“Maybe while he fed Atlas,” Tessa suggested. “Wasn’t he on monitor backup last night?”
“I guess. I don’t know.” Kate shifted in her seat and looked out the window, quiet for a beat.
“What’s wrong?” Tessa pressed. “You still haven’t asked me where we’re going.”
“Okay. Where are we going?”
“Tell me what’s wrong first.”
Kate sighed. “I just…I don’t know. I mean, I know I came down here this summer to see where things were—or could go—with Eli and I’m having so much fun with him. I love the guy, not even going to lie.”
“And…”
“And I can’t compete with God.”
“Is he asking you to?”
Kate didn’t answer, but she sighed for the tenth time in as many minutes. “It’s a gulf between us,” she finally said. “Sometimes I feel like it’s created such a distance. Like, I wasn’t invited into that part of his life.”
“I’m sure he’d love to invite you into that part of his life,” Tessa replied. “In fact, I know he would.”
“Maybe, but I don’t…want to.”
“Ah,” Tessa said, imagining she sounded like therapist Dusty as she navigated traffic. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Where?”
“To church?” Tessa teased.
But Kate didn’t laugh. “It’s so important to him. It’s not just a personality trait. It’s not just, oh, Eli is into God and prays for everything. No, it’s likewho he is. I can’t be part of that. I don’t want to, honestly.”
Tessa let that settle, and couldn’t help but ask what seemed to her to be the obvious—and dumb—question. “Would you really give up a man because he’s…too good?”
Kate smiled. “Tess, I don’t believe in things I can’t see. Except…” She let out a little moan. “I suppose there are things that can’t be seen, and we do ‘believe’ in them.”
“Like love?” Tessa suggested.
“That’s exactly what Meredith said.” Kate groaned and dropped her head back, clearly in anguish over this. “Please tell me where we’re going and don’t make me talk about this anymore.”
Tessa threw her a look, and decided she looked miserable and should have her request honored. Kate hated talking about feelings—it just wasn’t logical enough for her scientist sister.
“We’re going to see a house,” she said.
Kate blinked. “A house? For…?”
“Me.”
Kate’s eyebrows rose. “Wait. You’re house-hunting?”
Tessa gave a sheepish grin. “Yep.”
“I didn’t know you were even thinking of moving out.”
“I didn’t think I’d still be here three months after being discovered squatting in the back bedroom.”
Kate winced. “I hate that you did that.”
“Well, it’s over and forgotten—except by me. I’m ready to not be The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave.”
