Her mother’s head was to the side, her tone soft, “And it was hurtful because you feel as if you’re trying more than him?”
“Is that how you felt in your marriage?”
“That’s not the same thing and it never will be. I could walk away from your father and I did. I tried, but he is who he is and I couldn’t let that bring me down anymore. We never saw eye to eye, but I was in love and thought I could handle it. I was wrong.”
“Handle what?”
“Nora,” her mother said, laughing. “It’s in the past. You know. Just he’s grumpy and controlling. His way or no way. That’s not a relationship.”
“No,” she said, looking down. “It’s not.”
“Do you feel that is happening with Ethan? Because he might be the one who sets up all your dates, but it sounds to me as if you’re the one really dictating the status of your relationship. That he’s giving you the reins as much as it might kill him to do it.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head.
But that was wrong.
Shewasthe one who wanted to move slow.
She was the one who kept saying that she wasn’t ready for people to know about them.
He sat back even when it wasn’t in his nature to do it.
Which was probably why his “joke” slipped out.
Because he was getting tired of waiting.
Waiting for her.
Would he give up on her?
Like so many other men had done in her life.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “You look upset.”
She grabbed a tissue and blew her nose, and that was when Ethan walked in the door.
“Hey, everything okay?”
“Why don’t you two go talk,” her mother said.
Ethan got a panicked look in his eyes. “What’s going on?”
She pulled him to the living room in the house's front while her mother went to the deck.
“I just had a coming to Jesus moment.”
“About...?”
“Us. I got mad at what you said yesterday and I didn’t take into consideration that you might call all the shots about whatwe do in our free time, but I’m the one you’re waiting on about the rest. That maybe you’re doing what you feel you’re allowed to do.”
He frowned. “You haven’t brought up any ideas of things to do. Not once. I didn’t even realize you felt that way.”
She pursed her lips. “I haven’t?”
“No, Nora. Do you think I’m not waiting for you to do it? Maybe you’re afraid to because you think I won’t want to. I don’t know. Every weekend we end up at my place and then just go from there. You haven’t said you want to go watch a sporting event. Or go hiking. Maybe do some wine tasting.”
“I know how you feel about wine tasting,” she said, forcing out a laugh. It reminded her of the story he’d said about an ex.
