“Bad divorce. She changed her mind on kids and told me she wasn’t attracted to me anymore on more than one occasion,so it wasn’t great, but I want kids and someone to share them with. It’s why I’m here.”
“Your wife said she wasn’t–”
“We don’t have to talk about it,” Kristina interrupted. “We’re doing things here. We can just answer the next question or laugh at the dice.”
“We can talk about whatever you want to, Kristina, but I’ll drop it for now if you need me to.”
“She did a number on me. That’s the short version, anyway. I’ve been in therapy and trying to move past it, but it’s been hard, and I hoped this week could help.”
“Is it?” Jennifer asked.
“I think so. I feel like it is, at least.”
“Good,” she said. “And she’s an assholeandan idiot.”
“She’s both?” Kristina asked.
“She’s an idiot for not finding you completely beautiful, and she’s an asshole for telling you that. God, I’ll tell you how beautiful you are every day if you let me.”
“Well, we did just find out that we live in the same area. Maybe there’s a chance I could find you once a day, and you could tell me,” Kristina joked.
“Maybe we can aim for more than that.”
“Maybe,” Kristina said with a smile. “Fold those dice.”
She pointed at the still-flat dice on the bed.
“Yes, Ma’am,” Jennifer teased and continued to fold.
“So, next question. If money didn’t matter, what would you do for a living?”
“What I’m already doing,” Jennifer answered honestly. “Well, being a doctor in general, helping people. Plus, I love medicine. I love science. I always have. You?”
“What I’m doing now, too. I’m not sure many people would choose to barely make enough money to survive onwhile listening to nine-year-olds learn how to play a very loud instrument if it wasn’t what they really wanted to do.”
Jennifer laughed and replied, “True. And I guess that’s good: we both have that part figured out.”
She passed Kristina a finished die.
“I mean, I do wish I had a condo in River North, but I wouldn’t trade what I do for that.”
“Did I mention that it has a fireplace?”
“No. It does? Now, I’m really jealous.”
“And a jacuzzi tub. I really wanted a jacuzzi tub.” Jennifer folded the second die quickly and tossed it into Kristina’s lap. “I have dreamed of coming home to a fire with a glass of wine and doing nothing but reading or maybe talking, if there’s someone sitting next to me on the sofa, and then climbing into that tub.”
“With someone?”
“If she’s interested.” Jennifer winked at her and tossed the third die at her. “I’m actually having it wired for surround sound and adding speakers everywhere. I was hoping to be able to listen to peaceful music while in that tub and sipping my wine, but I’d happily do that with someone else who also loves classical music.”
Kristina pointed at herself and said, “Me?Ilove classical music.”
“You don’t say!” Jennifer teased her back and tossed the fourth die at her. “How many kids do you want?”
“One. Maybe two.”
“Well, when they’re little, they can share rooms pretty easily,” Jennifer said.
