AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Excitement and apprehension crashed into me in equal measure. My hands slipped and I nearly dropped the ladle in the sauce. She’d been offered a job. Surely that meant I could stop being so worried she might turn around and leave. But I couldn’t be sure where her head was at. What if this wasn’t what she wanted? Perhaps she was happy because of the positive feedback more so than the offer. Our relationship was so new and I didn’t want her to make any major, life-changing decisions based on it. What if she regretted them and ended up leaving further down the road, after we’d had more time to grow attached to her?
“Yay!” Ruby rushed around the counter and hugged Hannah, apparently having no similar concerns. “Does that mean I’ll get to keep you as my teacher? And that you’ll be staying in Destiny Falls?”
“I’m not a hundred percent sure yet whether I’d keep my current classes after the maternity cover is finished or if I’d move somewhere else. The details haven’t been worked out, but they said they’ll have a contract for me to look over on Monday, if I’m interested.”
“Ooh I hope you’ll keep teaching our class. That would be awesome.”
“I told her about our relationship too,” Hannah added. “She’s going to put it on the record but says it isn’t an unusual situation considering the size of the town, and she didn’t seem concerned.”
“That’s good to hear.” I knew she’d been anxious about how her boss might react.
“It is.” Hannah cocked her head. “So, what do you think? Exciting news?”
“Definitely.” I switched off the stove, so I had something to do with my hands. “We should open a bottle of wine to celebrate.”
“Can I have some?” Ruby asked.
I laughed. “You know the answer to that, young lady. Maybe in a few years.”
Ruby shrugged as if to say ‘worth a shot.’ “Anything else you need me to do before dinner, Dad?”
I noted that she’d already rolled the pizza bases, grated a small pile of cheese, and diced the other toppings. “Nah, you go do your homework, Rubes. We’ll finish everything in here.”
She gave me a thumbs up and left the room.
Hannah rounded the counter. “Should we start assembling these?”
“Sure. I’ll spread the sauce and you can add whatever you’d like.”
She nodded and stood back while I ladled sauce onto each pizza base.
“You don’t seem very enthusiastic about the job offer,” she observed.
“I’m glad they made it,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “You deserve it.”
“Yeah.” She crossed her arms. “But do you actually want me to accept it?”
I accidentally slopped sauce onto the counter, surprised by the question. My instincts blared at me to yell that yes, of course I would like her to accept it and stay in Destiny Falls with us, but I didn’t want to pressure her. Whatever came next, it was important that it was her own decision.
“Sweetheart,”—I placed my hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead—“I don’t want you to make your decision based on us. Or for our relationship to be a factor. Just think about what you want, and go for it. If that means staying here, great. If not, that’s okay too.”
She stiffened. “Do you even care which way I decide?”
“Of course I do.” More than she could imagine. Damn, I was fumbling this. “But I don’t want you to choose to stay for our sake and regret it.”
She pulled away. “Iwantto factor you into my decision, but the way you’re talking makes me wonder if you’d do the same for me, and if you actually see a future for us. Because if we’re going to build something together, it should be taken for granted that I’d consider the impact on our relationship.”
I didn’t like the flash of hurt in her eyes. I reached for her, but she slipped away. “I care about what’s best for you, Hannah. And what’s best for Ruby.”
At that moment, Ruby bounced back into the room, interrupting the conversation. She didn’t seem to notice the tension in the air. “Hannah, can you come and explain part of the homework to me please?”
Hannah backed away from me even further. “You got it. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Ruby nodded and hurried back to her room. Hannah turned away. I considered pushing the conversation, but I got the impression it would be better to give her time to think, and then try again.
I cooked the pizzas and then we ate together at the table. Afterward, all three of us huddled onto the couch to watch a movie. When Hannah left at the end of the night, I knew things weren’t resolved. She’d been too quiet.
“What’s wrong?” Ruby asked as the door shut behind Hannah.
