“Yes, and I know the distance was a factor in your decision to break up with Matt. I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about being in another long-distance relationship.”
Kit didn’t look up. She kept her eyes down and she said, “Okay.”
I felt the nervous flutter in my stomach harden into a knot. I had worked so hard to get this job. It was the one goal I had laid out for myself, but suddenly, feeling like my relationship with Kit could be in jeopardy because of it, I was having serious second thoughts. I had never had a relationship talk with a woman in which I was asking her for more, and I was trying not to panic.
I said, “I don’t expect you to change anything, and I don’t want to promise you that I can be here as much as I have been over the last few weeks because I just know it won’t be realistic. So, I wanted to tell you that next week I’m going to start looking for a place in Atlanta.”
Kit licked her lips and kept her eyes down, she said softly, “Are you breaking up with me?”
Surprised, I leaned forward and gently lifted Kit’s chin with my index finger. I saw the tears in her eyes. “No, hey. No. That’s not what I want. I want us to stay together. I was going to ask you if you’d ever consider trying a long-distance relationship again.”
Kit’s eyes went down again, and I dropped my hand into my lap. She shook her head, and I felt crushed.
“I don’t want to be in a long-distance relationship again,” she said softly. “I don’t think it works, and I think it would just delay the inevitable.”
“Would you be willing to think about it?” I asked. I tried not to sound upset. I felt almost foolish for suggesting it because Kit had been so clear that she’d never want to be in a long-distance relationship. I swallowed the lump in my throat and leaned back against the headboard. I felt the muscles in my chest getting tight and took a deep breath. I looked down at my hands in my lap and said quietly, “What we have is rare, Kit. You know that. It’s rare and special, and I don’t agree it’s a foregone conclusion that we would break up just because of a long-distance relationship. It feels like you’re giving up without trying.”
Kit slid her hand over mine. She said, “A few months ago, when you started talking about a potential promotion, I wanted to know more about what that might mean for you and for us. You told me talking about the promotion made you too nervous, so I haven’t asked more questions, but I assumed that your new role wouldn’t be in Creekstone. I’ve been afraid to bring this up because I haven’t wanted to freak you out and scare you off, but I can’t imagine us not being together now.”
I shrugged and asked sullenly, “How would we stay together if you don’t want to try a long-distance relationship?”
Kit pushed herself up and crawled into my lap so that she was straddling me. “I don’t want the norm to be us living apart and seeing each other on occasional weekends and random weeknights. I don’t think it would work in the long term. I think we should stay together.”
The realization came suddenly. I had been so sure that Kit would never leave Creekstone that I had never even considered asking her to move with me. “Would you be willing to move with me to Atlanta?”
The surprise must have been all over my face because she laughed and cradled my face in her hands.
“Are you asking me to?” she asked, then gave me a sweet kiss on the lips.
“Yes,” I said quickly, my lips still against hers. I closed my eyes. “Yes, I’m asking you to move to Atlanta with me.”
I was stunned. “What about your job at the library?”
“I love the library, but I think I’m ready to think about what’s next for me. Now that we’ve sold the land, I finally have a little room financially to take a break and think about what I want.” Kit sat back and said seriously, “I know it’s crazy. Maybe it’s too much too fast, but the idea of doing anything else and potentially growing apart feels wrong.” She laced her fingers into mine again.
There was a look of honesty but also fear on her face as she waited for me to respond. I pulled her to me, and we kissed, long and hard. I flipped Kit over onto her back and eased myself on top of her. I felt her hands rake over my body as we kissed. I whispered in her ear, “You are everything to me. Please come with me.”
Chapter 23: Kit
Selling property isn’t a quick thing. We’d sign one stack of papers, then wait days or weeks for the next, and then do it all again. When Veronica told me the final papers were ready to be signed, I felt very ready for this process to be over. I was shocked to find out our land deal was done in what everyone considered to be an extremely short amount of time.
Veronica met Aunt Rita and me at the bank in Atlanta. We signed all the papers, then a banker told us that the money had been wired to our accounts.
Aunt Rita clapped and gave me a hug. With tears in her eyes, Aunt Rita said, “Kit, thank you. This is going to change everything for us. I feel so relieved.”
“Me too,” I said, squeezing Aunt Rita closer. “Thank you for being so supportive as I worked through everything.”
Aunt Rita had to work the next day, and I’d planned to stay in Atlanta to meet William. Aunt Rita took the car and headed back to Creekstone, but Veronica and I decided to visit a nearby brewery to celebrate. Veronica had ordered us a flight of beers and a giant pretzel with cheese. We decided to take advantageof the spring weather, and we sat outside on the patio. Veronica pulled her stylish shades out of her oversized purse.
I was completely demolishing the pretzel when Veronica said, “So, can I just say I am relieved to see how well you’re taking this? I thought this would be a much more emotional day for you.”
“Is that why you got me an emotional support pretzel?” I asked, then stuffed a huge chunk of pretzel in my mouth before the cheese could drip on my shirt.
“Exactly,” Veronica said, sipping her amber beer.
“Maybe the pretzel is just super effective,” I said after washing the pretzel down with some beer.
“Really? You’re feeling okay about selling the land?” Veronica asked.
