Page 21 of Hunter's Baby Girl

He chuckled again. “That’s one way of looking at it. Sometimes the more business-related aspects of having my own service get in the way of the big picture, though. I think I liked it better when I was just out there all day, planning things and planting things and getting my hands dirty. I don’t get to do as much of that anymore. But I’m trying to strike a balance. Either way, it’s better than what I used to do.”

I was intrigued. “You weren’t always a landscaper?”

“No. I got my MBA and was working at an investment brokerage when the economy tanked. One year after graduation, and I was left with a worthless degree. Nobody was hiring, companies were downsizing, the competition was fierce.”

“No kidding,” I mused. “So you just, like, decided to change course? Just like that?”

“Well, I never really wanted to work in business. That was just something my parents wanted for me,” he explained. “I had always loved being outdoors, you know? I wanted to do something that would give me the chance to breathe fresh air for once. I saw my layoff, and the challenges of finding a new job, as an opportunity to do just that.”

“Wow,” I murmured. “That was pretty gutsy.”

“I guess,” he said. “Really, it was a matter of following my heart. The Universe has a way of making us follow our dreams, one way or another. It’s up to us to be open to the chances we’re handed.”

That got me thinking. I was impressed with the way he saw the world and wished I could be more like him.

“You okay?” he asked, his hand stopping its movement.

“Oh, fine,” I said. “No better, no worse. Please, don’t stop,” I asked. I felt his hand moving again.

“Was it something I said?” he finally asked. I shook my head, then thought twice.

“Well, actually, it was. Sort of. You got me thinking about myself,” I explained. “I’ve been going through a quarter-life crisis lately, I guess.”

“How so?”

“Have you ever felt like the clock was ticking?” I asked. “Like you’re wasting your life doing something you’re not interested in?”

“Sure,” he said. “I felt that way throughout the entire MBA program. I really did.”

“So you know what I mean. I’m stuck between what I know is a sure, solid thing and something I’ve always wanted to do but never had the guts to try.”

“What is it you want to try?” he asked.

I felt embarrassed, and I didn’t know why. “I’ve always had trouble sharing my secret dreams with people,” I explained. “I guess it comes from being laughed at when I was a kid. Bullies can really leave a mark, can’t they?”

He thought about this in silence. “You’re right,” he said. “Years later, was can still carry the marks. Well I’m not a bully. I’m not going to laugh at you or think you’re wrong. You can trust me.”

“Well . . . I’ve always wanted to be a photographer. A children’s photographer,” I said. I waited to hear him snort or make some derisive comment, but he didn’t do either of those things.

In fact, all he said was, “What’s stopping you?”

I was floored. Nobody had ever asked me that before. “The unknown, I guess. I mean, my job is secure. Why would I give that up? It would be irresponsible.”

I heard Hunter chuckle softly. “And with everything I just told you about myself, you still think there’s such a thing as a stable, secure job? There just isn’t such a thing anymore. Unless you’re a tenured professor or something. Otherwise, you never know what’s going to happen. Believe me, one of the most dangerous things in the world is a false sense of security.”

“So you think I should go for it?” I asked, feeling skeptical.

“I do. Are you a good photographer? Do you have the equipment you need?”

“I’ve been taking pictures since I was a kid,” I revealed. “And I have a nice, top-of-the-line camera. I’d get up and show you if I didn’t feel so bad.”

“No need,” he assured me. “I think once you do a little research, maybe, and find out what you need to do to market yourself and set up your business, there’s no reason why you couldn’t get started. You might even dabble a little on the weekends, just to get your feet wet and find out if it’s the right fit for you.”

When he put it that way, it made perfect sense. Why hadn’t I thought about it before? This didn’t have to be all-or-nothing. I could get my feet wet first, as he put it, and figure out whether or not this was for me. I had the time to try new things, learn about the business. I had the luxury of a full-time job to fall back on.

“You’re a genius,” I whispered, closing my eyes and relaxing again.

“So you will?”

“Mmm-hmm,” I replied. I knew he’d help me, too. I wasn’t sure how I knew, exactly. I just did.

“Are you feeling any better?” he asked. I froze. Was I? In the midst of our conversation, I’d been distracted away from feeling sick. I wasn’t about to turn cartwheels or go out on the town or anything like that, but the terrible pressure had finally ceased.

“Wow,” I murmured. “It’s like a miracle. I feel so much better already.”

“Good,” Hunter said. “Maybe you should try to eat some soup. I’ll heat it up for you.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer and insisted on getting up to fix me some soup and crackers. I smiled to myself once he was out of the room, unable to deny the fact that it felt good to be taken care of like this.

In fact, it was something I could get used to.

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