Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart

Richard's POV

The moment Sarah walked through my door, I knew it was the right decision to ask her for a "do-over" date.

Seeing her again had stirred something up in me-something I'd tried hard to push down, to bury beneath work and excuses.

But now, she was here, and for some reason, the idea of going on a real date seemed right.

"So, a do-over date?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned against the doorframe. Her expression was skeptical, but her lips were tugging at the corners, ready to smile. "Yeah," I said, trying not to sound as nervous as I felt. "You know, a fresh start. Nothing serious, no talk about... the past, just us. For once."

She tilted her head, studying me, then sighed and shrugged. "Alright, fine. Where are we going?"

I hadn't actually planned this part, so I scrambled for something. "Uh... I thought we'd start with a little walk. Tourist spots, maybe?"

She laughed, and I felt a bit foolish but grinned anyway.

"A walk?" she teased, crossing her arms. "That's your big date idea?"

"Come on, I'm just warming up," I shot back, trying to keep it light. "I can still surprise you, you know."

And with that, she let me lead her out.

The first stop was a street fair that had taken over one of the squares in the city. Stalls lined the sidewalks, with all kinds of art, knick-knacks, and foods that filled the air with spice and sweetness. Sarah's face lit up when we reached a cotton candy vendor, and I couldn't resist buying her a huge pink cloud of it. She held it up with a mix of amusement and awe, like it was something magical.

"I haven't had this in ages," she said, peeling off a piece and popping it in her mouth.

"See? Starting off strong," I joked, nudging her playfully.

She rolled her eyes, but I caught the smile before she could hide it. "Alright, alright, I'll give you that one."

We wandered through the fair, talking about nothing and everything. The more we walked, the more I realized how much I'd missed this-her laugh, her funny little quirks.

And every time she looked at me with those eyes, I felt that same knot in my stomach, the one that made me want to hold on tighter and never let go.

The next stop was a small art gallery, one of those tucked-away places filled with strange paintings that were open to any interpretation.

"Look at this one," she whispered, pointing to a piece that looked like it was nothing but smudges and streaks. "What do you think it is?"

I squinted, trying to make sense of it. "I'm gonna say... a very confused dog?"

She burst out laughing, covering her mouth to muffle the sound. "A dog? Really?"

"Hey, what would you say it is?" I challenged.

She leaned in closer, squinting at it too, and after a pause, said, "A potato that's having an existential crisis."

It was so random, so out there, that I couldn't help but laugh along. People around us were giving us strange looks, but neither of us cared. We were caught up in our own little world, and nothing else mattered. Eventually, we found ourselves near the river, walking along the water's edge as the sun started to dip lower in the sky. The city's lights were beginning to flicker on, reflecting on the water in small sparkles. "I forgot how pretty it is here," she said softly, looking out at the river. She seemed more relaxed, her shoulders less tense, her smile softer.

And just watching her, I felt something shift inside of me, like I was seeing her for the first time all over again.

"It really is," I said, though my eyes were on her. "Sometimes you just have to stop and look, you know?"

She caught me staring and gave me a knowing smile, and suddenly I felt like a teenager caught doing something embarrassing.

"So," I said, clearing my throat. "What's your favorite thing to do here?"

She thought about it for a moment. "Honestly? I just like walking around. No agenda, no plan... just seeing what I find."

"Funny, I don't remember you as the wandering type," I teased, and she laughed again.

"People change, Richard," she said, looking down at her feet as she kicked a small pebble into the water.

There was something in her tone, a little hint of sadness, and I felt a pang in my chest. I wanted to reach out, to take her hand, but I didn't want to ruin the moment.

So I just nodded, even though I wanted to say more.

"People do change," I agreed. And I couldn't help but wonder if I had changed enough.

We ended up at a little cafe by the water. It was one of those tiny, dimly lit places with mismatched chairs and walls covered in old photos. We sat by the window, and I ordered us two coffees. "So," I said after the waiter left, "what was the worst date you've ever been on?"

She smirked, tilting her head as if weighing her answer. "Hmm... there was this one guy who took me to a restaurant that served everything on skewers. Everything."

I raised an eyebrow. "Even... soup?"

She laughed, shaking her head. "I wish! No, but he was convinced it was the coolest thing. He kept saying how 'innovative' it was, even though it was just fancy food on sticks."

I chuckled, enjoying the way her face lit up as she told the story. "Well, I'll try to avoid skewers on future dates, then."

"Future dates?" she asked, her eyebrow arching again, and I felt my stomach flip.

"Uh, I mean... if you'd want to, I guess."

She just laughed, that is a good sign right?

After we finished our coffee, we wandered outside again. The night was cooler now, a gentle breeze blew off the river, and without thinking, I draped my jacket over her shoulders. "Still trying to impress me?" she teased, but she pulled the jacket tighter around herself.

"Maybe," I admitted, feeling a little foolish but hoping it didn't show.

We walked in silence for a bit, our steps falling in rhythm. Then, out of nowhere, she asked, "Richard... why didn't you try this before? I mean, actually spend time together like this?" Her question hit me like a punch to the gut, and I struggled to find the right words. "I... I don't know," I admitted. "I guess I thought... that I didn't need to. Like maybe you'd jus...." She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Yeah, I guess we were both just waiting for something. I don't know what, but... we missed out."

There was a sadness in her voice that made me want to reach out and hold her, to tell her that I'd make it right. But I knew that words wouldn't be enough.

So instead, I just walked with her, hoping that this-this night, this new beginning-would be a start.

As we neared her place, I felt a strange sense of dread settling in. I didn't want the night to end. Not yet.

"So, did I do okay on our do-over date?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.

She smiled, stopping to look at me. "Not bad, Richard. Not bad at all."

For a moment, we just stood there, I wanted to say something, to tell her how much tonight had meant to me. But before I could, she leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "Goodnight, Richard," she whispered, stepping back and giving me one last smile before disappearing into her building.

I watched her go, feeling like my heart was caught in my throat. Tonight had been more than I'd expected, more than I'd dared hope for.

As I turned to walk away, I realized something: I was getting a second chance. A real one. And this time, I wasn't going to let it slip through my fingers.