Something In Between: Sequel to On The Edge of Tomorrow

Chapter 41

I waited for the shoe to drop all week, but Billy never proposed. A mix of emotions swirled in me. Part of me was so excited that Billy had found someone that gave him confidence in his life, but another part of me mourned the shifting of our relationship. We had long decided to be friends, but as we both began to ponder our futures with others, it felt more real.

"Hey, Sam," I said into the darkness of our bedroom after we had returned home.

"Yeah," he yawned.

"I don't want kids," I bluntly stated.

"What?" I absently said as he shifted deeper into his pillows.

"I don't want kids," I flatly said again.

"Do I get some context here?" He was more focused now.

"In life, I don't want kids. The idea doesn't appeal to me. I don't want to clean up after one or be responsible for one. I don't want kids," I explained.

"Oh," Sam murmured.

"I just thought you should know," I added.

"Yeah, I guess I should," he agreed.

"Do you want kids?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. I've never really thought about it," he admitted.

"Oh, well; I think you should think about it."

"Yeah, I guess I should," he agreed again.

"Okay, so good night," I awkwardly added.

"Yeah, good night," he said, still in a daze from my unprompted statement.

I shifted over in bed to face the wall and waited for him to have follow-up questions. If they arose, he didn't blurt them into the darkness as I had.

We did our routine the following day as though nothing was different. I headed into my new office, and he headed into his. The pattern continued for weeks with no additional mention of kids or our future until one day Sam came home with a somber expression on his face.

"Hey, Lil." Just by his greeting, I knew something was wrong.

Immediately I prepared to be dumped. "Hey, what's wrong?" I prodded.

"I have some news," he began. "It's good news but not great timing," he continued.

"Okay." I held my breath.

"I got the developer promotion," he quickly spat.

"What? Sam, that's amazing! This is what you wanted, right? Less travel, better pay, more career advancement."

"Yeah, not it's great. It's just..." He hesitated.

"What?" I prodded.

"I have to go for training for two weeks in California." He let out a heavy breath as he spoke.

"Sam, that's nothing. One last work trip before you're all mine." I smiled.

"Yeah, no. It's not the trip. I have to go for two full weeks, and I leave next Monday," he admitted. "If I accept," he then added.

"You'll miss the wedding," I realized.

"I'll miss the wedding," Sam echoed.

"No, you have to take it. Tim and Tess are my friends. You barely know them. You would be crazy to pass up this opportunity for a wedding of people you barely know," I rationalized.

"But they are your best friends, and you're in the wedding. How can I not be there? I'm just not going to take it. I'm sure another opportunity will present itself." Sam was speaking as much to himself as to me.