So what now? (Katydid50 x 5Bulletproof-Marshmellows)

[Katydid50]

Daniel raised an eyebrow when she claimed that neither of those were good options. They sounded perfectly good to him. "Elenore, you might not be able to understand, being a woman, but a man needs to move, especially one that's expecting four people to move in with him into a house that wouldn't pass even the loosest housing inspection firm in the country. Besides, do you honestly think Micheal could force me to do something if I didn't want to?" It was only through physical force and emotional disturbance that the older man even managed to find out what Daniel had previously been up to occupationally.

Once he had been released, relieved himself and returned, Daniel began to wonder why in the world he hadn't thought to discuss the finer details with Elenore during the previous few days. She would have all of the furniture they needed, and even some they didn't. He'd thrown out his couch because it had had a mind of its own. She had a couch, and a coffee table, and a television and all of the other things that she would probably consider necessary. The only problem was that there weren't any outlets in the living room. That could be an issue. And it wouldn't be worth it to put any in since he was just going to build a new house in the spring anyway. The kids would just have to entertain themselves through the winter.

"Sounds good. As I'm sure you saw, the only thing I've got in the living room at the moment is building supplies and tools. Not much of a family room. It's almost done though. Micheal and Leaf will probably get it finished today and I'll get it cleaned up and ready for the furniture tomorrow." Even if they couldn't have a television, they could at least make it a room where the family could hang out. Families did that, didn't they?

When she questioned that he didn't want to share a bed, he paused before looking thoughtfully down at his hands. He had hoped she wouldn't question him about this. What was he supposed to say? He rubbed his hands together as he tried to order his thoughts. "Elenore, I've been along for so long, it's going to take a bit of adjusting on my part, sharing a house with other people let alone a bedroom. And anyway, I've got a lot of issues I need to work through before I'll be worth anything as a husband. The day'll come, just not now." He truly hoped she would leave it at that. If she pushed the issue, he didn't know if he had the strength, or will, to fight her.

When the conversation turned to the children, he looked up and smiled. Deserai was the littlest one, he remembered. The little girl. He'd never spoken to her but she seemed so sweet. At the comment that she might overwhelm him, he grinned. "Have you met Micheal? The man is the embodiment of overwhelming," he said. If he could handle Micheal, he was confident he could handle Deserai. As she spoke about the other two, he wasn't surprised. He was glad that Nicholas wasn't unhappy but he wasn't surprised by Grace's. "They'll come around soon enough," he told her.

When Elenore explained her idea of the children staying at her aunt's and coming over during the day, Daniel nodded. It sounded like a good idea. It was one thing for he and Elenore to rush into this. He didn't want to force the children to match their pace. Aside from that, she was their mother. He couldn't exactly go against what she wanted regarding them. "Sounds like a good idea. I'm sure Rose wouldn't mind having them until everything's ready."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Elenore's eyes narrowed. Being a woman? Really he was going to pull that card? She took care of three children. She worked to keep them well fed, happy, and healthy and he was going to tell her that she didn't understand? Elenore raised an eyebrow before looking away from him. All her thoughts about rolling around in a couple of sheets with him vanished and she let him go, not responding to his question. He needed to go and it was probably for the best. She didn't want to continue that specific string of conversation.

She calmed down a little by the time he came back. Talking to him about everything.. well she had to admit they really hadn't planned this very well. Did he not think that she was going to bring things with her? It seemed as if he had never really shared a place with someone. When she had been planning to move to Aunt Rose, most of the things were going to a storage unit. After all, she would need those things later.

Him bringing up Micheal and Leaf, she realized that she would need help bringing down the couches and everything. Perhaps they would be willing to help. Of course she planned on paying them. She didn't want to be rude. "Alright.. I can help.." she told him. After all she needed to put in her fair share of effort into this house too.

Hearing his words, she blinked. "It sounds like you're saying we rushed things.." she said after a moment. "And husband?" She still wasn't completely clear on the whole thing with marriage. She didn't remember him proposing to her. In fact she was sure he hadn't. "When did that happen?" Elenore sighed before pushing her hair back. Sure, maybe she did want to get married but he hadn't even asked her. He had just declared it.

What he said about Micheal was true but he wouldn't be able to snap back at Deserai like he did with Micheal. She was still a little girl. "Hopefully," she wished under her breath. She knew that she would be taking plenty of mental notes when her kids came down today.

"Yeah.." she couldn't help but think about everything Aunt Rose had said. "She wants to talk to you sometime," she told him. She wasn't quite sure about what but she had an idea. Biting her lower lip, she then looked back at the ground. A few days ago she had thought that they would never be together.. and look at them now. They were moving in together.. and yet Daniel was going to be sleeping in the living room. She still didn't know how she felt about that.
((We've almost had this rp going for 2 years biggrin ))  

[Katydid50]

In all honesty, there was many things Daniel had not considered that he should have. Furniture. Electronics. Space. He was taking on a woman and three kids, for goodness' sake! Soon to be four! He kept telling himself that it was only temporary, that in spring he would build them a new house, a bigger one. Maybe closer to the forest edge. It would protect the house from the worst winds, especially the winter winds. He would have to talk to Micheal and Leaf about that. They would have a better idea on the location, and the actually building of it.

When Elenore said that she could help, Daniel blinked before offering a small smile. "You just worry about the kids. That will be the hardest part, getting them alright with this... arrangement. Me and them-" He motioned towards the door where the sound of hammering drifted from the living room. "-can handle the construction aspect of it." It wasn't that he didn't trust her with the construction but they truly did not need her help. The hardest part was over. The house probably wouldn't be standing by that time next year. He wasn't going to put in an enormous amount of effort into a building they wouldn't be living in for long. Just enough to keep its occupants happy and safe.

"It sounds like you're saying we rushed things." Daniel sighed softly, focusing on his hands before shrugging. "Even if we had waited three years I would still have the issues. Micheal told me once that I'm the kind of person who won't deal with an issue until I'm forced to. You and the kids moving in are doing that: forcing me to deal with some of my issues. It's not a bad thing and it will be worth it in the end. It will just take a bit of time." As she continued, he looked back up at her before his expression went blank. "You wanted a man to raise your children with, to have a family with and to fall asleep and wake up with. In everything but name, that's a husband. That is what a husband's supposed to do, isn't it?" It wasn't a rhetorical question. There was nothing in his tone or his face to suggest it was anything but a genuine question. In time, he feared, she would realize that there were many things lacking in him that most would take for granted. He didn't know how women thought, even less so that most men. He didn't know what it was like to be in love or to feel loved. He didn't know what it was to be a husband but he most certainly knew what it wasn't. He shifted uncomfortably, looking for all the world like a child who'd been blindsided by a question they honestly didn't know the answer to.

When she mentioned that her aunt wanted to speak with him, he grimaced. He could very easily imagine what Rose wanted to say to him, and he said as much. It would probably be something along the lines of 'Hurt her and I'll do this, that and the other'. He wasn't looking forward to it but he knew it would only be delaying the inevitable.

((...Oh my. Has it really been so long?))  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She knew that a lot of the stuff would probably go to Aunt Rose. The extra dishes and all that stuff. Biting her lip, she knew there was a lot of work to do. They probably had to get on that soon. Or at least she did, Daniel's job was to rest. He needed it. After everything he had been through she was surprised that he wasn't curled up on the bed groaning in pain. It seemed that he would never admit if he was in pain. She smirked, remember when he told her that the wound on his head was just fine when she had wanted to change the bandages.

Kids. She wrapped her arms around her waist. She hoped that they would like the newest member of their family once he or she arrived. Biting her lip, she wondered if Daniel would want to go find out their child's gender once the time came or if he would want it to be a surprise. They had to figure out a name too. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. They really had a lot to talk about.. but that stuff could wait a little while.

"I think Nicholas and Deserai will be right at home in a matter of weeks. Grace.. she's more of a city person. It will take her longer to become adjusted." She could only hope that she wouldn't declare that she was moving out once she reached the ripe ol' age of eighteen. She also wasn't very found of authority. Daniel would be considered such if he tried to instill any rules in her which was fair enough. He would in a sense be her father.. and hopefully dad.

Hearing his words, she listened to them carefully. Three years. Well then maybe everything would be alright in the end. Her eyes met his when he started mentioned what she had said three days ago. Her eyes softened and so did her expression. A smile finally appeared on her lips and she gently placed her hand against his bruised cheek, turning his face towards her a bit more. "Yes," she whispered before her lips brushed against him. Elenore let her eyes close as she kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, perhaps it could even be called sweet. She honestly couldn't believe that he wanted to marry her but it definitely made her happy. It was a surprise that she wasn't jumping out of her own skin.

((Yeah.. >< Crazy huh?))  

[Katydid50]

Daniel nodded slowly. Young children, he was told, were immensely able to cope with change. And Elenore had told him, he was sure, that Nicholas preferred being out in the country anyway. Whatever the boy thought of Daniel himself, he would enjoy being out of the city. Strange though it had been, Daniel had preferred being in the country too, back before he had been arrested for theft and jailed.

He listened as Elenore spoke of her eldest child. Grace. He could already imagine how loud things were going to get. The girl, unfortunately, reminded him of himself, though at a much older age. Angry at the world, not willing to listen to anyone. His had been a hard, destructive path but he had managed, with the help of Micheal, to drag himself off that road. He truly hoped he could do be that for Grace. "But, she will, in the end. The country, I find, has a healing quality to it that can't be resisted for long." And there was no doubt that that was what Grace needed, as he had needed. Healing.

Daniel at first tensed and then relaxed at the gentle touch on his cheek. It didn't hurt. The bruise had already been healing when she had come to him three days ago. But, it had been so long since anyone had touched him in a way that was so... intimate. He let her turn his face toward her, leaning into her touch. There was nothing sexual about it, from either sides. He had thought that any contact with her would lead to them in the bed but he had been wrong.

At her whisper, he blinked, confused as to what she was saying 'yes' to. Then it hit him, just as she kissed him. A massive grin broke out on his face, unintentionally breaking the kiss. Before she could, he leaned back in and reconnected their lips. A short, sharp kiss that revealed all of his joyful energy, so much that he couldn't sit still for a more proper kiss. A few wrinkles had begun to form since he had met Elenore but his grin made him look ten years younger.

"Are we really going to do this?" he asked, smiling still. It was all he could do not to laugh with joy. "Are we really going to get married?" He knew it was true but he just wanted to hear it from her mouth.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

She honestly didn't know if Nicholas would accept Daniel as a father. Maybe.. eventually he would but definitely not within the first week. Deserai would just be happy. She was glad that at least one of her children would be happy to have him around. Hearing him talk about Grace, she lowered her head. Grace loved the city.. she would give this place a fight. It would be a long time before she backed down. She could only hope that her stubbornness would subside once her siblings were happy.

We'll see.. Elenore knew it would take her time to adjust to everything as well. After all, this wasn't her home yet. It would be a while before she could actually call it that in her mind. Biting her lip, she lowered her head. There was so much to adjust to and she knew that it would be hard on everyone.

Elenore noticed that it took him a moment to relax before he submit to her gentle touch. She wasn't going to hurt him, a small smile tugged at her lips once more. It was one of those kisses that wasn't passionate.. it was just a kiss. Seeing him grin just before her eyelids lowered so that her eyes were barely slits, she couldn't help but smile back at him.

Pulling away slightly, the grin that he had infected her and soon she was grinning as well. Her fingers gently caressed his cheek as he spoke before she let her hand fall. Nodding her head she then spoke to confirm it, "Yes. Yes we are." She told him, her green eyes soaking up the happiness in his expression. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her heart was pounding in her chest. They were going to be together...  

[Katydid50]

Despite his confident words, Daniel felt anything but confident in regard to the children. He knew Grace would fight him. He wasn't naive. The girl was spirited and thought that she loved the city. She didn't, deep down. She didn't know the real city, a cold, dark place without any light or hope. She would fight him in the beginning but, in the long run, she would thank them, him and her mother. It would be good for her to get out of the city. They would still go to the same schools -there was only so much change he would force on them- but, he hoped, in time, they would come to think of his place as home. In the opposite direction as the city, there was a small, country town where most of the farmers shopped. There was a small elementary school there; a high school, too. He hoped they would eventually want to change schools. The city was no place for children or teenagers. He would know. But, he wasn't going to hold his breath.

At her answer and her kiss, he couldn't have rid himself of his grin if he wanted to. He felt so much lighter, lighter in a way that he had never felt before. Her touch on his cheek made him shiver with delight. He would have taken her right then and there but it was all he could do to sit still with the energy coursing through his limbs. When she confirmed that, yes, they were getting married, he let out a loud whoop and punched the air in his excitement. Unable to do anything else, he planted another short, sharp kiss on her mouth before jolting himself off the bed and bursting from the room. A startled exclamation from Leaf and a scolding one from Micheal were ignored as Daniel's words tumbled over each other in their haste to escape his mouth. However, he somehow managed to make his intent known. While Micheal offered his swift congratulations before reverting back to lecturing Daniel on his need for rest, Leaf slipped away from them.

Standing in the doorway, he looked across the room at Elenore. "So, I hear there's a wedding to be planned as well," he said, his voice surprisingly soft for someone of his size. "You'll be hard pressed to get him into a suit but I wish you luck nonetheless." He paused and looked over his shoulder as Daniel's excitement wore off to be overtaken by annoyance as he and Micheal fell back into the arguement they'd had for the previous two days. Looking back to Elenore, Leaf said, "It will be tough, I'm not saying it won't, but he will be a good husband to you, if you'll stick by him when he needs you the most."  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

A laugh came from Elenore when he punched the air. She hadn't thought that she would ever see him this happy. The grin didn't leave her lips when he kissed her briefly before running off. She brushed her hair behind her ears before she bit her lip. She slowly got up, planning on going after him. Hearing their reactions, she smirked. They cared for him. Trying to get him back into bed so he would rest. Elenore barely made her way to the door when Leaf appeared in the doorway. Looking up at him, she wrapped her arms around her waist, her smile still on her face.

Nodding her head, she still was surprised that his voice was so soft. Her smile widened at the comment about a suit. "I'm sure we'll figure it out," she told him. To be honest.. well she wasn't going to be able to fit into a wedding dress with a baby on the way. Hearing Daniel and Micheal arguing, she let out a soft sigh. Daniel would come back in due time. Her eyes returned to Leaf once he spoke once more. Tough. She wasn't afraid of that.

"I'm sure he will be," she agreed with him before lowering her head. "We should go get him," she added before slipping between him and the door to leave the room. She still wasn't all that comfortable with men that she didn't know well when she was by herself. It didn't matter if someone else was in the other room.. she simply didn't want to be alone. Of course she was sure that Leaf meant no harm but... She couldn't get herself to trust so easily.  

[Katydid50]

Leaf smiled warmly. She might not succeed in getting Daniel into a suit but she would give him a run for her money. He himself had never had that problem. A buckskin breechclout and leggings had been his own wedding attire. Of course, it had been summer then and his culture was significantly different to Daniel and Elenore's. Not that different, a voice said dryly. It was all he could do not to smirk. For sure, Daniel probably would prefer buckskin to a suit. He was certainly happier in casual clothing. "I'm sure you will."

Unlike others might have been, he was not distracted from the woman before him by thoughts of the upcoming wedding. He could see the tension in her. Whatever was on her mind, she wasn't comfortable. He lowered his head marginally and stepped aside, allowing her to pass. He would not try to stop her. He had no reason to. Besides that, it wasn't right to keep her from her fiance.

"By the way," he said, turning to face her. "When exactly are you planning to get married? Because knowing Daniel, it'll be as soon as he can get a hold of someone with the legal right to." There were many things Daniel had patience with -animals, construction, plants, a handful of select people- but the majority of the people were not so lucky. Leaf didn't know how long Elenore would be able to hold the man off, or even how long she wanted to, but it wouldn't be very long at all, if Daniel had any say in the matter.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

To be honest.. it would take a couple of months before her kids would be ready to hear about their mother getting married. By then she would be in no state to get married due to her pregnancy. She figured it'd be easier to wait until the child was born and maybe a few months after that. All in all, it would probably be a little bit less than a year before they got married. It wasn't something she wanted to rush despite her happiness. Her first wedding hadn't been much of a ceremony and she wanted this to be different. Daniel on the other hand was ready to get married today if possible.

Walking past him, she made her way towards Daniel and Micheal just before Leaf spoke once again. Looking back over her shoulder, she bit her lip before shrugging. "We haven't decided on a date." She figured she'd talk to Daniel before she told anyone what was on her mind. Hopefully Daniel felt the same way about it. They needed to decide on something together before they started spreading the word about when the wedding would be.

Her eyes then returned to the two men that were bickering. She slowly went up to Daniel and placed a hand on his shoulder, hoping that he would relax. She needed to bring all the things that were in the car into the house. The things weren't too heavy so she figured Daniel could help her since he didn't want to rest and Micheal wasn't going to let him work on the house. "Would you mind helping me get a few things out of the car?" she asked him. They had a lot to talk about as well. So many things to cover in their conversation.. it would probably take days.  

[Katydid50]

Leaf knew they were rushing into it, getting married. The same thoughts must have been going through Elenore's head, judging by the look on her face. Her answer only further assured him of it. What she meant was that she hadn't decided on a date. If it was left up to Daniel, they would get married today. He didn't say anything, merely raised an eyebrow that said everything that needed to be. She would soon figure out the rest for herself.

"I'm fine! I've been working the past two days without a problem! Stop babying me!"

"I'd stop babying you if you would just do as you're told! I know you're not 'ealed!"

"Of course I'm not! I won't be compeltely healed for at least another week! But I've managed this far!"

"Which you shouldn't 'ave been!"

Before Daniel could throw a retort back at him, a gentle hand on his shoulder killed the words in his throat. He let out a long breath before turning away from Micheal and looking down at Elenore, his fiancee, the woman he would some day -hopefully some day soon- marry. Seemingly against his will, his irritation and annoyance drained away.

At her request, Daniel grinned. Over his shoulder, Micheal scowled. "Yes, please," Daniel said. He glanced over at Micheal, promptly stuck his tongue out at him before making his way to the door. Micheal watched the younger man go before turning his scowl towards Elenore. "Traitor," he hissed before turning on his heel and vanishing back into the living room. Leaf crossed the hall way, chuckling as he followed after Micheal. "Give it up. You know she wouldn't let you keep him wrapped up forever."

Outside, Daniel stepped off the porch steps, frowning back at them. He didn't remember them groaning so much. He would have to replace them. He didn't think they would break under the weight of any of the children but he was pretty heavy and Elenore wasn't exactly light either. That wasn't to say she was fat but she might have been too heavy for the boards and the last thing he wanted was for her to get hurt. Making a mental note to bring it up with Micheal and Leaf, he crossed over to Elenore's car.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Listening to the two bicker, she couldn't help but sigh. She could only imagine what would happen between him and Grace. It would be a lot worse. She didn't want Deserai or Nicholas to witness that. At least they weren't throwing swear words at each other. Closing her eyes, she waited a moment before touching his shoulder. Thankfully it kept him from yelling back at Micheal. Her green eyes look at him briefly.

After he said yes, she made her way out, her eyes returning to Micheal briefly. She raised an eyebrow but didn't have a chance to say anything to him. Walking out onto the porch, she could feel it bend slightly under her weight. Honestly, she was starting to wonder how everything had happened so quickly. Micheal and Daniel, it seemed, were able to move faster than others. She had three children with her, and a fourth one on the way, she couldn't afford to keep up with them. It would cause too much pain.

Biting her lip, she walked up to the driver's side of the car and unlocked the doors before popping open the trunk. Her hands wrapped around one of the boxes as she picked it up. "Daniel.. I don't want to tell the kids yet," she paused, "about us being engaged." She hoped he wouldn't take it the wrong way. It was enough for them to take in that they were moving over here. To live out in a completely different place. Of course they weren't that far from Aunt Rose but still.. It was a different house and with different people.

"Right now.. the most important thing on my mind is making sure that they can feel at home here. Once that happens.. we can break the news to them." She didn't know how long it would take but she wouldn't force anything on them. All of this was causing enough stress as it was. All of it was vaguely reminding her of Sebastian.. She had gotten pregnant.. They got married quickly. Their life had been quick for a while but once they settled down and things seemed peaceful.. he started cheating on her.  

[Katydid50]

Daniel looked over his shoulder at Elenore as she approached. He stood back and waited for her to unlock the car -honestly, who did she think was going to steal it all the way out there?- and open the trunk. He moved around the car and lifted one of the larger boxes, surprised by how light it felt. He began to walk back to the house but paused when Elenore began to speak.

A good deal of Daniel's excitement had worn off at Micheal's lecturing but the rest drained away at her comment. Dread started to fill its place, creating a heavy weight in his stomach. He looked down at the box, listening but half wishing he couldn't as she continued. Her children were her first priority. Of course. He licked his lips nervously. It would be a shock for the children but surely they would get over it? Surely them getting married would be a good thing in their eyes, right?

"And... and how long do you think that will take?" he asked, adjusting his grip on the box and forcing himself to start moving again. He didn't want to force anything on the children but he wasn't going to make his every decision revolve around them. What did it matter whether or not he and Elenore got married? It wouldn't change anything. The five of them -soon to be six- would still be living together in a crappy, run-down house in the middle of nowhere. In his mind, the two of them getting married could only be a good thing.

He shook his head, frowning. "Don't you think that the two of us getting married is a good thing? From the kids' point of view, I mean." He had reached the porch by then and set the box down. He didn't want to have this conversation within earshot of his friends. He looked down again, studying the pattern of the boards beneath his feet. Memories flashed through his mind, dark, painful memories from a time that he wished he could well and truly forget. "My parents were never married," he told her, steadfastly memorizing the pattern of the boards. "I think they talked about it once, when I was very, very young, but they never did." He finally looked up, forcing himself to meet her gaze. "Now, I know that having married parents doesn't magically make everything alright. I know it doesn't necessarily make everything stable. But, at least if we're married, they'll know that I'm not going anywhere. They might not like it at first but they'll get used to the idea. Unless... unless there's another reason you want to wait." He didn't even want to think about it but he couldn't ignore that her last husband had cheated on her. Things like that left lasting scars.  

[5Bulletproof-Marshmellows]

Walking around the car slowly, she made her way towards the porch just as his question came up. How long? Lowering her head, she honestly didn't know. She just knew that she didn't want to rush things. She didn't want to have a ton of things falling on her kids either. Stopping there, she bit her lip once more. "I don't know..." she said softly. "A month.. maybe longer or shorter." Sure Deserai would be happy about the whole thing but she didn't know about the other two. They had to get used to Daniel. That should have happened before she had even decided to move in. They should have gotten engaged before then as well. It would have been easier that way.

"For Deserai, yes. To Nicholas it would be a shock. Grace isn't.. isn't going to think that way." That girl rarely accepted anyone as family after she had figured out what her father had done. Hearing him talk about his parents, she listened, never hearing anything about them before. Her eyes looked over at him as she wrapped her arms around the box. I'm not going anywhere... His words rang through her mind. Lowering her head, she heard the rest of what he had to say. She wished that was true. She wanted to believe it with every fiber of her soul.. but he had pushed her away so many times.. that this sudden acceptance of her and her children was hard to take in. On top of that was her past marriage.

"Daniel.. a lot has happened.. in the past week. I need time to adjust to it as well.." she said softly, her eyes finally looking up to meet his. "I want to get married. I do.. but I can't jump into this so quickly," she told him. "I can't be engaged one day and be married the next." Her eyes lowered to the ground once more. If that didn't work for him.. well she could take the two boxes and drive... drive away. She swallowed, her heart clenching at that simple thought. She had waited so long for them to finally be together and.. she didn't want to destroy what they had achieved.

Elenore didn't look at him now, simple staring at the box that had been in his hands before. If he took it inside... that meant she could stay and he agreed to wait. If he just left it there or took it back to the car.. well that was a different story. It was obvious that they had different views about how quickly they should get married. She hoped that they could agree on something.. something that would make them both happy.  

[Katydid50]

A month. A month was... doable. Daniel could survive a month. At least, he thought he could. He was hoping for 'shorter'. In all honesty, he didn't know how he was going to be able to wait that long. For almost all of his life, it had been the case that, if he was going to do something, he had to do it now because he couldn't know for sure that he would see tomorrow. The last ten years hadn't been like that but he hadn't had anything telling him such. He hadn't had anything to wait for, either. Now he did and it was driving him crazy.

As she explained how the children would react, Daniel realized just how different his own childhood had been from theirs. Of course he'd already known that so an extent but it began to truly sink in. His childhood had been a living nightmare. Their childhoods were hard but they certainly weren't as bad as his had been. The things they wanted were not the things he had wanted. He ran a hand over his face, making a mental note that he had to shave when he had a spare few minutes. Perhaps they had rushed into things, but they couldn't back out now. His gut instinct told him to get married as soon as possible but Elenore was always going to do what was best for her children. He was just going to have to accept that.

He could see that his words affected her, could see it in the way she looked down, see the thoughts rushing through her head. He didn't know whether that was a good or a bad thing and the knot in his stomach pulled tighter. When she finally spoke, he waited, listened and slowly nodded. Not only did the kids need time to adjust, but she did too. He could go from engaged to married in a day but most people couldn't, including Elenore. He wasn't like most people -a fact he had known but was increasingly becoming aware of- and he realized he was entering unknown territory. Neither of his friends could help him. Micheal had never been married and Leaf's culture was totally foreign to him. If he was going to make this work, he would have to let her take the lead.

"Okay," he said quietly. Then he lifted up the box again and took it inside. He wasn't sure what was in it but he felt it would probably be safest to put it in the kitchen since the living room was currently a construction site. He carefully set it down on the table and paused, looking towards the window and out. Things were changing so quickly. For the better, for sure, but it was still change. He hadn't really given himself time to consider how the change would impact on himself aside from the obvious. Considering all of the baggage he had to work through, he decided that was probably a good thing.