Of Lorenz Theory & Love

The Damask Discussion

33 JHMD: The Damask Discussion

8 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

After several more minutes, Harry continued talking. "About that pink test tube—"

Macy attempted a laugh. "Forget about it—"

"No, Macy, I don't want to forget about it," Harry spoke firmly, and a jolt of cosmic electricity made her spine tingle and her toes curl, ever-so-slightly. "What if you're pregnant right now?"

Macy shocked, thought he was joking, but she realized that he was serious. "Honestly, according to my cycle tracker app, I'm past my ovulation date so I know that's out of the question. But even if I were, I worry about repeating Marisol's history and having a stillbirth. I would have stress-induced panic attacks about the fact my genetics business is just starting. And the lack of legal security—I'm not married, and I wouldn't feel 100% secure knowingly bringing a child into this world neither engaged nor married. I know people do nowadays, and that's a personal decision, but I am. An overplanner. Oh, and we have no place of our own. My anxiety would be through the roof. I mean," she said, surveying the intricate gables of the house's exterior, "Vera Manor is charming in a Victorian way, don't get me wrong, but it would get crowded with four people and a baby—"

Harry interrupted her. "How would you, Macy Vaughn, feel? All of the above reasons don't tell me about what you yourself would think, in your heart of hearts."

"Well..." Macy paused, and reflected for a few moments before finally speaking. "Assuming the reasons I gave were resolved, so I had less anxiety (avoiding, in turn, stressing out said hypothetical baby), I would still be really surprised and maybe kind of scared if I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant. How can I be a good mother when my own mom left me at age 2? I don't know to be a mother. But something tells me, deep down," her voice wavered, then grew resolute. "I would be really, really happy—to be having this baby, with you being his or her father. In the grand scheme of things, I know I could handle this. You?"

"Truth be told," said Harry, peering into his glass and back at Macy, "I'd be absolutely delighted—after getting over the initial shock, of course. Even though Jimmy didn't have the best track record, I know you would keep me in line, and I know that you would make an amazing mother someday."

"Really?" Macy teared up a bit.

"Beyond a doubt." Harry kissed her. An idea occurred to him, and he whispered in her ear, "go grab your journal." Macy looked at him questioningly, but did as he requested, returning with a couple of pens, just in case.

8:30 pm, Vera Manor, Seattle, Washington

Macy opened her journal to the next blank page, wondering what Harry was about to have her do. He asked if he could take a pen and start writing. She nodded, noting that this was the first time any man she had ever dated knew about, let alone saw the inside of, her precious notebook with her innermost thoughts.

Harry jotted down a few bullets under the header entitled "Timeline":

-Genetics Business: Goal: launch business successfully, to make extra money

-Legal: Short-Term Goal: get engaged | Long-Term Goal: get married

-Property: Short-Term Goal: spruce up the Azores property | Long-Term Goal: have a place of our own (e.g., Vera Manor renovations and/or live in the Azores)

Harry looked toward at Macy. "Does that sound about right?" he inquired. She said yes; Harry handed her back the notebook, and Macy scribbled some quick numbers, making a few calculations in her head.

-Genetics Business: 3-5 months

-Legal: Short-Term Goal: get engaged | Long-Term Goal: get married (1-2 years??) (kids: 2??)

-Property: Short-Term Goal: spruce up the Azores property (1 busy month)| Long-Term Goal: have a place of our own (1 busy month)

The specified timelines being written, Macy gave Harry her notebook for one last review. He appeared to agree with the genetics business timetable and the property timetable. Both goals were almost entirely launched to completion—why on earth had Macy gone into such a panic?

His eyes fell on the "Legal" timeline. "Two kids sound manageable, and fun," he smiled, and Macy, anxious to see what he thought, breathed just a tiny sigh of relief that they were on the same page about that. However, he shook his head at the "1-2 years??" component. Macy's face fell.

"I know we're getting used to our Jimmy-Harry-Macy-Darcy bit," she rapidly spoke, trying to hide her nervousness. "I thought maybe a couple of years to acclimate? Maybe it's too short a time? I just jotted down what came through my mind—"

"Let's make that time shorter, shall we?" Harry's eyes shone as he quieted Macy with his reply. "If you and I are both tabulating this correctly, you are 29, I am 37. If we were to wait two years to get married, and be married for a bit before having kids, and we wanted them spaced out by three years?" Macy followed his train of thought. "Macy—that means one of our children would be born when you are 35, at advanced maternal age. I would be 43. There are elevated health risks to having older parents."

"I know," remarked Macy. How would they come to a consensus?

"But," continued Harry, "if we wait half a year to be married, etc., to give time for your genetics business to take off, and for us to spruce up the property, we can have kids earlier, and start our lives as a married couple. That means having a child at 30 or at latest, 33 for you, and I would be 38 and 41, respectively, assuming all of this goes according to plan." He turned a page in Macy's journal, and rewrote the timeline as such:

-Genetics Business: successfully launch (3-5 months)

-Legal: get engaged | get married (6 months)

-Property: spruce up the Azores property (1 busy month)

Macy stared at him, stunned. Was he moving the timeline along—faster? Hope surged into her very being. A sudden thought did occur to her though; for them to be married several months from now, they would need to be engaged. "Before a wedding, isn't someone typically engaged? How would that..er...happen, hypothetically speaking?"

"Yes, Macy, that would certainly look to be the case. I'll take care of that part, if you devote yourself to your genetics business. And we can fix up the Azores home together during the next weekends, bit-by-bit, while we monitor for a response from Matias. How does that sound?"

Macy was rendered speechless; this sounded too good to be true. "Isn't this—isn't this a bit fast, Harry? You could have sustained a head injury, are you sure this isn't the merging talking?"

But Harry shook his head. "We've waited for each other for a hundred years. There's no reason to wait any longer." And with that, he brought forth a flat box, 3x3 inches, and told Macy to close her eyes. She did, and he clasped the delicate silver necklace around her smooth neck. "Open your eyes."

Macy did so, and looked at the silver necklace's single, large bead—it appeared to be—she held it in her hand, turning it over—a...honeycomb? No. Wait a second...this looked familiar. "The molecular structure of oxytocin, the love chemical!" she laughed aloud. "Harry, how did you...?"

"Jimmy had a natural knack for silversmithing and jewelry design, when he made Darcy's engagement ring decades ago, so I figured I'd give it a try in my spare time. I want to show you that I meant every word I said just now. Think of it as—" he pondered for a second, "—a promise ring, except in the form of a necklace. A sign we're in it together for the long haul. Do you like it?"

Macy embraced him. "I love it," she whispered.