Page 104 of Truth or More Truth
Nanette shakes her head. “Don’t you assume that’s what she’ll want. In fact, I can’t really see you being interested in a woman who wants to just stay home and be a lady of leisure.”
“You’re right. I think she’ll want to work.” She maybe won’t want to work full-time once kids come along, but I don’t say that because Kelli will have another squealing fit at the thought of a baby. “She has an Ivy League education as well as experience on Wall Street and with a professional sports team, so she shouldn’t have trouble landing something new here.”
Kelli says, “But it would be silly for her to move here and find a new job, only for you to be going to her old city all the time foryourjob and spending time withherfriends.” She gives me a pointed look. “I know those friends are your friends, too, but that doesn’t seem fair.”
“Great point, kiddo.” Nanette pats Kelli arm.
“I know.” Kelli smirks at me.
She’s right about all of that, but I need to get us back on track. “Let’s take the focus back to the two of you and not think about Melissa or me for a minute. Pretend we don’t matter. Is there anything negative for either of you personally if Melissa moves here but nothing else changes about our living arrangements? Will your lives be upset in any way?”
Kelli and Nanette look at each other, their profiles nearly identical. They hold a silent conversation and then turn to me as one.
“No.”
Kelli adds, “But that doesn’t mean it’s the best option, because you and Melissadomatter. We care about your happiness a lot. So now let’s talk about moving to Chicago.”
I lean my elbows on the table and look Nanette in the eye. “You stand to lose the most if we move. You’d have to find newdoctors, and you’d be far from your brother and cousins.” Her parents and grandparents have all passed away, but she’s close to some members of her extended family.
“They have busy lives,” she says. “I rarely see them now when I only live an hour away from them. It’s not worth us all staying here for the handful of days a year I see them. I’d actually spend more cumulative hours with them if I move away but come back specifically to visit them once or twice a year.”
I nod. “Makes sense.”
“And I’ve already called all my doctors and asked for referrals in Chicago. None of them seemed concerned about the possibility of me moving. It’s a big city, and there are good hospitals there. It’s not like we’d be moving to the middle of nowhere.”
I settle back against my chair. “When did you call your doctors?”
“A few weeks ago.”
“We kept hoping you’d come around,” Kelli says around a mouthful of chips. Thankfully she swallows before continuing, “And Whitley has some cousins in Chicago who go to a school a lot like ours. She said she could have her mom get us the school’s name and phone number.”
I take a sip of lemonade as I look back and forth between the two of them. “You’ve already planned this all out without me, haven’t you?”
Kelli nods. “Pretty much. Moving there makes so much more sense than Melissa moving here. And it’ll make you happy, which will make both of us happy. Is moving going to be easy? Nope. It’s gonna be a lot of work. I mean, on top of doctors and schools, we gotta find a place to live. And it needs to be close to your friends and have a place for Mom to live on the property.” She smacks her hand on the table and shoots me a stern look. “Because one thing Iwon’tagree to is moving there and having Mom not live by us.”
I give her a soft smile. “That’s not going to happen. We’ll find a place that’s perfect for all of us.”
Kelli grins. “Allfourof us, you mean?”
forty-three
. . .
My plane is touching down at LAX, so the countdown to seeing Bobby again has almost ended. While I thought I’d be anxious about the conversations to come and about how all three of them are feeling, I’m oddly calm. Now that we’re all being open and honest about our feelings and our fears, I know we’ll figure out what’s going to be best for all of us.
The only slight anxiety I’m feeling is about meeting Nanette. I’ve chosen to trust Bobby when he says there’s nothing romantic between the two of them, regardless of the fact that she lives in his backyard. But what if I get a different vibe from her? What if she’s secretly pining for him, and he has no clue? And what if she and I don’t get along? Will she be jealous of me or resentful that I’ve taken her place in Bobby’s life? For that matter, will Kelli end up feeling jealous or resentful? There are so many unknowns in this situation that it’s impossible not to feel a little bit of stress.
When I step off the jetway into the gate area, the first face I see is Bobby’s. Even though it’s only been five days since I last saw him, I’ve missed him terribly, and putting eyes on him is like coming home. Which is ironic, since our future home is what we’ll be discussing. But I’ve just now realized that wherever he is will be home for me from now on, no matter the location.
I drop my bag and jump into his open arms, and he swings meout of the way of the passengers behind me so he can kiss me soundly.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispers when we come up for air.
“It’s only been five days since you saw me and four since you talked to me.” I smile up at him.
“Feels like a lifetime.”
“Agreed. Let’s not go that long without talking ever again.”
