Page 60 of Wild Dreams

"I should." He immediately threw on his clothes, not even bothering to go to the bathroom to freshen up.

"Okay," I said, even though he hadn't waited for a response.

Chance stiffened when he realized I was waiting for him. "This is why a relationship is a bad idea."

"It's only a problem if you think it is." I suspected he didn't have to go in every time there was an emergency. He put too much pressure on himself. Like he was the only one who could handle any situation.

"You'd hate it eventually. I wouldn't do that to you."

He was acting like a martyr. If he refused to have a relationship, no one could get hurt. But I would be anyway.

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Go back to sleep."

Then he was gone, his footsteps heavy on the wood floor. I heard the door open, then close. I was positive he'd turned the lock for me. I didn't bother getting up to check it.

I turned off the lamp and snuggled under the covers that smelled like him. For some reason, his words and him walking out felt final.

If we were together, I wouldn't want him to change himself. But it wasn't healthy for him to be on call most of the time.

I felt bad for him. He was missing out on the best parts of life. The time you spent with family and friends. The chance to love someone and share your life with them.

But only he could decide what was right for him. It wasn't up to me to change him or convince him to be different.

Right now, his work was more important than anything else, and I wasn't sure that was ever going to change.

Ihad trouble sleeping because I was worried about Chance. I hadn't told him to be safe because he'd said he didn't like his mother worrying about his dad's safety. Instead, I tossed and turned, checking social media for any information on the multivehicle accident.

I finally fell asleep at dawn. When I woke up at ten, it was brighter outside, but I still felt groggy. I needed to write. I had lost valuable time yesterday.

I forced myself to get out of the bed that still smelled like Chance, vowing to put off washing the sheets for a few more days. I wanted my pillow to smell like him.

I let Oakley out, showered, then heated up leftovers, including the pie.

Most people were shopping or spending time with family, but this weekend had always been about me catching up on something, whether that was homework, cleaning, or writing. With my damp hair twisted in a bun on top of my head, I sat at the desk and opened my laptop.

Somehow, my story had morphed into something that was close to a comedy, and I didn't consider myself to be funny. I wasn't actually sure how that happened.

The little girl and her brother were determined to catch Santa in the act. They spent days making elaborate plans for possible traps, drawing various diagrams, then acting them out. They finally settled on three.

The scenes with the traps were easy to write. But I needed a way to bring in more characters. The play couldn't just be the parents and the kids.

I pulled out a sheet of paper and brainstormed possibilities. I finally settled on a holiday party. That was the easiest way to bring in more people.

It would be a funny scene with the kids disappearing to set up the traps that only the audience would know about. I could see the tree standing on the strip of stage that jutted out.

Energized, I outlined the party scene, knowing I'd fill in the details as I went. By the time I paused to stretch, it was dark out. I couldn't believe I'd worked the entire day .Other than letting Oakley out a few times, I hadn’t taken any breaks.

When I checked my messages, I had one from Scarlett asking what my plans were for the weekend. I typed out a quick message that I was finishing the play; therefore I was not to be disturbed. I was on a role, and I knew I could finish before the end of the weekend.

Scarlett's response was immediate.

Scarlett: Does this mean we can start rehearsing next week?

I shook my head, still not understanding how she had such faith in me and my writing.

Marigold: What if it sucks?

Scarlett: It will be perfect. I can't wait to read it.

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