Joshua let out a long breath, his shoulders slumping as the worry drained out of him. He turned back to Claire, his face pained. "I'm sorry, Claire. I know this is a mess. I know I haven't been fair to you."
Claire stared at him, her heart torn between the love she still felt for him and the hurt that his indecision had caused. "Joshua, I need to know if you're really ready to fight for us. If you can't give me that, then I… I don't know if we can go on like this."
Joshua reached for her hand, squeezing it softly. "Claire, I want to make this work. I don't know how, but I want to try. I just need some time to figure everything out."
Claire nodded slowly, though her heart remained heavy with doubt. "Time… okay. But please, Joshua, don't take too long. I don't know how much more of this I can take."