2022 WATTYS SHORTLISTED || After being forced into a marriage by her devoutly religious parents, Aspen's husband is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, and she must find her purpose as well as fight feelings for her husband's nurse. || Aspen Wat...
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The wine tastes sweet and yet weirdly bitter at the same time. It's funny how one sentence, one piece of speech can make even the sweetest things taste acrid.
The other funny thing is that what's sitting strangely with me is not the thought of taking my relationship with Nick to the next stage. His idea makes the most sense for every person involved. What's weird to me is that I've never had this natural step put before me before, and I don't know what to do. It feels all kinds of wrong that ten days after my husband died, Nick is asking me to move in with him. It feels wrong that I should consider it and be happy when my husband hasn't even gone into a coffin or urn yet.
But then, I didn't really have a conventional relationship with Joel. We were roommates, then lovers, and then wed within the year. Nick and I haven't exactly been conventional, either.
There is no right or wrong with relationships. What's right for one isn't right for the other. If anything has taught me that, it's Joel.
"I mean, if it's too soon, you can say no or you can have the spare room and we can essentially be roommates. I rent this place from my dad, so it's not like there'll be issues—"
"Nick, your landlord is your dad, who is also Gabriel's—"
"Gabriel has nothing to do with this, Aspen. Though if that bothers you, say no. Even if they found out about you being his biological mother, it's going to come out eventually," Nick points out.
I nod in response, put my glass down and stand up to take the room in properly. The cream walls, the photos of him and Georgina, and his parents all stare back at me. I look at that photo of Gabriel on his wall again. It's the second time I've really looked at it. There's another one of them on the side in a wooden frame; Nick's mum is holding Gabriel while the two men are grinning.
"That was taken the day the adoption order went through. They wanted me there for it," Nick mentions. "Aspen, with Joel gone... do we need to revisit this? I'm happy for you to say no to this idea. I was just offering because it's a win for everyone involved in this sorry situation. If you want to pause our relationship—"
"No, that's not what this is," I interrupt him quickly. "Joel's death, along with Summer's decision, has just brought it back. It'd be okay, I think. I'm just nervous; if I ever met Gabriel or if, and when, your parents find out—I don't want them, or you, to be hurt by my presence."
He stands in front of me, and his hand cups my cheek. "I would never, and could never be hurt by your presence, my daisy. Would it be easier for you if we tell them?"
"I don't... I don't know. That's not something I can deal with right now," I admit. "The funeral, the job, the grief... I don't need something else right now."
