Chapter 12 - THE MAN WHO STAYED WITHOUT BEING ASKED
Nathaniel and I dated for another year.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Without rushing toward a wedding.
We traveled.
Cooked together.
Met each other's families.
Argued about movies.
Discovered that he hated cilantro and I considered that a character flaw.
One afternoon, he took me to a construction site outside Austin.
A small community medical center.
He'd designed it.
I walked through the unfinished building.
“This is beautiful.”
Nathaniel smiled.
“It's not finished.”
“I can see what it'll be.”
He looked at me.
Then said:
“That's one of the things I love about you.”
I stopped.
My heart raced.
Nathaniel looked suddenly nervous.
“I didn't mean to—”
I smiled.
“You love me?”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
I stared.
Then laughed softly.
“Good.”
He blinked.
“Good?”
I nodded.
“Because I love you too.”
Nathaniel smiled.
Then kissed me.
We didn't move in together immediately.
We talked about finances.
Expectations.
Personal space.
Future plans.
All the conversations I'd once avoided because I was afraid of making Everett uncomfortable.
Nathaniel welcomed them.
One evening, I asked:
“What happens if we disagree about something important?”
He looked at me.
“We talk.”
I smiled.
“And if we still disagree?”
“Then we keep talking. Or we accept that we don't agree.”
I laughed.
“That sounds suspiciously healthy.”
Nathaniel grinned.
“I try.”
For the first time in my adult life, I was learning that a relationship didn't have to be a competition for attention.
May you like
It could be a partnership.
And that changed everything.
