Chapter Six
"Are you angry with daddy?"
Emma broke the silence of their family dinner that night and Diane was wondering what made her daughter ask that question. Maybe she was a little angry with Will for not telling her the truth, but she could also understand why he had chosen to remain silent. But she certainly tried not to show her anger, especially not in front of the children, she'd always made sure to leave them out of their occasional fights. But that wasn't the case this time.
"I'm not angry, why do you think so?" she asked, glancing in Will's direction for a short while, who was clearly waiting for her reply.
"Because you haven't talked to each other ever since daddy arrived home."
Diane didn't expect her six-year-old to pay attention to such details. She started to think back what had happened since Will had arrived home and she had to admit that her daughter was right.
"I just have too many things on my mind, work stuff you know, I'm not angry with daddy or anyone, you have nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure?" the girl asked and she seemed a little worried indeed. Diane felt like going over to her to hug her, she needed a hug herself as well, but she chose not to overreact.
"Of course I'm sure," she replied and sent a desperate look in Will's direction to help her out and support her truth.
"Mommy has no reason to be angry with me, because I haven't done anything wrong," Will turned to his daughter and even though Diane didn't recognize a hidden message in his voice she still felt like it was addressed to her. Maybe he also found her silence suspicious, even though she'd tried not to show that something had been bothering her.
"I want proof," Emma insisted and both Diane and Will had to chuckle at this request, which clearly helped to ease the tension at the dinner table.
"What kind of proof?"
Emma looked at her for a short while, obviously thinking of a good answer, when she finally started to smile.
"A kiss," she said, but before Diane could react in any way the fourth member of the family interfered.
"Ewww."
"What?"
"Kissing is gross."
"No, it's not, you're just too stupid to understand."
"Emma," Diane raised her voice a little and her daughter's face changed at once.
"I'm sorry," she replied with guilt in her voice.
"You should apologize to your brother."
"I'm sorry," she repeated in Nathan's direction, who obviously didn't look hurt at all, instead he was already playing with his toys next to his plate again.
Emma looked back at Diane for confirmation that she wasn't angry with her anymore.
"So where's my kiss?"
Will's question made all of them chuckle again and Diane didn't hesitate much longer to fulfill the girl's request. She intended it to be a short kiss, but Will didn't let her move away so quickly.
"I believe you," Emma said happily as they pulled back from each other.
And even though she and Will had a really serious matter to discuss later that night, Diane knew it wouldn't change the most important thing that she would be sleeping in his arms afterwards.
o-o-o
"There's something I have to tell you," he said right when she came out of the bathroom after her shower later that night.
He had obviously been waiting for her and even though she wasn't less tired than the previous nights, she knew they really had to talk about a subject she would have brought up herself as well. She had no doubts that he wanted to talk about the same thing and she appreciated that he was the one who initiated the conversation.
"I'm listening," she replied, taking a step closer to him.
"Sit down," he suggested, reaching out his hand in her direction and when she took it, he pulled her down on their bed, facing him, "It's about that meeting with Stern, I…didn't tell you the truth," he started and let go off her hands.
"I figured," she admitted and of course he had expected no less.
"The truth is, he offered to make me a name partner at the firm," he finally said it out and just from the look on his face she saw how hard it actually was for him.
"I know," she replied, clearly surprising him with it.
"Since when?"
"This morning."
There was a moment of silence when they just looked into each other's eyes, trying to read the mind of the other.
"And you are not angry with me?" he asked and she had to smile a little, thinking back on what had happened at the dinner table.
"No, I'm not," she reassured him once more, "But you really should have told me," she did not use an accusative tone, she simply stated a truth. They were husband and wife for a reason, there shouldn't have been secrets between them and he knew that perfectly well.
"I know and I'm sorry, but the timing was…not the best."
His statement helped the conversation move on, it was finally time they talked about the actual consequences, it was no use wasting more time on something she had already forgiven him for. It was true that the timing of the offer couldn't have been worse, but it did not lessen the value of it and she felt like pointing it out right away.
"It's a fantastic opportunity."
"I know," he replied shortly and she could see that he wasn't entirely happy about it nevertheless.
"What did you tell him?"
"That I'm going to think about it," he gave the obvious answer and she started to feel the burden of this decision on her as well.
"How long do you have?"
"Until next Monday."
She knew he would soon ask her opinion on the matter, but she had already decided how to act when this moment came.
"You should sleep on it," she suggested, even though she knew he had already slept on it, it was her who needed a little more time to consume it.
"How do you feel about this?"
"I'm happy for you," she smiled and she was in fact proud of him, he'd earned this promotion.
"But this would technically mean that I became your boss," he grinned and she couldn't help chuckling a little.
"And you don't think I can handle that?"
"But that wasn't what we wanted," he changed back to a serious tone, "We wanted to be equals, the two only name partners of our own firm."
"A firm that could go down in no time and burry us underneath, it could be our ruin," she decided to focus on the worst, because this was the only way she could see the bright side of this whole situation. Even if it destroyed all their dreams, it could actually save them at the same time.
"Or it could be our success, we have it in us, I know we do."
Of course they had it in them, but there would always be circumstances they couldn't control and he knew that as well.
"I'm not sure it's wise to take such a risk when you're offered everything on a silver plate."
"But this would mean leaving you behind and you deserve to get to the top much more than I do."
"I can always open a firm on my own and kick your ass in court on each coming chance," she joked, even though the possibility of them not working together did seem rather scary to her. Partly because she loved that they could always spend some time together when they didn't have to concentrate on their parental duties and partly because they worked extremely well in a team, they knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and complemented each other perfectly.
"That wouldn't be the same," he said her thoughts out loud and for a moment they both stayed silent.
"You still have a few days, give it some time," she made the same suggestion she had started with, because it was probably the best thing they could do, hope that time would help them find the right answer.