She made a sound that sounded like half laugh, half sob.
“Number six. Spend an entire Saturday afternoon building that ‘impossible’ piece of furniture you bought for our house.”
“Our house?” she whispered.
I held her gaze. “Our house.” Looking back down at my list, I continued. “Number seven. Make sure your coffee is made exactly how you like it and ready for you as soon as you wake up.”
“What if I wake up before you?”
“I’ll set my alarm for when yours goes off. I want to be the one who makes it for you. Every morning. For the rest of our lives.”
Tears were streaming silently down her face now, but she was also smiling, and I didn’t know what to do with that combination except keep going.
“Number eight. Sit through every season of your favorite reality show without complaining, just because I like being near you.”
“You hate reality TV.”
“Yeah, well, I’m willing to make sacrifices if it means Iget to keep you.” My voice broke slightly because I was so desperate to close the distance between us and wrap her up in my arms again, but I couldn’t do that until I finished reading her this list.
“Number nine. Finally be the guy who shows up to your family dinners as your boyfriend, not just your brother’s best friend.”
“My parents already love you.”
“I want them to love me as yours.”
She sucked in a breath.
“Number ten. Fold laundry with you while we talk about how our days went.”
“That’s so boring,” she said, but her voice cracked.
“That’s the point. I want the boring stuff, Ava. I want all of it. Every single mundane thing, every high, every low. I want them all.” I looked back down at my list. “Number eleven. Be your designated driver for every night out for the next fifty years, so you always have a safe way home.”
“Fifty years is a long time.”
“Not long enough.”
I looked at the paper again. Last one.
“Number twelve.” My voice cracked. “Hold your hand and let you scream at me as you bring our future babies into the world.”
The barn went completely silent except for the wind and the sound of both of us trying to breathe.
I lowered the paper.
“I made a list for the rest of my life,” I said. “But I can only check it off with you. This list isn’t for anyone else.”
She stood there, tears streaming down her face, and I waited. I’d said everything I could say. Laid myself bare in a way I’d never done before with anyone. If she told me toleave now, I would. I’d spend the rest of my life regretting it, but I would go.
“That’s a stupid list,” she finally said.
My heart stopped.
“Tire pressure? Folding laundry?” She took a step toward me. “Those aren’t romantic, Liam. Those are just life.”
“I know.” I could barely breathe. “That was the point.”
“You didn’t even include anything sexy. My list was way better.”
