Page 17 of All or Notching
“What do you want to know?”
“Anything you want to share.”
She wraps her hands around her mug, and her shoulders visibly working on relaxing. “I have two younger sisters. They live in Stillwater, where I grew up.”
“I’ve never been there, but I hear it’s pretty.”
“It’s beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are in full color along the river.”
“And your sisters, do they have families?”
“Both married their high school sweethearts almost right out of school and started raising their families.”
I glance over my shoulder. “What about your parents?”
Her lips curve down, and her eyes are glassy. She drops her gaze to her hands. “They died over a year ago.”
My instincts kick in, but I force myself to stay where I am, doing what I’m doing. “I’m sorry.”
“I spent two days in the hospital with them after the accident, waiting for them to wake up.” She pauses. “They never did.”
“That’s rough. I’m sure they knew you were there for them though.”
“I hope so. Since then, just walking through the front doors sparks an anxiety attack. The smells, the sounds, seeing scared and upset family members. I never got to say good-bye.”
While I may have experienced nothing similar myself, I’ve seen it. It happens every day at the hospital. Walking past family members huddled together while waiting for news of their loved one. Crying with relief when they finally hear the words they hoped for, falling to the floor, distraught and inconsolable when they don’t.
“Tell me about your job. I believe you said you worked for an investment firm?”
She chuckles, but there’s no humor in the sound. “Thank you.”
“For what?” After pouring the egg mixture into the hot pan, I reach for the spatula, one eye on the omelet, the other on Laurel. She’s as beautiful now as that long ago night. Even with a pale pallor and nervous energy, she’s gorgeous. It takes little to envision us upstairs in her bed.
“For changing the topic.”
“I really want to hear about your job.” Okay, I don’t, but she knows that.
“I’m surprised you remember.”
“I remember a lot about that night.” Like the shock on her face when I joined her and her friends at the bar. Like the taste of her lips when we devoured each other on her front step. The sounds she made when she came. How innocent she looked when she slept. And how terrible I felt when I had to leave her bed.
I also remember the hurt I experienced when she didn’t call me.
“For me, it’s exciting. And it can be very rewarding when you help your clients find the perfect investments, ones with high return. You need to have a strong understanding of the stock market, investing principles, and financial analysis. I’ve always been good with numbers and data, but had zero desire to be an accountant, so I thought this might be a better choice.”
“Sounds like it can be stressful.” The eggs crackle and sizzle in the hot pan. The green pepper becomes fragrant, and the cheese bubbles.
“Yes, it can be at times.”
“You’ll need to manage your stress throughout the pregnancy. Is there anybody who can help ease the burden for you? Maybe you can lighten your workload?”
“Honestly, I haven’t even had time to think about any of that. I still haven’t told my sisters.”
“You don’t think they’ll be happy for you?” I flip the omelet and then search her cupboard for a plate.
“I think they’ll be ecstatic. But they’ll want to know everything about you, when we plan to get married, will I be moving back home. You get the picture.”
“Is that what you want? Do you want to get married?” The words pop out of my mouth, and while I desperately want to call them back, I also need to know her expectations. A wife isn’t in the cards for me. Or wasn’t. Now, I’m unsure what I want or should do.