Now the funny thing about happy chapters is reviews are fewer than the controversial chapters. 'Open Wounds' got 15 reviews. Apparently 'Angst' and 'violence' get people talking. Talk to me guys! I want to hear from YOU! -NL
COMPROMISE
Morning came and went before the sound of thunder clapping at my window woke me. It was raining. Ian was gone. I didn't like waking up without him. I had a bad feeling. I grabbed my robe and stepped out of the bedroom. Ice and Kyle were sitting in the living room watching TV with the sound down low. Sunny was still asleep on the couch.
I waved silently to the boys on the couch and headed for the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, took a shower, and put on a fresh coat of makeup. I pulled my hair back in a loose pony tail. I had chosen to wear my halter dress because I wanted to look good in case Ian came back with bad news. I was starving. As I backed into the kitchen, I bid Kyle and Ice to follow me. Once inside, I felt I could speak freely without waking Sunny. "Who let you out of the root cellar this morning?"
"Burns." Kyle answered.
"So, he's up then?"
"Yes, he went off with Ian." Okay, so they probably went to speak to Nate together. I was glad that Burns had gone. He would definitely be helpful in swaying Nate considering he was Nate's best friend.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not really."
"How about some bacon and eggs?"
"Sounds delicious." Ice replied enthusiastically.
"You need some help?" Kyle asked.
"I could really use a fresh cup of coffee."
"Coming right up." Kyle grabbed the pot and emptied the old coffee from the morning that Burns must have made. I got to work cooking the bacon. Ice took it upon himself to clean the dishes that were already in the sink.
I never heard the back door slam so when I felt the arms wrap around my waist from behind and the lips on my neck, I thought it was Kyle. I panicked. I was up against the hot stove so I had no where to go. I could only pull my shoulder to my neck and try to shrink away from him. "Kyle! What the hell are you doing?"
The arms released me and I turned around to face him. Kyle answered from the end of the counter. "I'm making coffee."
It was Ian and he was smiling.
Ian rubbed his hand on his chin. "Hmmm. And you said my brother never crossed the line."
"You stupid jerk! You scared the crap out of me. I didn't know what was going on!"
Ian started laughing. Kyle wasn't laughing at first but then he joined in as well. I folded my arms over my chest and pouted.
Ian put his arms around me. "Aw. Babydoll aren't you happy to see me?"
"I'm always happy to see you but you're still a stupid jerk!"
Burns entered the kitchen and suddenly I remembered why they had left in the first place.
"What happened with Nate?"
Ian's face went from laughing to serious. "We talked to Nate. He seemed to be okay with the idea. He said the addition of the buildings in his opinion would be a good thing but he also said that this was too important of a decision for him to make on his own. He is calling a meeting at five o'clock in the caves. He's going to put it to a vote."
I looked at Burns. "Is that good or bad?"
Burns looked thoughtful. "Well that depends on how people vote. Nate said that we can present our case to the people and let them decide. He is giving everyone a vote except Ben, Priscilla, and Dean since they are under the age of thirteen."
"Well then I guess we should try to figure out how we think each of them will vote."
Ian interjected. "It's by secret ballot, so you won't know how people have voted. That gives people like Nate a chance to vote the way he really feels and we won't know."
"You think Nate will vote against us?"
"Hell, yeah. I would if I were him." Ian replied.
Kyle spoke. "I suggest we make a list of all the names and write how we think they will vote."
"Does Burns's vote count?" I asked.
Burns answered. "Yes, I live here too and it affects me as much as them."
"Well that's one 'yes' vote." Ian affirmed.
"The kids will all vote in favor of the coach." It was Sunny. She had heard what was happening from the living room. That's Megan, Sarah, Blake, and Carlos."
"How do you know Sarah won't vote the way Nate votes?" I asked.
"Because she would be better off if you did marry Ian." Sunny answered.
"True." I was hopeful. "But Kara and Holly will both vote 'no' because Holly does not want me to marry Ian."
"I think Rachel and Rob would vote 'yes' and so would Evan." Burns concluded.
"What about the elders? They are the ones who will be most resistant to change." Sunny exclaimed.
"I think they will all vote no except for Maxim and Miranda. I'm not sure which way they will go." I counted the five votes from Maria, Carl, Aunt Sue, George, and Hector.
"So, who's left?" Ian asked.
"Hold on." Burns was counting the votes. "Without Maxim and Miranda. That makes sixteen votes. There are twenty one altogether. The three missing are Nadine, Kim, and Tom."
"I think Kim will vote for us." Ian attested.
"But Kim is Nate's sister." I reminded Ian.
"True."
"I think Tom will vote with the elders but Nadine will vote with us simply because Ian is so good with Ben." Burns again concluded.
"So, if Kim and Tom vote against and Nadine votes for, then we need both Maxim and Miranda to vote our way." Ian said flatly.
I knew we needed to plead our case with them in mind. "Well we could dwell on the fact that one of the buildings can be used as the school as well. That would make them happy because it would give them more space than the cave."
Ian crossed to me and scooped me into his arms. "That's a good point, Babydoll. That might work."
"Let's hope."
So, after all was said and done, we still couldn't be sure which way the vote would go. Everyone ate their bacon and eggs in silence. Burns took a nap after we ate. They were leaving right after dinner and Burns would do most of the driving.
At four thirty, our little group headed for the caves.
"Who's going to plead our case?" I asked of the group.
Ian offered his opinion. "I think Burns should do it." He looked at Burns. "They trust you."
Sunny also put in her two cents. "I think Wanderer should do it. After all, who can say no to that face?"
I didn't want to do it simply because if we lost it would open the door for Ian to place the blame on me, because after all, I had wanted to have it in the caverns. So I had to make sure that my opinion made the most sense. "I think Ian should do it. He is loved by all the children here. Also he is the one who will be doing the building. If he tells them how excited he is by this project for not only our wedding but for the use by all in the future, I believe it will have a great impact on them."
Ian objected. "Yes, but I am not eloquent like that."
I stopped and took Ian hands in mine. "You don't have to be. Just speak from your heart like you did last night."
So, we were all in agreement that Ian would be the 'pitch man'.
By five o'clock everyone had assembled at the great room in the cave. Even the cooks had taken a break from preparing dinner to attend. Nate stepped up to the great rock that was used as a podium. I was nervous because Nate was an eloquent speaker, plus he could twist words to his advantage.
"Thank you everyone for taking the time out of your day to come here. I have been approached by some of our friends with a proposition that could change the way we live here in our community. I do not feel comfortable with making this decision as it impacts each of you. I do not wish to offer my opinion but will cast my secret vote just as I will ask each of you to do. At this time I will ask our good friend and coach to step forward to present his intentions." He turned to Ian. "Ian?"
Ian stepped up to the podium. He was clearly nervous unlike Nate who had obviously faced these people many times before. I walked forward as well and took Ian by the hand as a show of support. Ian took a deep breath as did I.
"Hello, everyone. As you all know, last night I asked this beautiful lady standing next to me to be my wife. Most of you attended the party that followed. We were up late last night trying to come up with a solution that would allow our friends back at the caverns and all of you here to be able to attend the wedding. It has come to our attention that the caverns could not possibly accommodate the additional people we would be expecting to attend. However, here on this mountain, there is plenty of room for all. The land extending between the house and the cave is in a state of disuse. If we could build, we could add so much to this place. Burns and I discussed our options and we feel that we could easily erect not one but two buildings on this land. The first would be used for the reception. It could then later be used as a combination schoolhouse, dining room, and game room. The other building will be a bunkhouse. Visitors can have a place to stay or you can use it for yourselves. We have even discussed putting heat into these buildings for the winter months. I intend to stay the rest of the summer to build these and Burns has promised to return in a few weeks to help. I would welcome help from any of you as well. Oh, and I will still coach the kids in the early evenings." Ian stepped back.
Nate stepped forward once again. "Does anyone have any questions?" People started talking quietly to each other but only one question was asked.
Miranda stepped forward. "When is the wedding and when will the building be available to be used as a schoolhouse?" This was good, Miranda was definitely interested.
Nate turned to Ian. "Ian? Would you care to answer this question?"
Ian stepped back up. "The wedding is planned for late October or early November. Since we are building two halls, I would say that it would be best to complete one before attempting the second. This way we can iron out any problems we might come across to make building the second one easier. I have never done this before and I'm sure it will be a challenge, but it is a challenge that I look forward to. You can begin to use the first building as soon as it is complete."
Nate stepped up and stood next to Ian. They were both handsome in there own way. Ian was rugged and strong and Nate was charming and charismatic. "Okay, if there are no more questions then we will put it to a vote. Our visitors will not be voting with us today nor will Ben, Priscilla, or Dean. Although Ian has been with us for several months he is not considered a permanent resident here and so he will not be allowed to vote. There will be one vote per person. You will vote 'yes' if you agree to the proposal and you will vote 'no' if you disagree. There are twenty one ballots. If you do not wish to vote please write an 'X' on the ballot. All ballots will be counted in one hour if you need time to think about your vote or when the last vote is cast."
Nate was truly a politician. It was beautiful to watch him work. Burns stepped up to cast the first vote. He was followed by Blake and Carlos. The elders did not rush up to cast their votes. They held back and spoke to each other in low whispers. Jeb had been standing with Maria but left her to come and stand with us when the speech was over. After a half hour each of the elders stepped forward to cast their ballots. Nate cast his last.
Nate spoke to the crowd once more. "Okay I need someone to come up and verify each ballot as I read it. Sarah, would you do me the honor?" Sarah was tickled to death to be able to stand with Nate. Nate unfolded the first ballot. "Yes." He handed the ballot to Sarah who placed it on the podium in front of her.
I leaned in to Ian. "That should have been Nate's vote. He put his in last."
Ian whispered back to me. "I know. I'm shocked."
Next ballot, "Yes." The 'yes's' kept coming until he opened the last ballot. He smiled. "Well, it seems we have a unanimous vote. Congratulations Ian and Wanda. Excuse me, Wanderer. It looks like we all will be attending your wedding."
Ian picked me up and spun me around before he put me down and kissed me. Then he rushed over to Burns. I looked over at Nate and I mouthed the words 'thank you' to him. He smiled and bowed to me.
Dinner was served shortly after the vote and everyone was still excited about it. Several people came up to Ian and offered their services. Ian was beaming. I don't know if he was more excited about the wedding or the new project.
After dinner, we had to say good bye to Burns, Kyle, Sunny, Jeb and Ice. Jeb had decided he had spent enough time away and was eager to get back. Maria did not look so happy to see him go. He invited her to come and visit anytime she wanted. She told him she would think about it. He kissed her on the cheek. It warmed my heart to see him do this because he was not one to show his emotions. Ice had not been tethered for two days so I thought it was odd that they were taking him to the caverns at all. I guess they figured that time with the humans would only strengthen the bond and it was very difficult to escape from the caverns. I asked Jeb to offer the room that Ian and I shared to Ice until either of us returned. Burns said that was where he had been staying but he would be happy to share it with him. I had figured he was staying with Lily. I guess Burns was still being the gentleman. Sunny was very sad to leave not so much because she wanted to stay but she relished our newfound friendship and she said she would miss me terribly. I told her I would come back as soon as I could even though I knew that Ian would fight me on it. I broke down saying good-bye to Kyle, my Ian fix. Kyle and I had established an unbreakable bond in the last few months. I was beginning to understand how Kyle was able to bed Ian's past conquests. He was…like a panda bear- Big, strong, sweet, and adorable. I was in tears as the truck pulled away with most of my closest friends.
I buried my face in Ian's chest. "Now I have no one except you."
He kissed the top of my head. "I'll be here for you."
"My only other friend was Nate."
Ian didn't say anything. I backed away from him and walked silently towards the house. He caught up to me quickly. "We could jump in the Jacuzzi."
"I don't know." I said dismally.
"Come on Babydoll. We are going to be so busy; you won't have time to miss them. Besides you still have Jamie."
Jamie. That's right. He stayed and Jeb left. So, now I guess that makes me Mom. "You know we are his guardians now. Everyone else is gone. Where is he going to sleep? I can't let him stay in the cave all by himself." I clicked open the phone and dialed Burns.
"Hello?"
"Burns? It's me."
"Do you miss me already?"
My voice hitched. "Yes." I caught myself starting to sob again.
"Wanderer? Do you want me to come back?"
Ian put his arm around my shoulder.
"No. I want you to spend some time with Lily. I called because I want to know if it's alright if Jamie stays in your room otherwise he'll be all alone in the cave and I won't be able to keep an eye on him."
"Sure. He's welcome to stay in my room."
"Thank you…Burns?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
"Love you too."
"Drive safe."
"Always."
I hung up the phone and began to sob again. Ian picked me up and carried me into the house. He laid me in the bed and covered me with a blanket.
"I can't bear to see you sad."
"Can't I at least talk to Nate?" I pleaded.
"No," he said softly.
Ian leaned in and kissed my cheek. "I'll be back. I'm going to go and check on Jamie."
A few minutes later, I fell asleep.
I woke in the middle of the night to a terrible storm. The thunder and lightning were frightening. I rolled over to find that Ian was lying next to me. I cowered into his back. He rolled towards me and put his arm around me. I snuggled into his chest.
He broke the silence. "You're not afraid of a little thunder, are you?"
"Yes I hate thunder and lightning."
"Well maybe I can help you not think about it."
He disappeared under the blanket and the next thing I knew I could feel his lips on my belly. I was still wearing my halter dress but it had ridden up. Ian just helped it along. I big clap of thunder and flash of light erupted just outside the window and I jumped. I could hear Ian laughing under the covers. I pulled the covers over my head. "Well hello." Ian said. It was dark like in the caverns.
"Ian, I'm scared."
"Don't be." He found my lips and began to kiss me. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
It was Jamie. "Wanda? I'm scared. Can I sleep with you?"
Ian whispered. "Isn't he a little old for that?"
"Ian! He's still just a kid!"
"Just a second, Jamie!" I flew out of the bed, turned on the light, and tore off my halter dress.
"Now, you're talking!" Ian licked his lips.
I glared at him. I opened my drawer and took out my shorts and a T-shirt and threw them on. "Do you have clothes on?"
"My boxers."
I opened the door for Jamie. "Come on in."
"Ian, get up." I ordered.
"What?"
"We are not all going to fit in this bed, so you go sleep in Burns's room."
"Oh, come on!"
I glared at him again.
"Okay!" He got out of the bed. "Just make sure you keep your hands to yourself kid."
Ian left the room.
"What's up with him?" Jamie asked.
"He's a little jealous."
"Of me?" he asked surprised.
"Of everyone."
Another flash of lightning and a clap of thunder sent us both scrambling to get under the covers. We hugged each other.
"Are you afraid too?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good, now I don't feel so bad."
Jamie turned his back to me and I spooned him from behind. I fell asleep listening to the rain beat down on the roof.
I woke early because I had fallen asleep so early the night before. I had forgotten about Ian so when I rolled over I was surprised to see Jamie sleeping with his back to me. He was a cute kid. He had already grown so much in the year that I had known him.
I got up and put on my robe in case someone was in the house. I left the room and tiptoed to Burns's room but Ian wasn't there. I wondered where he went. I was worried. I went into the kitchen to make coffee and Ian was sitting at the table by himself drinking a fresh cup.
"Ian? What are you doing up so early?"
"I couldn't sleep," he said dryly.
"Awww, why?"
"Do you have to ask?"
"Awww, sweetie. You want to jump in the Jacuzzi?"
"Are you messing with me?"
"Well, not yet, but if you play your cards right." I grinned evilly.
Ian got up slowly, took my hand, and led me into the bathroom. We came out an hour later and we were both smiling. The house was still empty so we plunked down on the couch and turned on the TV. The only thing on was cartoons. My mind wandered. Cartoons…Fluttering…"Oh! I have to go into town today!"
"What? Why?" Ian had no clue what I was talking about.
"Fluttering. She must be wondering what happened to me. If I don't go to her then she will come here."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The day I left here. I went to her because I was afraid I might fall asleep while on the road. She already knew about my boyfriend troubles. Burns and Sunny came to retrieve me because Burns saw the van when you and he came back into town."
Ian's face became hard. "What? ...Wait. You didn't come back here on your own? Burns dragged you back here?"
"What's the difference, I'm here now."
"There's a huge difference. You had no intentions on coming back."
"I think I had no intentions of leaving. That's why I went to Fluttering. I was afraid you would never take me back. When Burns and Sunny came, I actually felt relieved."
He blew out the deep breath he had been holding. "I'm sorry. It's just that every minute that I spend with you, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I feel like I don't deserve to be happy."
"Of course you do." I climbed out of the chair I was in and I snuggled up to him on the couch. "So, you're okay with me going to town today?"
"I suppose."
"I need to ask Nate if he needs me…" I stopped in mid sentence. I wasn't allowed to talk to Nate. How was I supposed to find out what they needed from me? He's the boss. He was always the one who relayed the information.
"Will you go to Nate and see if he needs anything from town since I am going in? Tell him it will only be a local trip."
At that moment Nate walked quietly through the back door.
"Speak of the devil." Ian hissed.
"Morning Ian…Beauti-…Wanda."
I just smiled and waved. I didn't speak one word to him. Then I got up off the couch and went into the bedroom. The last thing I needed was for Ian to freak out over Nate seeing me in my robe. I needed to get dressed anyway. I took my time in the hopes that Nate would be gone when I came out. He wasn't. He was sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee. Ian wasn't around. I assumed he was in the bathroom.
"So, Ian tells me you are going into town. He asked me if I need you to pick up anything. Honestly, I don't know if we need anything. It's still too early. I wish I had known yesterday that you were planning this."
I didn't answer him. I went to the kitchen. I started putting away the clean dishes that had been washed the night before. I figured I would make breakfast.
The kitchen door opened and Nate stepped into the room. "Are you still mad at me?"
I had to answer his question. "No." If I let him think that I was still angry, I would have a reason not to talk to him. "Yes." But I wasn't angry anymore. How could I be? He voted 'yes'. "No."
"Well, which is it? Yes? Or no?"
Just then Ian entered the kitchen and I could see he was not happy. "Nate, can I help you with something?"
"No. I was just talking to Wanda."
"About what?" Ian growled.
I could feel my headache coming on. How could I keep this from escalating and still obey Ian's wishes? The only way would be to hurt Nate and I couldn't do that.
Nate didn't back down. "Nothing in particular. I was going to see if she was planning on cooking breakfast. I thought I could help."
"She doesn't need your help." Ian hissed.
I couldn't take it anymore. I exploded. "STOP IT!"
They both froze and looked straight at me. I threw a glass in the sink and it shattered. I ran from the kitchen to the bedroom and locked the door. I lay on the bed and pulled the pillow over my face and I screamed into it. I hated this. I loved Ian with all my heart but I couldn't just shut off my feelings for Nate. I cared about him and I wanted to be his friend. Why couldn't Ian just accept that?
The handle to the door jiggled followed by a sharp knock at the door. "Wanderer, let me in."
I was angry with Ian. I knew if I let him in he would tell me all the reasons why he didn't want me to talk to Nate and I didn't want to hear them. I needed to go see Fluttering and give everyone a chance to cool off.
"Wanderer, I'm not playing. Let me in."
I got off the bed and unlocked the door. Ian opened the door and stepped inside. "Don't you ever lock me out, again," he ordered. I just lowered my head and looked at the floor. He slid his hand under my chin as gently as he could and pulled my head up so he could look into my eyes. "I would never do that to you."
I was stoic. "I'm going to see Fluttering."
He let go of my chin. "Fine, run away."
I was so frustrated that I spoke with my jaw tensed. "Ian, I am doing everything in my power not to fight with you. I tried to stay away from Nate. It's just so unfair!"
Ian sat on the bed. His hands were balled up into fists. "I know you did. I'm sorry. I just don't trust him."
"But how can I not talk to him?" I pleaded.
"I don't know. I only know that I will never get over the fact that you love him too. I wish you could see that."
He had a point. If he loved someone else I would probably go insane. I remembered how I felt when I found out he had slept with Lily.
"Look. I'm going to go see Fluttering. I want to show her this beautiful ring and tell her what a great guy I am going to marry. I'll be back soon. I promise." So, I threw a little guilt trip at him. It might be good for him. He hadn't given me permission to talk to Nate, so in my mind, nothing had been resolved, at least not to my satisfaction.
I put on my sneakers, grabbed the keys, and leaned in to kiss Ian good-bye. I walked to the bedroom door and opened it. I looked back at Ian before I departed. He looked so dejected, it broke my heart. I rushed back to him and pushed him down on the bed. "I love you, Superman."
He smiled his big beautiful smile. "I love you too."
This time I gave him a proper kiss good-bye.
"Go see your friend." He slapped me lightly on the derriere.
I shimmied my way off of him and left the room smiling. I didn't see Nate in the house when I left. I did see Jamie on the couch. How did I mss that when I passed through here before?
"Is everything okay, Wanda?" Jamie asked as I emerged from the bedroom.
"Yes, everything is fine, now."
"You didn't fight over me, did you?" he said innocently.
"No, sweetie, not you. I'm going to town to see my friend. Do you need me to pick you up anything while I'm there?"
"No, but thanks."
"Make sure you go to school."
"I will."
I pulled up to the salon. It was almost time to open. Fluttering saw me standing at the door and rushed over to unlock it.
"Ashley! How lovely to see you!" She was smiling like always. "I hope everything is all right."
"Everything is better than all right. Look!" I stuck my hand out proudly.
"You're engaged! I'm so happy for you!" She hugged me. "I was so worried about you."
"I know. I didn't know what I was going to do when I left here. I was scared to death."
"And see, he loves you and you look radiant." A vehicle pulled up outside. "My first client is due here any minute. Can you stick around for lunch?"
"Actually I thought I'd do a little shopping and then come back if it's okay with you."
"Sure, I have some free time between noon and one thirty."
"Great, I'll be back at eleven forty five."
The first client stepped through the door. "Okay, I'll see you for lunch," she said enthusiastically.
I decided to go to the mall in the next town. I wanted to get something special for everyone as a thank you for allowing us to build on the land. I just didn't know what to get. It had to be something that everyone could use. There was a large sporting goods store as one of the cornerstones of the mall. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect gift. The living room would be just big enough to hold it and when the first hall is done we can move it there. It wouldn't fit in the van so I arranged to have it delivered to the house. I told them that I needed a specific date and time since my brother and I were often out of the house. I set up delivery for Wednesday between nine and noon. I also gave them my phone number to confirm my availability before they would deliver. This way I could make sure all of the humans were safely tucked out of sight.
The next item on my list was a gift for Ian. I wanted to get something special for him but I had no clue what to get him. He never wore jewelry and clothing just wasn't special enough. He had all of the sporting equipment he needed. I was at a loss. I tried to think about what was important to him. Besides baseball the only other thing important to him was me, even if we did fight like cats and dogs. I was daydreaming when I passed a Victoria's Secret store. I turned around and went in. I was like a kid in a candy store. Everything was just beautiful. I tried on lots of things and finally I settled on two outfits. The first was a teal colored corset complete with a garter belt and stockings. The sales clerk said I definitely needed to get a pair of spike heels to complete the outfit. She said guys go nuts over heels. I was already imagining how long I could keep Ian off of me while teasing him in this outfit. The other outfit was a pair of black lace panties that looked like short shorts and a black silk bra. Of course I took the sales clerk's advice and immediately went to the shoe store and bought a pair of shiny black patent leather heels.
Now that I had completed my mission, I headed back to see Fluttering. I got there just in time for lunch. She took me to an upscale restaurant as a celebration of my engagement. She asked me if I had a picture of my fiancé. I told her I was sorry that I didn't. Then she asked me why I didn't bring him with me. I couldn't tell her Ian was human. I told her that he went on to school to set up an apartment for himself because if we both stayed in dorms, we wouldn't have any alone time. She accepted that explanation. She asked me when the wedding was to take place. I lied again and told her that it would probably be next summer. Of course I invited her. When I left her, I told her I would come back to see her real soon.
I returned to the mountain after two o'clock. There was a note on the bed that said Ian was coaching the kids. I changed quickly into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and jogged off towards the field. Ian spotted me as I approached the far side of the field and waved me in. I ran to him and threw my arms around him. I didn't care that he was 'Coach' right now. "I missed you!"
"I missed you more." He kissed me quickly. This was something that he never did on the field. "Get your glove and go warm up with Megan."
I enjoyed practice. Ian could be hard but now I understood his coaching style so it never bothered me when he made me run or if I had to do push ups. He always ran at the end of practice to punish himself for being hard on me. It was probably the only time in our relationship when there was no fighting.
After practice my back started to ache. It suddenly occurred to me why I had been so moody. I set my mind to keep my emotions in check at least for the next few days.
After dinner the usual crowd gathered in the living room to watch TV. I took the opportunity to inform those gathered that on Wednesday I had something special being delivered at the house and I needed everyone to spread the word to stay away. I let them know it was a gift for everyone. Ian wanted to know what it was but I told him he would find out when everyone else did. He imitated me by folding his arms across his chest and pouting. Everyone laughed.
That night I decided it was time to approach the next issue that Ian and I needed to discuss now that we had the wedding mapped out. I was tucked securely in his arms when I brought up the subject.
"Ian?"
He sighed. "I'm tired."
He was avoiding the discussion. "You wouldn't be tired if I was suggesting sex."
"If we were having sex, we wouldn't be having this discussion," he twisted my words to suit him and it angered me.
"So, that's it? We are only good to have sex?"
"Wanderer, you know that's not true."
"Then why won't you have this discussion with me?" I pressed.
"Which discussion is it that you want to have? We cannot talk about where we are going to live without discussing children and we can't discuss children without discussing where we are going to live."
"I want to discuss where we are going to live."
He pulled his arm out from around me and curled it under his head. "You know where I want to live."
"Yes and I think I know why, but I want to hear it from you."
"Just look at it out here. There is plenty of room. There's sunshine and rain. Four seasons. The kids here respect me and I love coaching them. And building. If we can get these two halls built, it will open the door for so much more that we can accomplish."
"And what about me? Not once was there anything mentioned that makes me want to stay here."
"What are you talking about? More room means more room for both of us. We could build a house. A house for our family. You don't like rain? You don't like winter?"
"My friends and family are not here."
"You can make new friends."
"I love the friends I have, thank you."
Ian took a deep breath and let it out slow. I continued to make my point.
"Don't you miss the people at home? Jared and Melanie? Lily? Kyle and Sunny?"
"Of course I do, but I have to look at our future. What is best for our family."
"Family we don't even have yet!" I cried.
"Which brings me to children." He spoke softly. "Wanderer, do you want children?"
"Yes, but not now! Ian, I'm only seventeen! I'm not even old enough to drink!"
"When we get married I will be twenty six. I want several children and I don't want to be forty with a baby."
My head was starting to pound. I got up to go get some 'No Pain' from the bathroom.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
"I have cramps." I lied.
When I returned to the bedroom Ian was sitting on the edge of the bed with his face resting in his hand. I could see he was thinking hard. "Okay, if Sunny was here she would ask us how we might compromise."
"I don't want to compromise. I compromised on the wedding." There I said it. It was his turn.
He didn't get angry. He pressed on with determination. "Okay, but what would Sunny say?"
I took Ian's hand in mine. I was playing with his fingers. "I don't know. She would probably say we could live in both places."
Ian sat up straight. "Yes. Like dual citizenship!"
"What?"
Ian took my face in his hands. His eyes were blazing. "What if we lived half of the year here and the other half at the caverns?"
"You're kidding right?"
"Why not? In the spring and summer we could come here, that way I could still be the Coach. In the fall and winter, we could live in the caverns so we could be with our friends and loved ones."
"You think we could do that?"
"Why not? We are doing it now. I can compromise if you can compromise." He still had his hands on my face. His eyes were searching mine pleading for an answer.
It did seem like a fair resolution. "Okay, but after the wedding, we go back to the caverns right?"
"I love you!" He shouted. He proceeded to cover my face with kisses. I'd never seen him so happy. It was like someone had let the cat out of the bag. Apparently, he thought that surely his days on the mountain were numbered. I didn't want to burst his bubble but he was neglecting one small detail.
"Of course, you will have to clear the 'dual citizenship' thing with Nate." Nate had the power to burst his bubble and the little display in the kitchen this morning didn't help the situation. "Ian I know how much you despise Nate, but if you would just let me
be his friend. I know that I could convince him to let us live here."
"No. I'll go to him. If he says 'no' then I guess we'll live in the caverns."
"Ian, you are being ridiculous. You're willing to give up your dream?"
"My dreams were destroyed six years ago." I was silent. I felt wounded. He would never live out his dream of being a pro ball player and it was all my fault.
"I'm sorry."
He spoke softly. "It's not your fault."
"Yes…..it is."
Ian fell silent.
"I just wanted so desperately to make things right. I can't give you back the dream of being a pro ball player but I …"
He interrupted me. "Wanderer, you've given me something I never had before. You've given me your heart. That's more than I have a right to ask for." He put his arms around me and pulled me tight to his chest. "Let's just hold off asking Nate anything for a while. Okay?"
I didn't answer. I knew if I could just talk to Nate; he would welcome us with open arms. Well, he would welcome me but he knew that Ian and I were a package deal.
Ian shook me gently. "Okay?"
"Okay." I replied sullenly.
"Let's get some sleep."
Our compromise had been bittersweet. We managed to solve our issue without a huge blowup, but we still didn't know if our plans would come to fruition.
"I love you." I whispered.
He pulled me tighter to him. "I love you more."