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“Thank you for being so nice to me.”
Edith studies me before returning to chopping green onions. “I’m sorry I wasn’t supportive toward you in the beginning. My brothers were always protective of me, so I feel the same toward them.”
“I’m glad Ike has you to watch his back.”
Edith grins. “He really did look for you.”
Sharing her smile, I reply, “I thought he forgot about me. Or our time together meant nothing. It seemed impossible for someone like him to want me, but I still hoped.”
Edith offers a pained expression and says, “You’re not a loser.”
“I know.”
“You have value and deserve a good man like Ike.”
I stare into her eyes for way too long before my brain catches on to what she’s really saying.
“So do you.”
“I can’t find anyone,” Edith mumbles and frowns at the next room to see if anyone’s eavesdropping on our conversation. “I don’t want to settle for a crap pile, you know? I could be married by Christmas if I lowered my standards. There are a few men who are interested in me. One is gross. Another is nightmare fuel, looks-wise. A third would be okay if I hadn’t grown up with my pa who’s smart, sensitive, and cool.”
“Aren’t you only twenty-six?”
“Yeah, but my younger cousins have already hooked up. Many have kids. I think I’d be more patient if I didn’t want to be a mom. That’s why I’m considering the option of settling rather than waiting for someone who might not show up.”
Studying Edith, I think she’s so beautiful and confident. I’m confused by how she hasn’t found her dream guy. But what do I know about this world or what kind of men are available around Tumbling Rock? I feel like I should keep my inexperienced mouth shut.
Except Edith looks so sad that I can’t remain silent. “Ike made me believe in magic. He appeared out of the darkness, like a beast, so big and intimidating. But he was so sweet and patient. He was everything.”
Taking a deep breath, I continue. “No one in my family seemed to experience what I felt for Ike. I still believe what Ike and I share is magic, but I realize now how it’s not rare. The people at the homestead all have their own magic. Why should you settle for anything less?”
Edith often wears a rigid expression as if she’s on guard at all times. Or maybe that’s something she started doing since I came around. Whatever the reason, she never looks like the warmest person.
Right now, though, her smile brightens the room. “I want to fall in love, not just fall in line. But I’ve started doubting. My family tells me to be patient, but they will totally lie about things to protect my heart. I can’t trust them to be honest, but I trust you are telling me the truth.”
“Why?”
“I can tell when you’re trying. Like at the hotel when you were trying to be all sassy but couldn’t sell it confidently. Though you understand how lying and spitting venom works, you haven’t honed those skills yet. So, I know you really think I should wait.”
“I do. Besides, I can’t imagine your family would be welcoming to that nightmare-fuel guy.”
“Yeah, but they’d pretend with the boring third guy. He’s harmless and really likes me.”
“How is he boring?”
Edith wipes her hands and shrugs. “He would never find humor in our water pistol fights. His dull family spends a lot of time worrying about what other boring people think. I feel like his dullness would suffocate me. But he would marry me tomorrow if I showed interest. We could have a baby by next year. Settling would spark the second half of my life.”
Edith’s thinking makes sense. She wants to live her life smart rather than race into drama like Tuesday. Yet, I’m not sure love works that way, especially with the homestead people.
“I think if my parents arranged a marriage with a boring guy instead of that gross one, I might have been less prone to live as a hermit,” I admit. “But not after I met Ike. Once I got a taste of what was possible, settling wasn’t an option. If you want magic, don’t settle. Or at least wait longer. That love virus thing that Tuesday talked about sounds real. Why not wait to see if you get infected?”
Edith considers my words before nodding. “I guess I can give it a few more years.”
After she shows me how to set the oven, I get up the nerve to ask, “Why can’t you have a baby alone if that’s really all you want from that boring guy? Didn’t Journey raise Otto on her own for a while before she married Donovan?”
Edith freezes and considers my words. “That’s a good point. I could even build my house and get everything ready for the baby. If I haven’t met my dream guy before the house is finished, I’ll take that as a sign.”
I’m startled when Edith suddenly hugs me. “I’ve been bummed about Betty not being around. She was like my sister, and talking on the phone isn’t something I enjoy. Now, I have another sister,” she explains before grinning bigger. “I’m glad Ike got wasted on moonshine and found you.”
