Page 89 of Where We Call Home

“Your soup is ready,” she finally said, pointing toward the dinging microwave.

I grabbed my food and set it down, minimizing distractions.

“Honey,” I said softly.

That did it. She looked up at me, her expression softening. “Yes?”

“What are we doing here?”

I had thought about this the whole way home. I needed to know where she stood. Pretending everything was fine while we danced around our feelings wasn’t sustainable. Deep down, I knew she felt the same pull I did, but I needed to hear her say it.

“I’m eating my milkshake,” she said playfully, “and you’re eating the soup I made after scrolling Pinterest for hours.”

“That’s not what I meant,” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

Theo groaned, tilting her head back. “Couldn’t you let me avoid it a little longer? Feelings are hard.”

I shook my head.

She sighed, her voice softening. “I like you, Rhodes, but I’m afraid putting a label on us will ruin the ease of what we have.” She gave me her full attention. “I’m content with where we are.”

I felt the same, and it was good to know we were on the same page.

“I’m happy, Theo,” I said. “I like this, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t teetering on the edge of wanting something more.”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“I don’t want to scare you away,” I added.

She straightened her posture. “I’m not some shy thing, Rhodes. I can have fears. That doesn’t mean I’ll run.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” I said quickly. “I just didn’t want to put my feelings on you and make things harder. I also can’t ignore that I see something between us.”

She let out a deep breath, relaxing in her chair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

That small reassurance eased the knot in my chest.

“I really enjoy my time with you,” I said. “What we have is effortless, and I appreciate that. Stepping into something like this isn’t easy for me after… well, you know.”

A flicker of understanding crossed her face.

“I know,” she replied. “It’s not easy for me either. The way I feel is foreign yet, it’s also comforting. I don’t know what to do with that. However, with you, it’s been easy to step into a life and feel settled.”

“I don’t want to add more pressure to you, or the baby, things have changed a lot for me.”

Theo nodded, her shoulders relaxing as she settled back into her chair. “Me too. Me too. I like our bubble though. I’m not saying I don’t ever want to step into something more, but right now I’m content with what we have. I hope you understand that.”

I did. I understood where she was coming from. However, I wasn’t going to wait forever to put a label or make what we had deeper. For now, I’d go at her pace. I chose not to tell her I was falling in love with her, directly. I knew I was. When I looked at her, I saw hope, strength, and the life I’d always wanted.

One day, I’d tell her everything. For now, I kept it to myself and let the vague confession linger a little longer.

Thirty-Three

Theo is 29 weeks pregnant

Baby is the size of a butternut squash

It was nursery day.

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