Toxic:Her name is Samantha, and yes.
Maria:When are you going to tell mom? She’s going to be ecstatic.
Toxic:After her procedure.
Maria:Are you going to bring Samantha to visit?
All at once, I feel the weight of the situation. How I impregnated a woman I hardly know. One who doesn’t trust me. Heck, she hardly knows me.
And my silence over the last week may not have worked in my favor.
Toxic:The situation is…complicated.
Maria:explain
Toxic:I adore Samantha to pieces, but we hardly know each other, and it’s hard to get to know her being on the road.
Maria:Can you take time off?
Toxic:I will when little droid comes.
Maria:What does Samantha think about the situation?
Toxic:She’s pretty well off and demands nothing from me, but I want to give her everything. I keep telling myself that it will all work out, but I know my optimism doesn’t allow me to see the pitfalls up ahead.
Maria:Yeah, your optimism has always been a problem.
I exhale a wary breath as I think back to our childhood. To the way Maria would sit by the window, waiting for our father to return.
He never did.
I kept telling her to give him another day. That he was busy and was trying to get back to us as quickly as possible.
It wasn’t a lie, because I honestly believed it. Being the eternal optimist that I was, I kept it going for months, until she became bitter and angry. An entirely different person than she was.
If only I’d sat her down and told her he wasn’t coming back instead of giving her false hope, she could have healed.
Maria:You know what it’s like growing up without a dad, so be careful. It’s better to be friendly co-parents than enemies because you tried dating.
Toxic:Anything less than us being a family is simply unacceptable. I intend to marry this woman.
Maria:This is where your toxic optimism is going to burn you, but let’s just say you have a chance. What are you doing to win her over?
Toxic:At the moment, giving her space, but I don’t think that’s working.
Maria:Then do something else. Speak her love language.
I used to think the whole love language bullshit was just a ploy to sell books and seminars, but now that I’ve met a woman that doesn’t fit the typical mold, I’m reassessing my outlook on the topic.
I’d gladly buy her gifts if that would endear me to her, but something tells me that’s not what she needs. She definitely responds to physical touch, and perhaps I can arrange for us to meet up in the upcoming weeks, so I can show her more of what I have to offer, but I need to do something right now.
If only I knew what to do.
Toxic:Thanks for the talk. Keep me updated with mom.
Maria:Will do! And good luck.
Prince climbs onto the bus, looking like he’s just made his way out of a B-list horror movie.
