Chapter 10. Dating Isn’t That Different from Finding a Pair of Shoes #2
“Probably half a day.” Opa beamed at him, and I felt a sudden surge of affection for Rob for being so kind to my grandfather. “They’re very simple to make. I can send you a link to the tutorial.”
“I did a bit of woodworking in high school, but I was never any good at it. I only got into it to spend time with my dad. And it worked for a while, but—” He stopped himself from saying whatever he was going to say. “Then he got too busy with work.”
“That’s still a nice memory to have. Not many teenage boys are thoughtful enough to want to do something together with their father.”
A sad look crossed Rob’s face. “I don’t think he shares that opinion, but thank you for saying that.”
My grandfather opened his mouth, as if he was going to say something, but seemed to think better of it.
“I’m going to call it a night.” He climbed down from his stool and ambled over to the sink to place his empty glass there.
When Rob made a move to stand up, Opa waved his hand at him.
“No, please stay. Sit with Kim, chat with her, keep her company. Give her a break from putting up with a boring old man.”
“Oh, Opa.” I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You know you’re anything but boring.”
“Still. I’m not as handsome as this fella here.” Opa gave me a wink, and I could hear Rob’s low chuckle from behind me. “Good night, sweetheart. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he leaned closer and whispered for my ears only, “Orangnya baik, Kim.”?
I only rolled my eyes while he laughed, before shuffling away to his bedroom. When I glanced at Rob, he was watching my grandfather with a thoughtful look on his face.
“Thanks for having me over. Your grandfather is great.” He turned his attention to me. “You’re a wonderful granddaughter. He’s very lucky to have you.”
“No. I’m the one who’s lucky to have him.
And I’m glad you came and chatted with him about woodworking, because I know nothing about that stuff.
In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time he laughed so much at dinner.
You’ve spoiled him, because he’s going to want to be this entertained every week now. ”
“Glad I could be useful. Just another productive weekend, right?”
“Except for the Ben debacle.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, actually.
You said you’re doing this for your grandmother.
That one of her last wishes was for you to settle down.
” When I nodded, he continued, “And you’re okay with that?
You never seemed to be a hundred percent enthusiastic about the idea.
At the end of the day, this is your life. Do you really want to settle down?”
Warmth expanded through my chest, and I knew it wasn’t because of the cup of peppermint tea I just had.
Rob was the only person—apart from Ellie and Jenna—who had asked me that question. Ellie and Jenna knew how much my grandmother meant to me. But Rob, though, I’d only gotten to know better these past few weeks, and he was observant enough to ask me that?
A voice in my brain whispered, Maybe you should come clean about the real reasons why you’re doing this. About the inheritance clause.
I opened my mouth, only to close it again.
No, I don’t have to. My reasons for doing this shouldn’t concern him.
He was helping me find someone, and what I planned to do with that someone was none of his concern.
He was just a means to an end, and once this entire charade was over, we’d part ways and I wouldn’t need to have anything to do with him anymore.
“I don’t know,” I answered, probably the closest to a truthful answer I could come up with.
“Honestly, settling down with one person for the rest of my life seems like such a reckless concept. I’ll be trusting him, and only him, with my heart forever.
Do you know how many things could go wrong during those forever years?
How do I know I’ve chosen the right person?
How do I know he isn’t going to abuse my trust and break my heart? ”
“Like your ex-fiancé,” Rob said slowly.
“Exactly like him.”
“Not everyone is like your ex, though. You can trust someone if it’s the right person, and maybe you just haven’t found yours yet.
The way I look at it, dating is like trying to find the right outfit for the right occasion.
Or trying on several different pairs of shoes before you find the one you really love.
” At my raised eyebrows, he dimpled at me.
“Blame my metaphors on my sisters. My point is, you don’t buy the first pair of shoes or dress you tried on, do you?
You’re not going to settle and spend your hard-earned money on something you don’t feel comfortable wearing.
It’s the same thing. You don’t settle for the first guy you meet, because you don’t want to spend the rest of your life with someone you’re not truly happy with. ”
“That’s true.”
“It is. And I believe there’s someone out there for everyone, including you. You just haven’t met him yet. Or maybe you have, but you just haven’t realized it yet.”
“Still, I’m going into this with zero expectations. The idea of being tied down in a long-term relationship isn’t something I’m comfortable with, but that was what my grandmother wanted, and I’d do everything in my power to make it come true.”
He was quiet for a few minutes, and I thought he was done with the conversation.
But then he asked, “Do you think you’ll ever change your mind? About the idea of settling down with one person for the rest of your life?”
No. Because I didn’t know if I could endure what I’d gone through with Leo all over again. “I don’t know.”
We shared a long look, and I was once again struck by the brilliant colors in his eyes, by the flecks of gold among the green.
I still couldn’t find the yarn equivalent, and it annoyed the hell out of me.
Royal Fern? Leafy Willow?
Because that exact shade didn’t just resemble my favorite childhood sweater anymore.
It was also slowly becoming my favorite color.