Page 36 of How to Break My Heart
“Yes, a rat!” she exclaims. “It darted right in front of me, and I swear, I nearly had a heart attack! I don’t know who screamed louder, me or the damn mutant rat… Eva, it was so big. I thought it was a cat at one point. I swear to God, it was not a normal rat.”
I burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. The rat story continues on, much to my amusement. After she’s done with her much-needed vent, I blurt out, “I have a date tonight.”
“I’ve been talking about a mutant rat for ten minutes, and you’re only telling me this now?”
“I won’t lie to you. The rat story was funny.”
“How was it funny?” Maddy raises her voice dramatically. “I nearly died!”
My eyes roll from the drama this woman conjures up in her head. “You didn’t nearly die. Do you want to hear about my date or not?”
“Yes, carry on.”
“So, it’s with Dr. Wilde,” I say slowly, then correct myself, “I mean, Marco.”
“Hold on one second. Are you dating your doctor?”
“Technically, hewasmy doctor, but not anymore.”
“Holy hotness. This is so forbidden!” Maddy squeals, and a horn honks in the background. “Give me all the deets.”
“There’s not much to tell yet,” I admit. “We met not long ago. I ran into him at the bar yesterday when you were spiraling over Myles’s family. Then, he called me and asked me out to dinner. Nothing fancy, but still.”
Maddy whistles. “The universe is working overtime.”
“It’s a small town.”
“Cinnamon Springs is small but notthatsmall,” she says, then continues in a rush, “What if he is your prince charming and you marry him? We could double-date with our husbands, and oh my God, what if we have kids at the same time? They could be besties too!”
“Okay, now you’re taking it a step too far. I’m not looking for a husband, just someone I enjoy spending time with.”
“And someone great in bed,” Maddy snickers.
I laugh softly. “That too.”
“Okay, but seriously, Eva. What if he isthe one?”
My laughter dulls to complete silence. We’ve had numerous conversations about meetingthe onethroughout our friendship. Though, no matter how often we’ve discussed it, the thought is terrifying. One person for therest of your life? Sure, it sounds fun at times, like when a storm hits and you’re in bed by yourself, wondering if it would be different with someone beside you, a man who made you feel safe.
I’m not one to crave children, but sometimes, a mother walks into my shop cradling a newborn, and I wonder what unconditional love for a human being you created feels like…
But it ends there.
I still want to experience so much and see more of the world. The only man I dated who was remotely serious was my ex Brady. It was college and we dated for six months. He wantedto graduate, move back to Boston, then settle down and start a family.
The more he mentioned it in the time we dated, the more I retreated and wanted to run. It wasn’t the right time, especially since leaving college opened up a world of possibilities.
Even though Brady was a great guy, I wouldn’t be here with my own business if I’d stayed with him. God knows, I’d probably have two kids now, since he wanted four in four years.
My uterus shriveled at the thought.
Maybe getting a dog or cat would be the compromise if I never find the so-calledone. I know plenty of single ladies in town who have cats. They have a club called Crazy For Kitties. There are about ten of them of all ages, and they meet every Thursday at the café for coffee and cronuts. To be honest, they have a ton of fun talking about their fur babies and the books they’re reading. It’s like a cat and book club all rolled into one.
“How did you know Myles was the one?” I ask, releasing a sigh. “I mean, you’re marrying him. So he is the one, right?”
“Of course, silly.” Maddy ponders quietly, then continues, “I don’t know. I guess there’s nothing wrong with him.”
“But, surely, there’s magic between you two.”
