Life in Between

6 ~ Love Language

"What are you doing?"

I lean against the door to the bedroom, pulling my hair out of its teacher bun as I study my fiancé. Man, I love that word. It's almost enough to put a smile on my face after a day like today. 

"You're home?" John looks up from the screen and pats the spot on the bed next to him. "How was your day?"

Sluggishly, I kick my heels off and face-plant onto the mattress. "Long. Horrible. Awful. I hate parent-teacher conferences."

"It couldn't have been that bad, Mel." He laughs, laying a hand on my back.

Gathering the strength to lift my head up, I glare at him. "Parents are awful. Some think their kids could be doing better when they're already doing great. Some think their kids are saints when they're literally demons from the pits of hell. Some parents..." my voice dies out as I crack my knuckles. "Some parents don't even care enough about their kid to show up." I punch a pillow. "Scarlett was the nicest person I talked to tonight."

And even we bickered over her midterm grade and it made me even more upset that she was right. Now I have to go through and check everyone else's tests too.

"Well, I promise we won't be those parents." He kisses my head.

"We better not." I sigh, snuggling into his torso as he grabs his computer again. Annoyed at the less than full attention I'm getting, I slap his arm. "Pay attention to me."

"I will in a minute."

"What is more important than me?" I demand adjusting myself to look at his screen. A gasp slips through my lips as I take in the image waiting for me. "Why are you looking at houses?"

He tsks, "Because we're going to have to move eventually."

"I love my apartment." I protest. It's sorta shitty but I love it.

"We can't fit any children in this one bedroom shack." He chides.

Fair point. "We have plenty of time for that."

"We do, maybe too much time." He agrees and I can feel the but coming. "But I think this might be the one."

"How so?"

"It's in a gated community. Has a huge backyard. It's 10 minutes from the kids and 15 from school." He rattles on about how perfect it is and I can't help but agree as I scroll through the pictures.

The house is everything I've ever wanted. It's perfect, but then reality sets in. How will we pay for it? My salary is less than lackluster and I have a decent savings account, but nowhere near enough to offer half of the house and still have plenty for the wedding.

"I can see it now." John sighs.

"See what?" I ask, pulling my gaze back to his.

He smiles dreamily, "Christmas morning maybe 6 years from now. Our kids running downstairs, tripping over themselves to open presents. The kiddos coming over, home from wherever they are. At the rate we're going at, we might even have a few grandchildren."

The thought should warm my heart and it partly does but another sensation barrels over it. Nausea slams into me like a brick wall.

"We should make an offer." John decides, pulling his phone out.

"No." I grab his hand.

"Why?" He raises an eyebrow. "Mel, we've looked at houses before and none of them are this perfect."

"They also weren't this expensive." I counter.

"Price doesn't matter."

"To me it does." I snap. "I can't afford that house."