“They have other family, Toni.”
“No, they don’t. You know this. Other than my parents and siblings, I’m their family.” I pointed to my chest and strained to keep my voice low.
“So, what? We’re going to completely change our lives to accommodate two kids?”
“Yes, we are.”
Brendan gripped the back of the chair and looked at me. “We never talked about kids, Toni. I thought we were on the same page here with careers, marriage, travel. Kids were never part of the plan.”
“That’s not true, Brendan. Anytime I’ve brought up us having kids, you’ve said soon. Maybe that’s been your ‘plan,’” I said, adding air quotes for emphasis. “We have no plan. We’ve been together for what, four years now?” I held my left hand up. “Do you see a ring here? Are we sharing an address? No, we’re not, so again, I ask what plans?”
“We talked about taking things slow.”
“When we started dating, Brendan. You move slow then. Not years later.”
“I think it’s a bit irresponsible to tell someone you’re going to take care of their kids.”
I scoffed and pinched the bridge of my nose.
“I don’t want kids, Toni.”
“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Brendan.”
He paced while I drank my wine.
“This is stupid to fight over.”
“I agree, but I’m not changing my mind. My best friend is dying; she doesn’t need to worry about where her kids are going. They’re going to me, and that’s final.”
“Fine.”
“Fine, what?”
“We’ll send them to boarding school. It’ll be good for Cutter. He can go to the one I went to. He’ll excel there and will be able to get into Harvard. As for Nova, my mom will know of a good one.”
I stared at him in horror. “You’ve got—”
My soon-to-be diatribe was interrupted when the front door slammed. I walked into the hallway and toward the door in time to see Cutter running down the driveway.
“That’s fucking great,” I muttered as I stomped back to the kitchen. With my finger raised, I squared up to Brendan. “No, absolutely not. I am not sending them away to be raised by people who don’t know them. Nova’s a baby. She needs nurturing. They’re losing their mom, and you think it’s okay to send them away to school because their mother dying isn’t in your plan.”
He stared.
“That’s your plan, Brendan. Not mine.”
“I don’t want kids, Toni.”
“Then I guess you don’t want me.” I stepped away from him and went to grab my coat. He followed.
“Are you really going to choose them over me?”
“The fact that you’re so in your own head right now and only thinking about yourself should give you the answer. But in case you need a verbal, yes, I am and always will.”
I walked toward the door, opened it, and held it for him to walk in front of me.
“So, this is it?”
“Yeah, it is. I’m sorry, but we don’t want the same things in life.”
