affair. It was one-sided the entire time. It took him saying that to me for me to realize it. He loves Arin, and he hates that because it makes him weak. Emotions are Seth’s Kryptonite.”
“I agree. But, were you planning on telling Kevin?” Her brows rise. “What about Brea?”
I pause. “Kevin knows I have no interest in Seth, so what would be the point? To make him worry needlessly?”
“Which is why I think you should tell him, Ashley, but you definitely shouldn’t judge Brea for keeping her secrets, or me for keeping mine. We had our reasons.”
“I want to go home.” I saunter out of the kitchen. “Kevin’s at home saving lives. I really doubt that he cares that Seth is going through hallucinations and an early midlife crisis. Seth just can’t control Arin, and that has to drive him nuts.”
“I’d still tell Kevin.”
“I’m going to pack.”
“You’re not going to help me plan my wedding?”
“I didn’t even know you were dating. I’m going home.”
“Quit being a drama queen. It’s a simple wedding. We’d like to get married in the backyard. What did you think the pergola was for?”
“A picnic! I thought it was for picnics and BBQs.”
“Matt says he loves me and he respects my faith, so why can’t I respect that he doesn’t have a faith?”
Um, because he’s got some chick’s thong under your guest bed?
“I get it. It seems to make practical sense, but you act like if you don’t marry Matt, you’ll be alone forever.” Which, let’s face it, would be an improvement!
“I want to have a child,” Kay says, and I’m gobsmacked.
“Since when? You do know that children make messes, right? I mean, like worse-than-me-as-a-roommate messes.”
“Is being alone and not having a partner in life something God really wants from me? Is this my reward? The casual, drive-by friendships of ‘The Reasons’?”
I laugh. Most inappropriate time ever, but, she caught me unaware. “I’ve never heard you refer to the group as ‘The Reasons.’”
Kay shrugs. “It’s taken me this long to see that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life like this. I’ve always admired you, Ashley.”
Now I know she’s lost it.
“You’ve admired me? Kay, you’ve spent the entire duration of our relationship telling me why my life was utter chaos and how to fix it. How is that admiration?”
“Not your organization ability obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“I mean that you knew you wanted to get married. You believed in Prince Charming, and he came for you. What if my lack of faith in my prince is what is holding me back?”
“You’re simplifying things, Kay. Matt Callaway is a—well, he’s got a history, for one thing. Did it ever occur to you just because he’s here he may not be Prince Charming?”
“So I should judge him for his past? Did you show Kevin your credit card statement before you got married?”
Touché.
“Matt and I may have a different faith, but we have the same values. We believe in treating others the way we’d like to be treated ourselves. When I make him a beautiful dinner, he washes the dishes and fixes something around here for me.”
“You let Matt do the dishes?” An uncomfortable twinge settles in my stomach.
“Ashley, focus. Seth and Arin, they don’t believe in the same things. Sure, they believe in the same God, but what that means to them individually is completely different. She believes in traveling all over the world to tell people about Jesus, but at the same time, thinks it’s okay to marry a man she doesn’t love if she ‘acts’ like she loves him. Something she can’t do most of the time, so she’s living a lie. How godly is that?”
I shrug. “I don’t think it’s a comparison. Just because Seth and Arin are working things out—”
“Meanwhile Seth thinks she’s going to turn into Albert Einstein suddenly, plus want nothing more than to darn his socks and homeschool their children. Can you imagine? They’d get
“I agree. But, were you planning on telling Kevin?” Her brows rise. “What about Brea?”
I pause. “Kevin knows I have no interest in Seth, so what would be the point? To make him worry needlessly?”
“Which is why I think you should tell him, Ashley, but you definitely shouldn’t judge Brea for keeping her secrets, or me for keeping mine. We had our reasons.”
“I want to go home.” I saunter out of the kitchen. “Kevin’s at home saving lives. I really doubt that he cares that Seth is going through hallucinations and an early midlife crisis. Seth just can’t control Arin, and that has to drive him nuts.”
“I’d still tell Kevin.”
“I’m going to pack.”
“You’re not going to help me plan my wedding?”
“I didn’t even know you were dating. I’m going home.”
“Quit being a drama queen. It’s a simple wedding. We’d like to get married in the backyard. What did you think the pergola was for?”
“A picnic! I thought it was for picnics and BBQs.”
“Matt says he loves me and he respects my faith, so why can’t I respect that he doesn’t have a faith?”
Um, because he’s got some chick’s thong under your guest bed?
“I get it. It seems to make practical sense, but you act like if you don’t marry Matt, you’ll be alone forever.” Which, let’s face it, would be an improvement!
“I want to have a child,” Kay says, and I’m gobsmacked.
“Since when? You do know that children make messes, right? I mean, like worse-than-me-as-a-roommate messes.”
“Is being alone and not having a partner in life something God really wants from me? Is this my reward? The casual, drive-by friendships of ‘The Reasons’?”
I laugh. Most inappropriate time ever, but, she caught me unaware. “I’ve never heard you refer to the group as ‘The Reasons.’”
Kay shrugs. “It’s taken me this long to see that I don’t want to spend the rest of my life like this. I’ve always admired you, Ashley.”
Now I know she’s lost it.
“You’ve admired me? Kay, you’ve spent the entire duration of our relationship telling me why my life was utter chaos and how to fix it. How is that admiration?”
“Not your organization ability obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“I mean that you knew you wanted to get married. You believed in Prince Charming, and he came for you. What if my lack of faith in my prince is what is holding me back?”
“You’re simplifying things, Kay. Matt Callaway is a—well, he’s got a history, for one thing. Did it ever occur to you just because he’s here he may not be Prince Charming?”
“So I should judge him for his past? Did you show Kevin your credit card statement before you got married?”
Touché.
“Matt and I may have a different faith, but we have the same values. We believe in treating others the way we’d like to be treated ourselves. When I make him a beautiful dinner, he washes the dishes and fixes something around here for me.”
“You let Matt do the dishes?” An uncomfortable twinge settles in my stomach.
“Ashley, focus. Seth and Arin, they don’t believe in the same things. Sure, they believe in the same God, but what that means to them individually is completely different. She believes in traveling all over the world to tell people about Jesus, but at the same time, thinks it’s okay to marry a man she doesn’t love if she ‘acts’ like she loves him. Something she can’t do most of the time, so she’s living a lie. How godly is that?”
I shrug. “I don’t think it’s a comparison. Just because Seth and Arin are working things out—”
“Meanwhile Seth thinks she’s going to turn into Albert Einstein suddenly, plus want nothing more than to darn his socks and homeschool their children. Can you imagine? They’d get
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