My Husband Left Me for His Yoga Instructor Who Helped Him ‘Heal His Inner Child’—Four Years Later, I Saw Them Again and Almost Felt Sorry for Him

“Ryan and Emma are doing great,” I said. “They’re still upset you haven’t called, but it’s okay. They’ve got Leo now.”

Ryan barely walks about his dad anymore, but sometimes I catch him watching the door when it rains, like he’s still hoping. Emma, on the other hand, shrugs it off too easily — and that scares me more. Kids grieve differently, and silence is just another kind of heartbreak.

Mark’s jaw clenched slightly. He looked down, nodded once.

“Leo’s been helping them through a lot. They both have really intense abandonment issues. We had to get them into therapy because… well. You understand, right? Leo’s good with them. Patient.”

“I’m glad they’re okay,” Mark said, his voice lower now.

“Ryan’s a great athlete,” Leo added, offering an olive branch. “I’m sure he got that from you. And Emma is getting into ballet. It’s incredible to see them blossom into themselves.”

I gave Leo a smile and took his arm. I gave Mark a smile too, not one of forgiveness, but of finality.

“Ready to check out?”

He nodded, then kissed my forehead like he had done a hundred times before. And just like that, we began walking away.

Mark didn’t follow. He just stood there, one child in his arms, two more somewhere down the aisle, and the weight of every choice he’d made settling into his shoulders.

He blinked, looked at the floor, then at the toddler in his arms. I could tell he wasn’t just tired — he was drowning in the life he thought he wanted.

As we turned the corner, Leo leaned close.

Continue reading…