Page 87 of Grumpy Pucking Orc
Abby laughed. “Uhhh, how do you feel about that?”
This was beginning to remind me of a therapy appointment, but I answered her anyway.
“I’m uncertain. At thirty, I’ve got a limited child-bearing window, and I don’t like the idea of spending the next ten years in back-to-back pregnancy.”
She winced.
“But Ozar is so good with kids, and he wants to be an involved parent, so maybe?” My voice wavered a bit and Abby gave me a sharp look.
“Do you believe him? Sometimes guys have good intentions, but then all the housekeeping and child rearing falls to the woman,” she pointed out.
“I know. But I think he really will be an involved parent. And…” I took a deep breath. “I’m absolutely on board for two. Maybe three. At first, I thought just one, but then I remembered growing up with my brother, and the Porter kids down the street that we used to play with, and I thought that two or three would be great. Maybe more, but I wouldn’t want to commit to that until I saw how things went with the second. And the third.”
Abby picked up her pen, biting back a smile. “So, six?”
“Oh, God!” I put my head in my hands for a few seconds before looking up at her. “What am I doing? Last month I was a dedicated single cat-lady focused on my career. And now I’m considering a husband and children. Again. After having given up on that and reconciling myself to a different but equally happy plan for my future.”
“You are absolutely overthinking this whole thing.” Abby scowled and jabbed her pen toward me. “Stop it. Life throws all sorts of surprises our way. We’ve got to be flexible, to be open to changing course.”
“When have you ever known me to be flexible? I live by my routine, just like Judy does.”
“You don’t puke in the hallway if your routine is disrupted,” Abby teased.
I sighed. “No, but it’s tough for me to pivot. I’m not the pivoting kind of woman.”
“You pivoted once,” she gently reminded me. “Think about pivoting back. I’m not saying marry Ozar and have a hundred little green babies. I’m not saying dump your dental practice and become some sort of homestead tradwife in his clan. Just ask your heart what it wants and take that into consideration when making your decision.”
I was already listening to my heart. That’s what worried me.
“Okay, let’s rate Ozar one to ten on your list with ten being the highest score. Kindness.”
“Ten.” I didn’t hesitate at all on that one. Ozar had to be the kindest man I’d ever met outside of my father and brother.
“Likes your friends?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Seven? I really don’t know since he hasn’t hung out a lot with you all. He always asks howyou and Willa are doing though and never has an issue withmespending time with my friends.”
“Family-focused?”
“Ten,” I shot back. “Eleven. Maybe twelve.”
Abby snorted. “Career or charity or something he’s passionate about?”
That one took some thinking. “I…I don’t know. He’s passionate about being a Guardian for his clan, but that involves us living with his people and I don’t want to give up my career. He wants to make this hockey team a success, but he swings back and forth with it. I don’t blame him since it’s not like he can control what the other orcs on the team can do. I think he has the capacity to be passionate about a career or a charity, but I’m not sure he’s found that yet here in my world.”
“Seven? Four?” Abby held her pen poised above the notepad.
I held up my hands. “Eight. Put down eight because I’m sure he’ll find something.”
There was a poignant silence before Abby spoke. “Sure? Or hopeful?”
I scowled. “Okay. Six.”
“Loves cats?” Abby powered on.
“Ten. He’s made a lot of effort to bond with Judy and she’s responding. He really seems to love her.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s the most important question,” Abby teased.
