We find a corner away from the other people scattered about, and I stand as close to her as possible. I don’t know why, but I feel like Ineedto be near her right now, like whatever she’s about to say…it could change everything.
She takes a drink of her Diet Coke, then sets the glass on the railing before turning out to look at the city. I don’t miss how she inches away, either. She’s quiet for a while, and I let her take her time, and not just because I’m not so sure I’m ready to hear what she has to say.
When she shivers, I tug off my jacket and drape it around her shoulders.
She smiles up at me softly. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Anything for my girl.”
Her eyes flit away from mine, and I push down the vomit that threatens to make itself known.
“So…”
“So…” she repeats, then sighs. “I applied for an internship.”
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t that. She applied for an internship? When did she do this? I try to sift through all our conversations over the last few months, but I can’t, for the life of me, figure out when she may have mentioned an internship. Did I miss it somewhere? Did I not pay attention?
“An internship? For another lab?”
She shakes her head. “Uh, no. If I have to spend another three months in one, I might scream.”
My brows furrow. “What’s the internship for, then?”
What I really want to ask isWhy didn’t you tell me? I’m your husband!But I don’t.
“Writing.”
It’s the second time tonight she’s surprised me. “Writing? What? Since when?”
“Um, I don’t know. For a while now, I guess. I, uh, I’ve been blogging. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but one night when you were on the road and I couldn’t sleep, I grabbed my laptop and wrote something about it. You know I’ve always loved journaling and getting my thoughts out.”
“I know. I remember watching you all the time in college. I haven’t seen you do it lately, though.”
“I do. I just use my computer now instead.”
Am I just not as observant as I thought? I had no idea she was still writing…or that she still wanted to. I know I’ve been wrapped up in hockey, especially lately, since I’m about ninety-nine percent sure I’m on the chopping block as Chicago looks to revamp their roster yet again, but I didn’t realize I was so distracted I didn’t even know what was going on in my own home.
“Anyway,” she says, “I found it online and applied on a whim. With Talia’s encouragement, of course.”
Her best friend knows about this, yet she didn’t think it was important to tell her husband? That’s fucked up in so many ways I don’t have the words for.
“I wasn’t expecting to get accepted at all since I have no real formal practice in writing, which is why I didn’t say anything,” she continues. “But I guess they liked my samples so much they decided to take a chance on me, and I…” She shrugs. “I don’t know. I really want to do it. I don’t love the lab, but you know that already. Maybe this could be something new for me, you know?”
But it’s not new for her. It’s new forus, and I don’t think that’s something she’s taken into consideration. I can understand being worried she wouldn’t get it, but to not evenmention to me that she applied? Then spring this on me tonight of all nights?
Well, I suppose that part makes sense. She always saw this holiday as a chance to start over.
“Callum?”
“Hmm?” I give myself a mental shake. “Sorry. Yeah, that’s amazing, Clover. I’m happy for you.” I mean it too. Sure, it’s not at all what I was expecting, but it doesn’t make me any less thrilled for this opportunity she has. “I know you’ll be great at it. When does it start?”
“Um, soon. Like in two weeks.”
Two weeks? What the fuck?
“I know that’s not ideal,” she continues. “I know your agent mentioned a possible trade, but this is really important to me. It’s a great writing program, and London?—”
“London? The internship is in London?”
