Page 66 of A Dream for Daphne

“Oh,” she said. “Never mind.”

This time he was coughing on his food. “You want five kids?”

She laughed. “Got you,” she said, pointing at him.

“Jesus,” he said. “I like kids and all, but five is a bit much for anyone. Not to mention the cost of them.”

“I know,” she said. “I’d never have that many. I want kids, but no more than two. That isn’t what I was going to say.”

“Then what?” he asked.

“I was going to say that I’ve never been the type of woman who had these big goals in their life. I was always ashamed of that fact. That I was more concerned about putting one foot in front of the other.”

“There is no reason to feel ashamed over that,” he said.

“I know. But I did. I started to think I wasn’t much different than my parents by thinking short term that way, but I was trying to get through.”

“And you did,” he said. “Lots of people live their lives that way.”

“I know,” she said. “Where I was going with this is that when I tried to picture my future and what I wanted in my life it was to be stable. A nice job. A home to come to every night after work. A man in my life that I could look after and he’d do the same for me. That we’d take care of each other.”

He reached his hand over to hers and she felt a lot less silly saying the words out loud. “That is similar to how I saw my life.”

“Really?” she asked. Her voice was on the shy side, she knew, but she couldn’t control it either.

“Yes,” he said. “Maybe we’ve both been single for so long because what we want and look for is a dying breed. I’m not out to conquer the world or keep up with the Joneses.”

“I never thought that,” she said. “Then I see this property I’m living on and it almost scares me. I’d be terrified if it was mine. All these eyes would be on me. Sometimes it’s better to just be normal.”

“I’d hardly say you were normal,” he said, laughing. “This meal sure the hell isn’t.”

“You’re so ruled by your gut,” she said. “And I like it. I really do. I’m not saying I want to bust my ass being a homemaker.”

“You just want a home,” he said. “Right?”

“I do. I want a partner and a home and a life that I saw others had and I never thought I’d get.”

“Do you see yourself getting it with me?” he asked quietly.

She shouldn’t be surprised that he brought it up.

“I’m not trying to scare you or anything.”

“You’re not,” he said. “Because the truth is, you’re saying all the things I’ve been thinking.”

“I guess all the people saying that we are good together know what they are talking about.”

Even if she didn’t want that stress on her shoulders.

“I don’t care about them,” he said. “I only care about you and what you want.”

“Right now,” she said, “I want to finish eating, then have you take me to bed, and stay the night.”

“Then we want the same things.”

23

HARD WORKING MAN

---