As he talked, my mind wandered to Joe. I wondered how he was doing. Had he even noticed I was gone? “A couple days away will be good for both of you,” Mom had said, but it was hard to be patient. To give him space.
Chris was going on about the hospital system and Atlantalike a real estate agent showing a house. “…decent public transportation,” he said. “And the park is just a few blocks from the apartment.”
He paused, which I recognized as my cue to respond.
“I’m glad you’re happy,” I said, which was mostly true.
“Not completely happy.” He gave me a significant look. “It gets pretty lonely sometimes, being away from my family. And you.”
“What about…” I tried to remember the name of his work wife. “Your friend? The one who was going to Boston.”
“Lauren? We called it off. Not that we were ever really on,” he added. “It’s hard to coordinate two medical schedules, especially long distance.”
“I’m sorry,” I said automatically.
“It’s fine. We could never be together long term. She didn’t understand my focus has to be on my patients.”
“No,” I said with gentle irony.
“It made me realize how much I depended on you,” Chris said without missing a beat. “At the end of the day, you were always there for me. You fit into my life in a way Lauren never could.”
Because I’d made myself smaller, I thought. He’d never made room for me.
“I miss our Sunday mornings,” Chris said. “I miss your smile and your things all over the bathroom and the way you connect with people.”
Pretty sure he was lying about the bathroom. Which made it hard to believe the rest. “Thanks,” I said.
“Dr.Jacobs was saying the other day how easy you are to talk to,” Chris added.
I searched my mind.Jacobs?The elderly physician from the dinner at the Drake? “That was nice of him. Chris, is there a point to all this? Because—not trying to be rude here—I have a really long day tomorrow.”
Chris gave me a small, reproachful smile. “I guess I deserve that. The point is…” He cleared his throat. “I came here hoping we could move on. Start over.”
“I have.”
“Yes, I can see that.” He glanced around the apartment before turning his gaze on me. “I haven’t even asked you how your job is going.”
“I quit.”
He smiled broadly. “That’s great.”
“Erm. Thanks. I think.”
“There’s nothing to hold you here now. No job, no apartment. You could come to Atlanta.”
“What would I do there?”
He shrugged. “Whatever you want. Find a job. The difference is, we’d be together.”
My mind temporarily blanked. “I have a job. On Mackinac. I’m a substitute teacher at the school. Not full-time, not permanent, but I’m going to use the opportunity to really focus on my writing.”
“You could do that in Atlanta.” He reached across and took my hands in his strong, clean, capable ones. “Anne, don’t you see? The timing is perfect. I’m settled. You’re ready. We could have the life you always wanted.”
The life I’d imagined would make me feel safe and normal and less alone.
I tried to tug my hands back. “Chris, I’m not asking youto…That’s not what I want anymore. I need a life that doesn’t revolve around you.”
“I suppose I deserve that, too. But it would be different this time. Better.” He released me to dig around in one pocket. “I wasn’t being fair to you before. I was asking you for a commitment, but I wasn’t giving you anything in return.” He pulled his hand from his pocket and slid from the couch to one knee. “Marry me.”
