Chapter 7
Luke and I were coming up on our four-year dating anniversary.
I’m nearing my thirties, and he is already in his thirties.
The question of “what’s next?” has been popping up occasionally.
We have both been staying career-focused.
I got a job at a new agency as an advisor, and I am finally making the kind of money that I set out to make when I earned this degree.
I feel like a real adult with a grown-up job.
Even though I am feeling like a real rich bitch, I’m not the type of person to immediately upgrade my lifestyle.
I’m trying to be responsible with my spending and saving, considering that’s literally my life’s work.
Luke has been feeling a little stagnant at his job, so he has been keeping an eye out for other opportunities.
I’ve casually approached the subject of marriage with him several times over the last year. His answer is always the same: he definitely wants to marry me, but he’s not in a hurry.
Something that has been weighing heavily on my mind, as I look toward the future, is starting a family.
Luke has always been somewhat ambivalent about having kids, but he’s made it clear that he supports whatever I want.
Still, we’ve been having unprotected sex for over a year.
After having a few slip-ups—who am I kidding, there were a lot of slip-ups—we realized that I am more than likely not going to get pregnant without some intervention, so we have stopped taking any precautions.
So far, nothing. If I were to get pregnant, I would be happy.
I would prefer to do things in the right order, which is why I have been pestering him about his plans.
Luke and I have always just magically clicked.
We have plenty of differences, but we balance each other out, and somehow it works.
He loves going out and having adventures; I prefer staying home.
He flies by the seat of his pants; I have written goals that I’m constantly updating.
I have remained steadfast in exactly where I want my career to end up, while he is often searching for new ideas and possibilities to explore.
We made plans with Tim and Syd for an at-home game night.
They got engaged before Christmas, so Syd is deep into wedding planning.
She has been inviting me along to check out places she is thinking of using.
They have asked both of us to be in their wedding party.
I’m a little jealous but mostly having fun and happy for her.
They are truly a perfect match. Tim and Syd arrive with a cooler full of drinks and our favorite snacks because they truly know how to party.
“Hey, I invited my sister and the guy she has been seeing to come over too. Hope that’s okay!” Syd says, handing me a bag.
“Of course, I invited Cora, too. I'm not sure if she’ll show up. She is boycotting anything related to happy, healthy love relationships.”
“Honestly, I get it and would be right there with her if not for Timmy Boy.”
“I found a game online that I think we should try tonight, I said as I helped Syd unpack the things she brought with her. “It seems like it will be really fun, but we may have to set some parameters for Tim. It’s a make-your-own-rules game, and I don’t want anyone to get arrested.”