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“There’s some bacon in the fridge. Do you want me to fry that up too?”
“Sure. I guess it’ll be up to us to do the grocery shopping. Maybe we should figure some of that stuff out?”
“I was thinking we should sit down with Aunt Carol and hash out the things that we’re doing. I told her she didn’t have to pay rent, because she was doing me a favor by living in my house and taking care of it. I know she loves to cook, and I know you don’t, so it probably wouldn’t be a hardship for you to give that up to either Aunt Carol or me, but maybe we can hash some of those things out at some point.”
“I think that’s a great idea. I don’t know how things will go tomorrow, but maybe after the girls go to bed, we can talk about it?”
“Sometime. Someday this week when the girls go to bed and we’re all there, or... Maybe the girls should sit with us while we talk about it if they want to.”
She liked that idea. Liked the thought that they would include the girls in their decision-making. “I think that would help the girls feel like they have more control over their life. If we take their opinions into account when we’re making decisions. I’m glad you thought of that.”
They shared a smile across the kitchen as she waited for the butter in the skillet to melt before she put the eggs in.
“I haven’t met them yet, so I think maybe we’ll need to play everything by ear, but I would like for them to have as much to do with the general running of the farm business as we can. I know I didn’t always appreciate my dad dragging me into the business and hauling me along on work trips and that type of thing, but I never doubted that he valued my opinion and that he wanted me to be with him. Looking back, those are the things he did that probably contributed to me being in his business even though I really didn’t want to. He had treated me like a part of it for so long, it felt like it was almost as much mine as it was his.”
Mabel had poured the eggs in and took the bowl over to the sink, rinsing it out and setting it in the dishwasher. “Maybe that was the difference between your parents and mine. My dad dragged me along, but I felt like it was more because he didn’t think I was good enough the way I was, and he wanted to change me. We never talked about his business, and he definitely never asked my opinion on anything. I didn’t feel like I was part of it, I just felt like I was...an embarrassment to him.”
“You couldn’t possibly have been. I know for sure when I saw you there, you were not an embarrassment, you were an asset. Maybe he wanted to show you off. It certainly worked that way with me.”
“I can’t believe you even remember seeing me, let alone liked me. That blows my mind.”
“Good. I was afraid it would seem stalkerish, and I really hesitated to tell you.”
“It was hugely flattering, and while I can’t believe you did, it’s definitely made me see things a little bit differently. Maybe you’re right. Maybe Dad really did just want to show me off.”
It was hard for her to believe that, but she supposed it could be true.
“Whatever it was, I think your dad was more successful in making you believe that he wanted you. I really want to do that with our girls too. Because I think you’re right. Having them think that they’re an important part of our family will go a lot further toward solidifying our family, making it strong.”
The toast popped up, and he turned from the bacon in the skillet to grab it and put it on the plate.
“I’m glad we agree on this. I think a lot of times people disagree on child raising, and it causes contention.” He paused, the piece of toast still in his hand as he stared at it, then he looked across the kitchen at her. “Do you want more children?”
There was a little bit of uncertainty in his voice, and there was also that undercurrent of heat or attraction or whatever it was that made her spine tingle and her toes curl.
“Do you?”
“I think so. I... I could live without them. Three girls is going to be hectic enough. But I wouldn’t mind having a couple more. Maybe some boys.”
“You can put your order in, but I’m not sure that will work. I think typically we get what God thinks we need rather than what we want.”
“I’ll take whatever. Unless you don’t want any?”
“I do. But I didn’t want to insist on it, because a lot of people think three kids is too many. I can’t imagine having four or five or more.”
“I think it would be fun. I think a big family, with lots of love and laughter and friendship and craziness, would be pretty awesome. But maybe I’m just looking at it through rose-colored glasses and maybe it would be more work than what it’s worth.”
“I don’t know, that sounds pretty fun to me. I guess... I guess as long as you’re with me, I’ll raise as many kids as you want to. I just don’t want to do it by myself.”
“As long as I’m alive, you won’t be by yourself.”
“I know. That was what the marriage was about today, wasn’t it? And yet, I’m so used to being on my own. Or, you know, I’ve always had Lark, I’ve always had my sister, Gladys, but I don’t know. I’ve never had a partner. I feel like I have one now. It’s taken me a little bit of time to get used to the idea, but I like that feeling.” And everything he said made her feel like he was actually going to stay. That he wasn’t going to leave her in the lurch or duck out when things got hard.
“I guess I’ve heard of a few people who had a bunch of kids, and then the husband walked out on them. I always felt so bad for them. Like, you don’t have five kids, or seven kids, and think you’re going to raise them by yourself, you know?”
“Yeah. I guess I don’t know what to say that will make you believe me when I say that I’ll be here.”
“I believe you, because you’ve done everything else you said you were going to do. But I suppose there are no guarantees in life, you know?”
