He wraps his arms around my head and shoulders. “I didn’t do much.”
I disagree. “What if I reach out and she rejects me?”
Quinn stays silent. Maybe he knows I’m not expecting answers, or maybe he has none to give.
“She’s had years to find us, Quinn. Years. But she didn’t. From the sounds of it, she’s got a new life. A new husband. New kids. What if she hasn’t spared us a second thought? I don’t know if contacting her will make things better or worse. Will it give me closure or open old wounds?”
Quinn kisses my hair.
“Deciding whether to contact her shouldn’t be this hard. How do I know if I’m doing the right thing?” I suck in a breath. “Don’t answer that. I can’t know. It’s like Schrödinger's cat. I can’t know if getting in touch with Mum will bring me joy or pain until I open the box. But once I do, the outcome is set in stone.”
“You don’t have to make a decision now, tomorrow, or anytime soon. There’s no rush, Stefan. You know she can be found. You have her number. Let the shock subside, and then see how you feel.”
His words make far too much sense to disagree.
“Also, I’m pretty sure the cat is either dead or alive the whole time. Opening the box and observing it doesn’t change its fate. It either ate the poison, or it didn’t.”
Tension lifts from my shoulders as I laugh. God, I needed the relief his words have given me.
“What would I know?” Quinn says with a shrug. “Physics wasn’t one of my strong subjects. But if there was food, the cat would have eaten it, and it would be dead. It’s a cruel experiment.”
I laugh harder. “It was a hypothetical cat.”
“Huh?”
“And it wasn’t poisoned food in the box with the cat. It was a radioactive particle that had a fifty per cent chance of degrading and killing the cat.” I wave my hand. “Schrödinger was trying to explain the paradox of quantum superposition.” I stop and shake my head. “I’m probably boring you to tears right now, aren’t I?”
“Not to tears.” Quinn grins cheekily.
“Thanks for distracting me.”
“I think you did a good job of distracting yourself. Seriously, Stefan, you don’t need to rush into a decision. Take all the time you need.”
“Thank you.” I sit upright and cup his cheek. “I’m keeping you from your work again.”
“No, you’re not. I already told you you’re more important. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
My chin trembles at the thought of how amazing Quinn is. “We should make plans.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Plans?”
“For our next date.” I tilt my head. “Or our first scene.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
“Yes. I need distracting.”
“Okay. Sunday? That gives me a couple of days to focus on work.” He grins impishly. “Plus, it’ll be our first anniversary.”
“Oh, you’re that kind of boyfriend, are you?”
“The kind that celebrates the smallest of anniversaries? Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“I’m not really.”
I chuckle. “Are you sure?”
