“We need to stop fighting about money stuff, though. It’s stupid.”
“You’re right. I’ll try to be more cognizant of the fact that you’re trying not to let stuff bother you. But you need to try and remember that I want to help you because I love you and I believe in you. Not because I don’t think you can do it on your own.”
I nodded, leaning into his chest and resting my forehead against his. “I’m glad you’re home. I’ve been missing you.”
“I’ve been working too much. I hate that you’re here alone so much. This movie is a lot more complicated than I realized.”
“Is everything going okay?”
He sighed again, and I thought for a moment that he was about to say more, but he just nodded. “It’s fine. Let’s go make dinner, yeah?”
“Okay.”
“One sec.” He kissed me softly then smiled. “There. That’s better.”
I smiled too. “Much better.”
Chapter Eight
It was very strange, trying to get into the Christmas spirit when it was seventy and sunny out. I had grown up in a place where snow was expected before Christmas. Even in London it had been a little bit strange—there’d been more rain than snow in December last year. But at least it had been cold there. Here in L.A. I couldn’t help but shake my head when I entered a department store and heard Christmas music when I was wearing shorts and flip-flops.
To my very great excitement and relief, however, we weren’t staying in California for the actual holiday. Thomas had a full two weeks off from his movie responsibilities, and we were spending every minute of it in the UK, first at his parents in Edinburgh for Christmas and then down in London for the New Year. I couldn’t wait—couldn’t wait to be with family and friends again, couldn’t wait to be surrounded by people, instead of so often alone while Thomas worked. Couldn’t wait for him to be home more, period.
It was strange. I had grown up in a house constantly filled with people. Between my five siblings, countless cousins, nieces and nephews, and aunts and uncles, there were few moments of peace and quiet in my life. It used to drive me crazy, the noise of all those people, the way everyone would talk at once, breaking out into Spanish as often as they broke into laughter. The first few months in London with Callie I had relished the relative peace and quiet of our flat.
Here in Malibu, however, the quiet was starting to grate on me. I spent most days working in the office with Imogen and Heidi. When they left at the end of the day, I’d have the spacious, perfect house to myself, sometimes for hours, depending on how long Thomas had to work. Some days Imogen would assist Heidi at meetings, and I’d be completely alone all day. It was the perfect environment for working on my book. Or sitting and reading quietly. And I liked it, for the most part.
But I was also starting to get really sick of it.
“You won’t have to worry about that in Edinburgh,” Thomas said when I confessed this to him. He had found me in the living room, the television set to a Spanish language channel, the volume turned up loud even though I wasn’t really watching it. In fact, I was making notes on my manuscript at the time, and he couldn’t understand why I wanted so much noise in the background.
“It’s not quiet in Edinburgh?” I asked. “I’m picturing snow-covered, rolling hills. Silent and starry night skies.”
“Oh, we have that for sure. But inside the house at Christmas time, it’s not exactly ‘Silent Night.’”
I grinned. “Tell me about it.”
He pulled me close on the couch, muting the television. “Well, my grandparents will be there, and they’re both pretty much completely deaf at this point, so there’s a lot of shouting from their end of the table.”
I smiled. I hadn’t met his grandparents yet, but he had told me that they’d been married for sixty years and that they were just as much in love as they’d ever been.
“What
“You’re right. I’ll try to be more cognizant of the fact that you’re trying not to let stuff bother you. But you need to try and remember that I want to help you because I love you and I believe in you. Not because I don’t think you can do it on your own.”
I nodded, leaning into his chest and resting my forehead against his. “I’m glad you’re home. I’ve been missing you.”
“I’ve been working too much. I hate that you’re here alone so much. This movie is a lot more complicated than I realized.”
“Is everything going okay?”
He sighed again, and I thought for a moment that he was about to say more, but he just nodded. “It’s fine. Let’s go make dinner, yeah?”
“Okay.”
“One sec.” He kissed me softly then smiled. “There. That’s better.”
I smiled too. “Much better.”
Chapter Eight
It was very strange, trying to get into the Christmas spirit when it was seventy and sunny out. I had grown up in a place where snow was expected before Christmas. Even in London it had been a little bit strange—there’d been more rain than snow in December last year. But at least it had been cold there. Here in L.A. I couldn’t help but shake my head when I entered a department store and heard Christmas music when I was wearing shorts and flip-flops.
To my very great excitement and relief, however, we weren’t staying in California for the actual holiday. Thomas had a full two weeks off from his movie responsibilities, and we were spending every minute of it in the UK, first at his parents in Edinburgh for Christmas and then down in London for the New Year. I couldn’t wait—couldn’t wait to be with family and friends again, couldn’t wait to be surrounded by people, instead of so often alone while Thomas worked. Couldn’t wait for him to be home more, period.
It was strange. I had grown up in a house constantly filled with people. Between my five siblings, countless cousins, nieces and nephews, and aunts and uncles, there were few moments of peace and quiet in my life. It used to drive me crazy, the noise of all those people, the way everyone would talk at once, breaking out into Spanish as often as they broke into laughter. The first few months in London with Callie I had relished the relative peace and quiet of our flat.
Here in Malibu, however, the quiet was starting to grate on me. I spent most days working in the office with Imogen and Heidi. When they left at the end of the day, I’d have the spacious, perfect house to myself, sometimes for hours, depending on how long Thomas had to work. Some days Imogen would assist Heidi at meetings, and I’d be completely alone all day. It was the perfect environment for working on my book. Or sitting and reading quietly. And I liked it, for the most part.
But I was also starting to get really sick of it.
“You won’t have to worry about that in Edinburgh,” Thomas said when I confessed this to him. He had found me in the living room, the television set to a Spanish language channel, the volume turned up loud even though I wasn’t really watching it. In fact, I was making notes on my manuscript at the time, and he couldn’t understand why I wanted so much noise in the background.
“It’s not quiet in Edinburgh?” I asked. “I’m picturing snow-covered, rolling hills. Silent and starry night skies.”
“Oh, we have that for sure. But inside the house at Christmas time, it’s not exactly ‘Silent Night.’”
I grinned. “Tell me about it.”
He pulled me close on the couch, muting the television. “Well, my grandparents will be there, and they’re both pretty much completely deaf at this point, so there’s a lot of shouting from their end of the table.”
I smiled. I hadn’t met his grandparents yet, but he had told me that they’d been married for sixty years and that they were just as much in love as they’d ever been.
“What
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