“It’s not,” replied Ella as she began transferring the catfish Ben had brought from Dondies onto plates.“It was Mrs.Waters’s mom’s house.They redid it to use for their family when everyone is in town.Because they don’t have any big family holidays coming up, it made sense to use it as corporate housing during the study.Blesson was supposed to use it.I doubt they would have offered it to just anyone.”
Nodding, Ben agreed.“Yeah, you are probably right.Whoever decorated this did a great job.”Ben was a man’s man, but he knew good design when he saw it.
“Mr.Waters said Paul at Guess & Company did it.”
“Hmm,” said Ben, wondering if they should have him do their condo.He did not say that though.They had more important things to discuss.
Ella handed Ben a bottle of the beer she had picked up for him, then fixed herself a glass of water.They spent the next few minutes enjoying their dinner.Ella had heard the guys on the crew talking about how fabulous Dondies was, and it lived up to the hype.
Ben got up to refill her water and to get himself a second beer.Ben was not a big drinker, so Ella realized that he must be feeling the need for a little liquid courage.She would not have minded some herself.Throughout dinner, they kept the table talk light.Had they not just been in the middle of the biggest fight of their marriage, she might have thought everything was okay.Of course, it was not.They still had much to discuss, but neither seemed ready to break the momentary peace that had descended since Ben had walked in the door with food.
Once they finished eating, Ben said, “I will clean this up.Why don’t you get comfy on a couch, and I will join you so we can talk.”As with everything else that was fabulous about the place, it had big, oversized couches, outfitted with pillows and comfy throws.
There was no need to ask what they were going to talk about.The time of reckoning had come.It only took Ben a few minutes to clean up, then he joined Ella on the couch.Pulling her in close, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he propped his long legs on the wooden coffee table.
After taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Ben said, “So tell me about this job.What is so great about it that you have to leave me and run off to do it?”
Ella gave Ben a slight smile and answered, “I amnotrunning off and leaving you, but this is a huge opportunity for me.It is a dream come true.There is no way I will ever have the chance to work under and learn from someone like Dr.Blesson again.I am learning so much, plus I am able to use the knowledge I gained from my senior project.While the soil here is vastly different from the volcanic and marine soil we have back home, there are some similarities.Both have a large amount of clay, and both are part of an alluvial fan.My past learning experience allows me to bring a unique perspective.”
Ella continued talking about different types of soils, the way they interact, and why it is so important that the soil be correctly fertilized with the various chemical studies that would allow them to know exactly what each field needed to maximize the quality and size of the crop production.The longer she talked, the more Ben could feel his eyes crossing.As much as he wanted to support her interest in soil and conservation, she had lost him five minutes in.
When Ella finally took a breath, she looked at Ben and knew he was a goner.Bless his heart, she could tell he was really trying to look interested, but he was checked out.Laughing, she said, “You look like I feel every time you start telling me about your most recent golf round.”
Running a hand through his hair, Ben gave a sheepish smile and said, “You got me there.For the record, I really did try to keep up, but you lost me somewhere around an alluvial fan.Hell, I grew up here and have no idea what you are talking about.What I do know is that you are really into this project.I get that.I just worry it will be too much for you.I remember how rigorous your senior project was.You seemed to spend more time covered in mud than not.”
Nodding, Ella snuggled closer to Ben and replied, “True, but this time I am not the one in the fields collecting the samples.”
“Really?”replied Ben.“That is exactly where you were when I got here today.”
“That was a one-off.I just wanted to make sure everything was set up properly and everyone was following the correct protocols.From now on, most of my time will be spent in my office working directly with Blesson.”
For a moment, neither said anything.Then Ben let out a long sigh.“Okay, I can see that I am not going to be able to convince you to quit.So tell me.How is this going to work?Are you going to live here for the next three months?What about doctor visits?What about us?There will be some events I will really need you at.”
Realizing that she had won, Ella squealed and reached up and gave Ben a passionate kiss.Breaking the kiss, she said, “Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!This is going to be so great.I will be anywhere you need me.Just let me know ahead of time.As far as living arrangements go, I need to be here Monday through Friday.I can come back to Little Rock for the weekends.Will that work?”
Shaking his head, Ben said, “It’s not ideal, but I guess if that is what you want, that is what we will do.As often as I can, I will join you here during the week.It is rather fabulous here if I do say so myself.”Nuzzling his wife, he added, “Plus, I very much like snuggling up to you at night.The thought of not being able to do that makes me very unhappy.”
Basking in the warmth of Ben’s embrace, Ella said, “I know that will be the worst part.But it is only three months.I know we can do this.”
Pulling back a bit so he could look into her eyes, Ben said, “Now about Michigan and grad school.I am fully aware that is something you really want.When do you have to let them know whether you are accepting your scholarship or not?”
Ella looked up at Ben with wide eyes and said, “July first is the deadline to accept.Just so you know, The only thing I want more than this job is to go to Michigan.I have no idea how we are going to make that work, but I am not ready to close the door on that yet.”
For a moment, Ben said nothing.He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.Letting it out in a long sigh, he said, “Let’s table the Michigan discussion for now.Since you have until July, let’s get through this job and the baby’s birth.We can see how you are feeling about everything then.”If Ben were honest with himself, he would have admitted that he truly hoped Ella would be over all of that by then.It had been a crappy twenty-four hours.He simply did not have the energy to be real with himself about the possibility she might still harbor the desire to go to Michigan after John was born.Instead, he indulged his assumption that time, distance, and a new baby would sway Ella’s mind about leaving.
Ella nodded and then because she had to know, she asked, “Since we are on the topic of school for the fall, what have you decided about law school?Are you still planning on starting in the fall or do you plan to keep working on your father’s campaign?”
Ben shrugged.The truth was law school was exactly what he was planning, but he was savvy enough to know that saying so would not advance his position.Instead he said, “At the moment, I don’t know what I am going to do.I think it would be best if we both just put a pin in any future plans until after John is here.Then we can reevaluate.Sound good?”He hoped that was what Ella needed to hear.It was the best he could come up with because the truth would not go down very well.
Ella thought for a minute, then nodded her head.Quietly she asked, “Are you sure you are okay with waiting?I know you have always had your whole life planned out, and I feel like I have totally messed it up.”
Holding Ella close, Ben sidestepped the question and replied, “Ella, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me.Is my life working out how I thought it would?No.The truth is,everytime I think I have things figured out, life throws a curveball.If you had given me a thousand guesses, I would have never guessed I would be sitting in a corporate housing in Des Arc, begging my hot, sexy wife to spend time with me.But here I am.”
Ella could not help but laugh.“First of all,” Ella said, gesturing to her growing belly, “I would hardly describe myself as hot or sexy.And second of all, you never have to beg me to spend time with you.You may have to drive a little farther, but I am always excited to spend time with you.Even today when I was worried about how angry you were going to be, just seeing your face made me happy.”
Grinning, Ben asked, “Is that so?Well, let me assure you, I also loved seeingyourface.As for the other, you areveryhot and very sexy.”Before Ella knew what was happening, Ben swept her up into his arms and carried her to bed, proving his point in a thousand different little ways.
The next few weeks were a blur.True to his word, Ben made the trek from Little Rock to Des Arc several times each week.Ella came back to the condo in Little Rock on the weekends.Life seemed to settle down into a normal if somewhat hectic routine.
