“How did that happen?” Allie made it sound like her mom and dad would be a hard sell on the whole single mother adoption angle. It looks like things are working out all around.
“I’ll tell you that part at dinner,” she says. “But needless to say, if you told me that pigs have started to fly, I’d believe you.”
I reach over and take Allie’s hand in mine and simply hold onto it for a minute. “Which brings me back to my news.”
Instead of letting me finish, Allie interrupts, “I’m happy for you, Noah. This is everything you’ve ever wanted. You deserve this.” Her whole energy has shifted, and she suddenly appears very sad.
“You don’t sound very happy for me,” I tell her.
Her gaze lingers at her feet before looking up at me. “Iamhappy for you, but I’m sad for me.”
“How can you be sad when you just got the best news in the world?” I ask her.
“I’m sad that you’re leaving Elk Lake. I really liked having you here.”
“I’ve liked being here,” I tell her. “Who would have ever thought that you and I would have met up again?”
“I guess maybe I was starting to hope that things would work out differently for us,” she says quietly.
“How so?” I want to hear her say the words.
She inhales deeply like she’s trying to fortify herself. “I used to have the biggest crush on you,” she says. “I guess when our paths crossed again, I started to wonder if maybe …”
“Something might happen between us?” I interrupt.
She nods her head. “I know that can’t happen.”
Sliding closer to her, I ask, “Why can’t it?”
She scoffs loudly. “Because you want your own kids and you should have them. Because you’re going back to Chicago and I’m staying here and adopting Margie’s baby. Because of so many things. I guess we really weren’t meant to be anything but friends.”
“While I do consider you my friend,” I tell her, “and I couldn’t be happier about that, that’s not all I want, Allie.”
Her face crumples in on itself in a look of uncertainty. “I don’t understand. You’re going back to Chicago. You got your dream job. I’m staying here in Elk Lake. I don’t see how we could make that work.”
“I was offered my job back,” I tell her. “I didn’t say I took it.”
“What?!” Allie is back on her feet, pacing. “They offered you everything you could have hoped for! It’s all you ever wanted. You told me that yourself.”
“It’s not all I ever wanted,” I tell her.
She itemizes by raising one finger at a time. “Almost twice your salary, a three-year contract, and a bonus if you make number one.”
“They did offer me all of that,” I tell her. “And yes, at one time I thought that was exactly what I wanted, but it looks like I actuallyneedmore than that.” She’s not putting two and two together, so I tell her. “I need you, Allie, and I’m pretty sure that you need me. I want to stay in Elk Lake and date you for real.”
“But I’m having a baby!”
“I know.”
“Why would you want to date someone who was going to be a mom?”
“What difference does that make?” I ask her. As strange as it sounds, finding out that Allie is going through with adoption doesn’t make dating her less appealing. In fact, seeing her on the verge of having everything she’s ever wanted makes her that much more enticing to me.
“If we do date and things work out well, and we, you know …”
“Get married someday?” I ask.
“Yes. That. If that happens you won’t be able to have your own kids.” So many emotions seem to cross her beautiful face all at once.
