"I understand. And Jake—I promise. Six months from now, I'll give you an answer. About all of it."
They finished dinner in tense silence, and Jake couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just agreed to something he'd regret.
Six more months of waiting. Six more months of uncertainty.
He loved Lucy. But how long could love survive without commitment?
Lucy knew Jake was hurt.
He'd put himself out there—said he was ready for everything—and she'd asked for more time. Again.
She was being the same person she'd always been. Scared of commitment, scared of vulnerability, scared of trusting herself to stay.
"You're self-sabotaging," Rei said bluntly when Lucy told her about it. "Again."
"I'm not self-sabotaging. I'm being realistic."
"You're being scared. Lucy, Jake is ready to build a life with you. Real, permanent, forever life. And you're stalling because you're afraid of messing it up. But guess what? Stalling IS messing it up."
"I just need more time—"
"You've had time! You've been back from Paris for eight months. You've been living with Jake for two months. At some point, you have to stop waiting to feel ready and just be brave enough to commit anyway."
"What if I'm not brave enough?"
"Then you'll lose him. Because Jake's not going to wait forever."
Lucy knew Rei was right. She could feel Jake pulling away. Not dramatically, not obviously. But in small ways—less affectionate, more distant, like he was protecting himself from her inevitable abandonment.
The magazine feature happened in early July.
The writer and photographer came to Margaret's, interviewed Lucy and Daniel, took photos of the kitchen and dining room. It was exciting and terrifying and everything Lucy had dreamed about when she opened the restaurant.
But Jake wasn't there. He was at a coaching clinic planning meeting with Tommy. Building his own dream.
They were both building dreams. Just—separately. Like two parallel lines that looked close but never actually touched.
After the magazine people left, Lucy sat in her empty restaurant and cried.
She'd done it. Built the restaurant she'd always wanted. Had glowing reviews, a full reservation book, recognition from major publications.
But she was losing Jake. She could feel it. Could feel him deciding that waiting for her to be ready wasn't worth it anymore.
Lucy pulled out her phone and called Uncle Walter.
"Lulu? Everything okay?"
"I'm losing him. I'm losing Jake because I'm too scared to commit and I don't know how to stop being scared."
"Come over. Let's talk."
At Uncle Walter's house, Lucy broke down completely.
"I love him. I really love him. But every time he asks for more commitment, I panic. I ask for more time. And I can see him getting tired of waiting. What's wrong with me?"
Uncle Walter pulled her into a hug. "Nothing's wrong with you. You're scared. That's normal."
"But it's not normal to keep pushing away someone who loves you just because you're scared!"
