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“So, you’d open the door for me when I come home drunk?” she says, giving me a playful smile.
“Only on the weekends,” I say, frowning. “On the weekdays I may need your youthful energy to make sure I’m up in the mornings. And what if I fall and break a bone?”
She laughs, covering her mouth with her hand.
“What else?” I ask. “We can take all day, all week, all month. I want to make sure I address whatever scares you.”
“I’m at the start of my career and you, at your peak. Soon, you might want to hold back on things, and I won’t have that much time to give you. What happens then?”
“Is there anything else?” I ask her.
“No,” she says. “These were the main things I needed to talk about.”
“For that last question,” I say, “we have to go somewhere.”
I call for the check.
“Wait, Adrian, where are we going?” she asks.
“Just get in the car.”
Soon, we’re driving. She keeps asking questions, and I keep telling her to be patient.
"You're scared about our future, aren't you?" I ask, just when we’re about to reach. "Because we're at different stages in our lives?"
“Yes,” she says.
“Olivia,” I say, at last. “I knew I wanted to be with you from the moment I saw you, even if I hadn’t realized it back then. You and Emily will always come above my work. Yes I want children, and our age gap is a gift. But, most importantly, your career is just beginning, and mine will soon come to an end. However, my end comes with experience, and I will use every bit of it to help you reach your goals. I’ll stay up at night with our future kids because you have to work the next morning. I’ll come to you to check what’s trending in the world because you’re younger and wiser and you -” she bursts out laughing, and I look at her. She looks so beautiful when she’s happy. “And you,” I continue, “will come to ask me if I know someone who can get something done a little faster. But words mean nothing, and I have to show you.”
“Show me what?” she asks.
“Well,” I say, pulling the car up to a stop. We’re now standing in front of a large, expansive land. “I know where I went wrong. I never asked you what you wanted to do with your life in the long run and I was making all these plans, without thought. After we spoke yesterday about how you want to help people, and how you’d be open to different avenues, par law, I remembered how we met. It was through that charity - Hope For Kids. I stayed up all night, thinking about what I could do to help you reach your goal and this is what that thing might be. It’s just an idea, Olivia. But if you’re in, I’d be the happiest man in the world.”
"Where are we?" she asks, curiously staring at the space around her.
"This is the piece of land I put in a purchase order for this morning," I tell her. "I need your help to build it."
She turns to me, eyes wide with confusion. "What for?" she asks.
"It's for a charitable hospital for kids with cancer," I say, looking out into the distance with a fond smile on my face. "With all this wealth I’ve accumulated, I always wanted to put it to good use. After hearing your story about your sister dying of cancer, I understood the impact it had on your family, and I couldn’t get it out of my head. How much you must have suffered. How much your dad must have suffered. If anything happened to Emily …” I stop, to catch my breath. “I wish such a thing would never happen to any parent and if it does, I want to make their journey easier. I was holding off on the project because I didn’t think I could do it alone. But if this is something you might be interested in, there’s nothing that could hold us back.”
Olivia is at a loss for words, staring out at the empty space and its endless possibilities. She turns to me, her eyes misty with emotion. "Adrian, I don't know what to say," she says, her voice catching.
"I was up all night because there's a global expert in child oncology called Dr. Radisson. He has just been offered a job in England, and I want him to spearhead this hospital. I had to reach him before he was to fly out this afternoon, to convince him to give us a chance. I made out the deck and got on a call this morning. He loved the vision so much, and now, he's on board. He'll help us build this and provide the best oncology care he can for kids in need."
"Oh, Adrian ..." Olivia mutters, still staring at the land around her. "Do you really mean this?”
“Olivia, the world is your oyster. You can study law, run non-profits, and build hospitals. You’re young. I need your energy to help me get this done.”
Olivia nods, her eyes still fixed on the empty space in front of her. "This is incredible," she says, her voice filled with awe. "I can't believe you did all of this. For them. For me."
I pull her into my arms, holding her close. "I did it for us," I say, my voice low and intense. "Because I want our relationship to be about more than just us. I want us to make a difference in the world, together. You’re the woman of my dreams, Olivia Miller.”
Olivia looks up at me, and I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. "I love you," I whisper.
She waits, takes a deep breath while I hold mine, and whispers back, "I love you too."
“So,” I ask, “what do you feel about those little fears in your head?”
