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“Because you and I were at a bad place. And he needed reassurance.”
The vee appears between her brows. “Reassurance about what?”
“Reassurance that I still wanted to try.” I look into her eyes. “Reassurance that his kids will be with a loving, committed family. He needs to know that we’re okay before he can make a choice about where they belong.”
“He asked you if we would take them, didn’t he?” She sinks down to sit on the side of the bed, like her legs won’t hold her up any longer.
“He asked me to bring you here. On one hand, he needed help with the kids. On the other, he wanted them to have one last happy summer. But, ultimately, he needed to know that we were okay.”
Her eyes fill up with tears and she blinks them back. “He’s dying, and he felt the need to fix us.”
“He wants us to raise his children, but only if we’re okay. Together. Happy.”
“What if we never get there?” she asks.
“Then he’ll come up with another plan for them.”
“Who would be better?” She jumps to her feet. “There is no one else who can love them the way we can.”
I say the next words slowly, so she’
ll understand. “But can we love them if we can’t love one another?”
“So our being happily married is one of his conditions.” She growls low under her breath. “If he wasn’t already dying, I’d have to kill him.” Then she realizes what she said, and she looks like I just slapped her. “I didn’t mean that,” she rushes to clarify.
I chuckle. “Yes, you did.”
“Okay, I kind of did,” she admits. She stares directly into my eyes. “I can’t promise that we’re going to still be married after this summer.”
“Okay, Bess.”
Her stare turns into a glare. “Will you stop doing that?” she snaps.
“Doing what?”
“I say something terrible and you say, “Okay, Bess,” like you’re just resigned to bowing to my every word. Sometimes, Eli, I’d like for you to tell me what you’re feeling instead of just agreeing with me.”
I nod. “Okay, Bess.”
She stomps her foot. “Eli, damn it!” She growls again and throws up her hands.
“You’d prefer if I fight with you?”
“I’d prefer if you participate, yes.”
“Then I’ll participate.”
“Are you just okay-Bess-ing me without saying okay Bess?” She rolls her pretty green eyes. “You are infuriating sometimes.”
“Yeah, well, you’re not a bucket of sweetness and sunshine, freckles.”
She freezes. “Freckles?” She stares at me like I’ve just kicked her in the chest.
“What did I say?”
“You haven’t called me Freckles in years.”
“Well, you haven’t exactly made it easy to be around you.”
