"My dad died in the Gulf War when I was a baby. I don't have any memory of him at all."
I reach across the table reflexively.
"I didn't know that was how you lost your dad.” I squeeze his hand in mine. "You lost both your parents so young."
"I think that's part of why I liked the military. Our unit was sort of like a family," he says. "Everyone takes care of each other. You get close to other people when you're depending on them like that, doing something that feels like it matters. It's probably like teaching that way."
His brown eyes gaze into mine, and I tense up at the mention of my career. It is a job that feels important, and that's one reason why it's hard to walk away. Being a teacher has become a part of my identity, and I've been proud of doing something that's meaningful and noble.
"Teaching is definitely rewarding in a lot of ways," I say, deliberately being vague.
The waitress interrupts us to take away our empty plates.
"I have dessert for you, compliments of Savannah," she says.
We're both stuffed, but when we see the chocolate torte and slice of pecan pie, we can't resist having a taste.
"I have a food baby," I declare, patting my round stomach.
Seth looks at me curiously. "Do you want kids someday?"
His blunt questions don't even faze me anymore.
"Maybe? But I've been told I'm not maternal so..."
"Who told you that?"
My face heats with embarrassment. "Ironically, my mother."
His expression hardens, like this answer displeases him. "Do you think she's a good judge of character?"
"Not really."
"Then I wouldn't put any stock in what she thinks."
"Thanks," I say quietly. "Good advice."
After Seth pays for the meal, as promised, we head to a music venue nearby. Eli's band is performing blue grass, and I'm skeptical about whether or not I'll enjoy it, but it hardly matters. I have less than thirty-six hours left in North Carolina, and I want to spend all of them with Seth.
I could change my plans and stay a few more days, but that would put me in a bind. I need to give notice at my current job and clean my belongings out of my classroom. Then I can start working for LaTonya and pay my bills. I texted her yesterday to see if she needed me, and she responded with the word yes followed by about ten exclamation points. I wish I could share my career plans with Seth, but telling him about my job change seems like it would lead to a discussion of Dan, and I'm not ready to go there.
The band turns out to be excellent, and it's fun to see Eli up on stage, in his element. He's pretty fierce on the fiddle, and I can tell he's got quite a few female fans. Seth offers to buy me a beer, but it's still too soon after my last encounter with that particular beverage to want another one. The wine I had with dinner will be it for me this evening. He buys us both bottles of water, and we stand in the darkness of the theater soaking up the music together. The place is crowded, and Seth stands behind me so we have enough space. He's so tall that it's easy for him to see the stage over my head. When I lean back against him, he wraps his arms around my waist and every nerve ending in my body sparks at the places our bodies are touching. He's warm and strong and nothing that I ever thought I needed in my life, but as I rest against him, I can't help thinking that he fits me perfectly.
During the show's intermission, Seth and I wander outside, into the cool night air. There's a cement path that leads around the music venue to shops and restaurants. He takes my hand in his, and I move close enough so that our clothes touch as we walk.
We find a nice bench and sit down, enjoying the quiet after the noise of the music hall. I wouldn't mind going back inside and catching the rest of the show, but I'm just as happy out here, under the starry sky.
"When do you have to go back to work?" Seth asks, slipping an arm around me.
I rest my head on his shoulder for a few seconds before raising it and answering him.
"I'm not sure I'm going back to my teaching job," I say, smoothing out the skirt of my dress. I take a deep breath because it's time to put on my big girl panties and tell him the truth. Better that he hear it from me than Dad or Renata. "In fact, I'm definitely not going back to it. I'm quitting."
"You're quitting your job?" He pivots his body to look at me with a baffled expression.
"I'm going to work at my friend's catering company," I say, not wanting him to think I'm quitting my job so I can do something crazy like move down here to be with him. "I can run events for her and make enough money to live on for a while, until I figure out my next move."
"Why?" he asks.
