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“What?”
“That’s such a girl thing to do, that’s all. What if I don’t like the names?” I argue, crossing my arms over my bare chest.
“I guess we could negotiate,” he replies, sliding off me and pulling me to him.
“Okay, what are they?” I ask, knowing that it’s a pointless discussion.
“Do you want the girls’ names or the boys’ names first?”
“Surprise me,” I reply, rolling my eyes even though he can’t see me.
“Well,” he starts sounding thoughtful. “For the boys, I was thinking Riley and Jacob.”
“And for the girls?”
“What do you think about Lola and Grace?”
“That’s my middle name,” I protest.
“I know, that’s why I want to name our daughter that. She’ll be just as beautiful as her mother. All our kids will be.”
“And what will our life be like with four kids running around?”
“Well, crazy I assume, but a lot of fun. We’ll have family movie night where we’ll eat popcorn and candy until we all want to throw up. Then we’ll tuck them each in bed, kissing them on their foreheads and wishing them sweet dreams. After that, we’ll crawl into bed together, wrapped in each other’s arms like we are right now, and wake up the same way the next morning. Every morning, together. For the rest of our life. How does that sound?”
Such a smooth talker, I think to myself.
“Amazing,” I whisper, images of our potential future running through my mind.
How did I get so lucky that there’s a man who wants to plan our entire future together and we’ve been together for less than a year? I must have done something right in another lifetime to be this lucky.
“Areyou sure that’s what you want? After everything I’ve put you through?”
“Chloe, there’s nothing I want more. I built that house for us. I bought that land so all our special moments wouldn’t be tainted by anyone else. This table is still here because I couldn’t bring myself to part with it or the memories it holds.
“I want you, I always have, and I always will. I’m not saying it will be easy. We don’t know each other like we used to. We’ve been apart for a long time, and I’m sure there’s been other people, but we can have that dream still. If that’s what you want.”
I do.
I want Wyatt. I want the life he dreamed we could have together. I want the family we talked about.
It’s taken a lot to get where we are today. Too much, if you ask me. So much that I’m not sure we can move past it.
As much as I want to believe he’s letting it go, all of it, I’m not sure I can. Maybe, with time, I’ll be able to move on and when I’m ready, that path may lead me back here to him. Until then, I can’t risk that he may resent me for the rest of my life.
“I need to think about it,” I say, catching Wyatt by surprise. “It has nothing do to with you. I swear. And I don’t plan on keeping Lola from you. You two deserve to know each other, to build a relationship. It’s me. I’m not sure I’m ready to be back here, to face what happened.
“After everything we went through, separately, it’s not that easy for me to let it go. I want to, and in time I’m sure I will, but until then, I think I need to go back to Denver. I need to live the life I’ve created for myself and Lola.”
“Chloe—”
“I know. I didn’t expect that to be my answer either.”
“What does it mean, then?”
“It means, I’ll head back to Denver tomorrow as planned. If you want to keep Lola for a few weeks, you can. I’ll come back and get her before she starts preschool. That way, you two can bond and get to know each other better.”
“Just like that, huh?”
