray of optimism passed between them for the first time in weeks as Xander's demeanour softened. Even though it wasn't much, it gave them hope that they would really begin to recover.

Later that evening, packing for the journey turned out to be oddly healing. Isabella discovered that she had to fold items with care, choosing the warmest socks and the softest sweaters for their stay at the cabin. It was about the symbolic act of getting ready for a new chapter and the potential for healing, not simply about the clothes.

As was his habit, Xander packed little. Although he was typically practical and straightforward, there was a gentleness in his motions as he closed his luggage, a silent representation of the emotional voyage they were about to take.

Isabella was a little anxious and excited at the same time as they loaded the car. This journey appeared like the start of something unique and amazing, but it also seemed flimsy, like a dream that would come to an end if they weren't careful.

The larger part of the journey were quiet, with only the sound of the car's engine was heard and the steady sound of the tyres on the road. It was a more relaxed and pleasant silence than the tight one of before. It was the quiet of a couple gently re-establishing their relationship and learning to live together once more.

Isabella was in awe of the sight when they finally reached the cabin. Situated in a tiny clearing, it was encircled by tall trees and a layer of snow that gave the scene a mystical appearance. After the city's incessant cacophony, the forest's quiet was nearly overwhelming, and the air was clear and clean.

Isabella muttered, "This is beautiful," her eyes wide as she absorbed the serene surroundings.

Her heart skipped a beat as Xander smiled—a sincere, genuine smile. “I thought you would enjoy it.”

The first few hours were spent getting settled, unpacking, and acclimating to the silence. Only the two of them and the surrounding huge wilderness were available; there was no mobile service or internet.

As the sun began to set, they sat by the fireplace, the cold weather was chased away by the warmth of the flames. It felt pleasant to be there in the quiet, listening to the crackle of the fire and the soft rustling of the trees outside.

Isabella looked at Xander, a mix of fear and hope causing her heart to soar. They had the opportunity to rebuild, recover, and reconnect with one another.

And for the first time in ages, she had the hope that they may succeed.