"No... Your father means well."
I almost laugh.
Instead, I stack another dish.
"I know."
The kitchen falls quiet again.
Mom wants to say something else.
I can see it.
She opens her mouth twice before she finally closes it and reaches for another plate instead.
A shadow falls across the doorway. "Need some help?"
I look up and find Daniel standing there smiling the same easy smile he's worn all evening.
"Oh." I glance toward the sink. "I think we've got it."
He steps into the kitchen anyway. "I don't mind."
Mom looks between us for half a second before she reaches for the stack of bowls. "Actually..." she says. "Why don't I go see if your father needs anything?"
She doesn't wait for an answer. She wipes her hands on a towel, gives me an apologetic little smile, and walks out. Just like that, it's the two of us.
Daniel slips his hands into his pockets. "You've had a busy day."
"I have."
"You must be exhausted."
"I'm a little tired."
He nods. "Your dad says you're working and going to school full-time."
“I am.”
Daniel studies me for a second. "I think it's admirable."
"Thanks."
"But I also think you should remember to leave room for a life outside of work."
I blink. "I have one."
"You know what I mean."
Do I? Because I don't think I do.
He leans against the counter. "My mother always says people spend so much time planning careers that they forget to build families."
There it is again. Everything comes back to that. I fold the dish towel over once before setting it beside the sink. "I believe people can do both."
"I'm sure they can." His smile never changes. "I just think family should come first. I think this could really work."
I nod because arguing in my parents' kitchen feels like a terrible idea. "I understand."
