Page 124 of Cruel Love

“She’s... not taking it well.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean... she’s a little freaked out. Understandably. Holding up better than I would be, all things considered...” She goes quiet for a second. “Listen, Fox, I...”

I shift on my feet, digging my toe into the dirt. “What is it?”

“Do you want to have kids?” she asks. “Caleb said something about her kids growing up with your kids, but we had never really talked about... kids.”

I bite my cheek. “I told her what I had to tell her to get her to stay behind, Dani. It wasn’t safe for her to be here.”

“So... you don’t?”

I open my mouth to answer but I close it again, bouncing between yes and no. Maybe someday and never at all.

“Do you?” I ask.

“I don’t know. Do you?”

I laugh with her, defeating the tension. “I’ve wanted a lot of things,” I say. “Never really got much of it. Always figured kids would be on that list, too.”

“Wasn’t I on that list once?” she asks.

My lips twitch. “You were. Yeah.”

“We don’t need to decide now,” she says. “Even if we did want... there’s still a lot more to do before then. Right?”

“Right,” I say. “Dani.”

“Yeah, Fox?”

“I want a life with you,” I say. “If kids happen, then they happen. If they don’t, then they don’t. I don’t care what that life looks like, as long as I have you. All right? No pressure.”

“I feel the same way,” she says. “I love you so much, Fox.”

I close my eyes again, immersing myself in her. If I could find a way to cling to this feeling... maybe I could keep my humanity just a little bit longer.

“I love you, too,” I say.

Something knocks twice in the background.

“That’s Caleb,” Dani says. “She went to check us out and turn in the room key, so I’ve gotta go...” She breathes out, not wanting to go. “Thank you for calling. I know you might not have wanted to...”

“I wanted to,” I say. “I needed to.”

“Stay strong for me.”

I chuckle. “You stole my line.”

“You let me handle the lines,” she says. “You handle the guns.”

“Sounds fair.” I linger a second longer in the moment. “Be safe.”

“You, too. Bye, Fox.”

“Bye, Dani.”

She hangs up. I look into the starry night again. I felt so weak before when I began that call, but now I feel strong. Dani is strong. She didn’t sound terrified or on the brink of tears like I feared she would be. She’s tough and capable. Calm and steady...

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