Seth woke up to a dog licking his hand. He opened his eyes and smiled at the old, black dog with the grey hairs on his face. He patted the dog and looked over at Licia. She was still sleeping. He left the bed as quietly as he could and walked towards the door.

"Come on, Buddy," he said.

The dog followed him through the house. He opened the front door and watched the dog run out to pee. It was early morning but already fairly warm so he left the door open for the dog to come in when he wanted to.

He walked out in the kitchen and looked at the bowls. He chuckled when he saw the name Buddy actually being on the bowls. It had been a nickname moments ago but it turned out to be the dog's actual name.

"Lucky guess," he said.

He filled the water bowl with fresh water and found some dog food in a cabinet. Hearing his food bowl being filled made Buddy come running right back in.

"Guess you're not losing your hearing yet," he said. "Eat up, Buddy. You're such a good boy."

He turned to look out at the kitchen window, and another smile fell on his face. She had chickens in her backyard. A couple of cats were roaming around there too which would explain the cat tree he passed in the living room and the table with two smaller bowls on it. He went back in to fetch the bowls and fill them with food and water too before returning to the kitchen to make breakfast. He was almost done with the omelet when he heard her voice behind him.

"This is nice waking up to," she said.

He turned around and smiled at her. She was so cute in her white panties and dusty pink tank top.

"I made you an omelet," he said.
"Good memory," she said.

He smiled again and placed the omelet on the table. He turned around to kiss her but her lips remained shut. He felt his heart drop. Yesterday they hadn't gotten around to talk at all. It was like both of them left their brains out in the garden, and they just felt instead of thinking.

"I'm sorry," he said. "Is it someone else?"
"No, I don't have anyone," she said.
"What is it then?" He asked.

She sighed and looked at the table. It was like old days. A simple breakfast but it meant the world. She looked back up at him.

"I can't go through this heartbreak again," she said.
"You won't have to," he said.
"Come on, Seth. I know how it works. You'll have to get back on the road eventually," she said.
"No, I won't," he held up both index fingers. "Hold that thought."

He ran out to his car and grabbed some papers from the glove compartment. His phone was still in the passenger seat where he had left it yesterday. He grabbed it too and ran back inside. He handed her the paper and she saw it was a contract.

"I got my new contract yesterday and I couldn't sign it," he said. "I can't fucking sign it, Licia. I'm done. I've lived that dream. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I'm proud of what I've done but I don't want to do it anymore. I wanna be with you. I wanna come home. This house feels like home. You are my home."

She looked up at him but didn't say a word.

"Look at my phone," he handed her his phone. "Several missed calls since yesterday and I don't care. I don't even wanna know who called me. I just wanna be done with that world. I've lived it and it was rewarding, but it never beat anything you and I had."

He took the contract and the phone from her hands and placed them down on the table. He took both her hands and took a step closer to her.

"I want you," he said. "I want all this. Everything we dreamed of together and that I stupidly let go."
"You weren't stupid," she said.
"I was but now I finally see clearly," he said. "I want this. I want you. I want this house, the dog, the cats, the chickens and the goats."

She snorted in laughter and shook her head.

"I never got around to get the goats," she said.
"We can now," he said.
"It's hard work," she said.
"I don't care," he said. "There's so much room in the backyard. We can fence it easily and build a house for them to shelter them from the weather."
"You came to that conclusion while cooking breakfast?" She asked.
"I came to that conclusion years ago but I was scared to let go and come back. I was scared of what people might think," he said.
"But you're not scared anymore?" She asked.
"Now I'm just scared of losing you again," he said.

She nodded and looked down at the omelet.

"We better eat before it gets cold," she said.

He sighed, dropped his hands, and nodded. She walked around the table and sat down while he sat down on the side he was standing. It felt like she was rejecting him and she had every right to. He had left her years ago to chase another dream, and he had no right barging back into her life the way he had done.

"What about your school and coffee shop?" She asked.
"I'll sell both," he answered. "Marek will have no problem taking over the school, and the coffee shop is doing great. Someone will buy it."
"No," she said.

He looked up at her and fought as hard as he could to keep the tears from falling. It didn't work. They slowly started running down his cheeks.

"Don't cry," she quickly said. "I didn't mean it like that."
"I get it. I can't just waltz back into your life as if I never left," he said.
"You're not listening. I didn't mean it like that. I don't want you to give your your school. The coffee shop is up to you. Keep it or sell it. I don't care. But just because you're done wrestling yourself doesn't mean you don't still have a lot to give. You got a gift, Seth, so use it. Train the next generations. Help them live their dream like you did."

He blinked and new tears fell. He couldn't stop them.

"Does that mean I can come home to you?" He asked.

She sighed and looked down at the omelet slowly turning cold. There was no way they would enjoy it now. She looked back up, and he saw tears roll down her cheeks as well.

"I'm not sure you actually want to or if you're experiencing some early midlife crisis," she said.
"I want to," he said.
"And I believe you want to right in this moment, but what about tomorrow? Or next week? Or next month? How about a year from now? What if you regret it?" She asked.

He blinked again, trying to find something to say but nothing came to mind. He couldn't see the future. He only knew how he felt right in that moment.

"How long do you have left of your old contract?" She asked.
"Six weeks," he answered.
"You need to fulfill that," she said. "Go home and think about it. Really think about it. Don't act on your impulses which I know you tend to do. Coming here without a phone call proves that so don't argue with me."

He smirked at that. She was right. He acted on his impulses a lot.

"Go home, Seth," she said. "Go home and figure out what you truly want. I never stopped loving you. Deep inside you know that. But I can't risk losing you again because you have another dream to live out. My heart can't take it again. So please, for me, go home today and figure out what you want."