sky, and the rest was history, so to speak.
Diane completed Brian in a way he never thought possible. She inspired him to be a better man, a better husband. Believed in him when no one else did. She didn’t just complete him; she made him want to be someone he never thought he could be.
“It’s been a while since we last went on a date. What happened to us, Brian?” Diane’s voic e hitched.
“Life. Work. Busy schedules. It happens.” He shrugged. “Remember what the counselor told us a few years ago? That sometimes we’ll have to take a backseat to life, but as long as we remember not to get too comfortable back there, that we can’t always be on autopilot, we’ll be fine.” Brian s wallowed.
He’d hated those counseling sessions. He’d thought they were fine, that their marriage was smooth sailing, until he started noticing all the marriage help books lying around the house. Apparently, Diane had other thoughts.
“Are you traveling again anyti me soon?”
Brian shook his head. “No, with Marie heading up the new office in London, I’m homebound for the next little while. It’ll be nice to not travel so much, to just be home.” He smiled. “Who knows, I might tackle some of those projects on the honey-do list you have.” He winked.
“Oh really?” He heard the skepticism in her voice.
“Or maybe find a handyman,” he admitted. As much as he hated it, his skills were with computers and not with tools. The last time he’d tried to fix a leaky faucet he’d caused a slight flood in thei r kitchen.
He wasn’t sure if now was the time to mention this, but what the heck. “What do you think about moving?”
Diane pulled her hand away from his. “Move? As in houses or cities?”
“Houses. Maybe something a bit larger, with m ore room.”
The smile disappeared from Dian e’s face.
“Why? I like our condo. It s uits us.”
Brian took a sip of his wine. “I know. But we’ve been there a long time. I did some looking, and in today’s housing market, we could make a pretty penny on our p lace and—”
Diane held up her hands. “Wait. You’ve been looking? For how long, and why am I only hearing about this now?” She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to move. There’s no reason to, and especially not now. I don’t have the time , Brian.”
“You wouldn’t have to do anything. I’d take care of it all, and we’d hire movers to come in.” He leaned forward and almost cringed at the pleading tone to his voice. “This is the perfect time, Diane. Just think about it. Our house isn’t big enough for a baby. We don’t even have an extra bedroom.”
Diane bit her lip. “The baby. You want the baby to have its own room. That’s what this is about.”
“Of course,” Brian agreed. Did she only just real ize that?
“Brian…” She sighed and took a sip of her water. “There’s something we need to talk about.” She stopped, glanced away from him, and leaned back, crossing her legs, as if trying to distance herself from him as much as possible.
No way. He wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He’d hoped to have this conversation later, after dinner, but that idea was ruined. If they were going to talk about this, they were going to do it the right way. He moved his chair closer and forced her hand into his. She tugged for a bit, as if not wanting any contact with him, but he refused t o give in.
“Diane, I know that the idea of us having a baby has turned your world upside down, but we can figure this out. Together.” He needed her to hear the sincerity in his voice. He needed her to be lieve him.
“What if I like my world exactly as it is ri ght now?”
Of course she did. She wasn’t one for change. Unless it was planned. And this baby was anything bu t planned.
“Our baby will make it even better.”
She gave a tight shake of her head. “Brian, what if I don’t want this baby? W hat then?”
He rubbed his forehead. “You don’t mean that. I know you
Diane completed Brian in a way he never thought possible. She inspired him to be a better man, a better husband. Believed in him when no one else did. She didn’t just complete him; she made him want to be someone he never thought he could be.
“It’s been a while since we last went on a date. What happened to us, Brian?” Diane’s voic e hitched.
“Life. Work. Busy schedules. It happens.” He shrugged. “Remember what the counselor told us a few years ago? That sometimes we’ll have to take a backseat to life, but as long as we remember not to get too comfortable back there, that we can’t always be on autopilot, we’ll be fine.” Brian s wallowed.
He’d hated those counseling sessions. He’d thought they were fine, that their marriage was smooth sailing, until he started noticing all the marriage help books lying around the house. Apparently, Diane had other thoughts.
“Are you traveling again anyti me soon?”
Brian shook his head. “No, with Marie heading up the new office in London, I’m homebound for the next little while. It’ll be nice to not travel so much, to just be home.” He smiled. “Who knows, I might tackle some of those projects on the honey-do list you have.” He winked.
“Oh really?” He heard the skepticism in her voice.
“Or maybe find a handyman,” he admitted. As much as he hated it, his skills were with computers and not with tools. The last time he’d tried to fix a leaky faucet he’d caused a slight flood in thei r kitchen.
He wasn’t sure if now was the time to mention this, but what the heck. “What do you think about moving?”
Diane pulled her hand away from his. “Move? As in houses or cities?”
“Houses. Maybe something a bit larger, with m ore room.”
The smile disappeared from Dian e’s face.
“Why? I like our condo. It s uits us.”
Brian took a sip of his wine. “I know. But we’ve been there a long time. I did some looking, and in today’s housing market, we could make a pretty penny on our p lace and—”
Diane held up her hands. “Wait. You’ve been looking? For how long, and why am I only hearing about this now?” She shook her head. “No. I don’t want to move. There’s no reason to, and especially not now. I don’t have the time , Brian.”
“You wouldn’t have to do anything. I’d take care of it all, and we’d hire movers to come in.” He leaned forward and almost cringed at the pleading tone to his voice. “This is the perfect time, Diane. Just think about it. Our house isn’t big enough for a baby. We don’t even have an extra bedroom.”
Diane bit her lip. “The baby. You want the baby to have its own room. That’s what this is about.”
“Of course,” Brian agreed. Did she only just real ize that?
“Brian…” She sighed and took a sip of her water. “There’s something we need to talk about.” She stopped, glanced away from him, and leaned back, crossing her legs, as if trying to distance herself from him as much as possible.
No way. He wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He’d hoped to have this conversation later, after dinner, but that idea was ruined. If they were going to talk about this, they were going to do it the right way. He moved his chair closer and forced her hand into his. She tugged for a bit, as if not wanting any contact with him, but he refused t o give in.
“Diane, I know that the idea of us having a baby has turned your world upside down, but we can figure this out. Together.” He needed her to hear the sincerity in his voice. He needed her to be lieve him.
“What if I like my world exactly as it is ri ght now?”
Of course she did. She wasn’t one for change. Unless it was planned. And this baby was anything bu t planned.
“Our baby will make it even better.”
She gave a tight shake of her head. “Brian, what if I don’t want this baby? W hat then?”
He rubbed his forehead. “You don’t mean that. I know you
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