Page 89 of Only in Our Dream
“I do, too.”
“And I’ve loved our sleepovers the last few nights.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m not wanting to rush things, but I can see our future playing out and I want it so bad, Mel.” Cameron’s eyes were rimmed with tears as she took hold of Melanie’s hand. “I want to move in together and raise the kids together and get married. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Melanie’s head began to spin.
Was Cameronproposing?
In a bar?
“I’m not proposing,” Cameron quickly clarified as Melanie let out the breath she’d been holding. “I mean,” she nervously laughed, “I want to one day, but not right now.”
“I want that, too.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she dreamily sighed. “I love you, Cam. I wish there was a roadmap that told us when the next steps should happen, but I think that’s all up to us.”
“I don’t want to rush things.”
“I don’t either.”
“Well, we’re on the same page there, so that’s good.” Cameron sighed as her shoulders dropped slightly. “I don’t know why I’ve been overthinking this. I didn’t want to talk about it tonight because you’ve done so much for me the last few days. I could never repay you.”
“I wouldn’t let you if you could.” Melanie leaned in, kissing Cameron softly on the forehead. “We’ll figure this out. Together. Isn’t that what Isla and Vera do?”
“Annoyingly so,” Cameron chuckled. “But I need you to promise me that if things start to go too fast for you that you tell me. We can slow things down anytime.”
“Cam.”
“Hmm?”
Melanie looked deep into Cameron’s blue eyes as she spoke. “I don’t want to slow things down. I want to keep things theway they are and move forward to the next step when we’re both ready. And when the kids are ready. It’s not just us, and I understand and respect that. I don’t want to upend their lives by suddenly moving in.”
“They’d probably love it. Dylan asked last night where you were.”
“Aww,” Melanie put her hand to her heart.
“The kids love you, Mel. You know that. Hell,” she snorted a laugh, “Dylan asked if you were moving in when I talked to them the other night about you staying over.”
“Oh, my god,” Melanie nervously laughed. “Seriously? Do you think she and Jonah have talked about that?”
Cameron shrugged. “Maybe. Neither seemed surprised by the thought.”
This is the time.
Melanie nervously ran her sweaty palm over her pants.
Ask her how she feels about moving in together. You know you want it. Ask her. Before this moment passes by.
“And what about you?”
“What do I think about us moving in together?”
Melanie nodded, waiting for Cameron to continue. Each second that ticked by felt like an hour as she waited with bated breath for Cameron to say something. Anything, really.
