Pros and cons of dating an older guy

Chapter 27: Pro #14

Pro #14 - Kids have a way of bringing people closer together

Something had changed the last two days that Riley had been staying with us. Our apartment felt like a home. There was toys and random socks everywhere - and I wasn't complaining. We'd stayed up late Saturday night working on a puzzle and for those couple of hours I got to see a side of Jared I'd never seen before. He was goofy and caring and honestly just being the coolest 'uncle Jared' - like Riley said over and over again. He was so good with children. Something I would have never expected. I think it was early Sunday morning when we finished the puzzle and I decided on one thing. I decided that I wanted to be with Jared completely. I wanted to be his family. I wanted to have his children and be his wife in every sense of the word. We still hadn't had that conversation yet and when the time came I was going to lay it all down on the table. I was going to give it everything I've got. I loved Jared with my whole being and babysitting Mark's son this weekend together just solidified it.

I woke up late Sunday morning and to Jared and Riley making some noise in the lounge. It wasn't annoying though. It was like that pleasant background chit chat. Between Friday and yesterday, Riley had managed to work his way into our hearts. He was probably the most well mannered but hyper-active kid I'd ever met. Whenever he wanted something he always asked his 'uncle Jared' and of course Jared couldn't say no to Riley's big brown puppy dog eyes.

"What are you guys watching?" I was from the kitchen looking for something to make.

"Monster trucks" Riley answered, both of them with their eyes glued to the screen.

"Is it any fun?" I'd decided on finishing up the remaining pancake batter. I'm sure I could whip up at least 8 pancakes from it.

"Uncle Jared says its what real men watch and I'm a real man" Riley said getting up.

Aww my heart.

He came up to the kitchen counter and I picked him up and put him on the stool but I caught a cramp in the process.

"Owie" I said, trying to downplay it but of course Jared was next to me in 0.2 seconds.

"You alright my love?" Jared and Riley both asked at the same time.

Jared and I both looked at Riley and we all started laughing.

"Yes I'm  okay, just a little cramp"

Every since Riley had heard Jared call me 'my love' he was convinced that it was my other name and he preferred it over 'Kate'.

"You boys go back to your manly show and I'll join you once the pancakes are ready" I said shooing them back to the lounge. Of course Riley decided to stay with me in the kitchen - he wanted to have a little bit more of the pancake batter before I used it all up.

I caught Jared looking at me every once in a while and it made me feel all warm inside. As crazy as it might sound I was starting to believe that just maybe, Jared wanted the same thing I wanted - that he felt the same way.

If someone would have told me 5 months ago that life with Jared would be this easy and flow so naturally - I wouldn't have believed it. As much as we had been on a roller coaster of ups and downs in these 5 months of our marriage, I finally felt like we were really good together.

"You're awfully pensive today" Jared said, pulling me out of my thoughts. We'd just put Riley to bed in the other room.

"Mmm I haven't felt this at peace in a really long time" I said, joining him on the bed. He was sitting up leaning against the head board and I came and laid on his chest.

"Me too" He said - a bit more serious than I expected.

I sat up then and looked at him. Was it the right time to bring up the conversation about our future? Was I rushing things? Should I just keep going with the flow a little longer?

"Jared" "Katie"

We both said at the same time.

"You never call me Katie" I said, smiling.

"Things have changed" Jared said, looking into my eyes intensely. There was an emotion there that I'd never seen before. I couldn't decipher it.

"Yeah I know" I said, all of a sudden my throat becoming dry.

"I've got something for you" Jared said, taking a little box out of the drawer next to the bed. 

How long had that box been there? How did I miss it? I clearly wasn't as snoopy as I thought I was.

"Katie, we've kind of done everything backwards and...you know I had a whole speech lined up and now I can't even put it into words" Jared said, smiling sheepishly.

"How about you summarize it?" On the surface I was calm as could be but on the inside my heart was beating at a million beats per second.

"Katie, I love you and I want to do this life thing with you. Will you be my wife? properly this time" Jared said. For a minute he didn't look like the confident sexy man I'd come to know and love. Did Jared really think I was going to say no?

"Of course Jared, yes. Of course oh my goodness"

He looked relieved then. 

"Good" He said, and smiled.

"Good really?" I asked. Both of us thinking back to when I confessed my feelings.

"You know I meant it didn't you?" I asked before he could say anything.

"Yeah" Jared said, smiling.

If I wasn't so happy I probably would have died from the embarrassment.

"Don't feel shy. I mean after all I did confess first and you didn't say it back..." Jared said.

"No you didn't. I know you're just trying to make me feel better but I got over it, I'm..."

"The pink teddy bear with the 'I love you' " Jared said, cutting me off.

And I smiled. 

In a way I wish that we had talked things out before and avoided all the misunderstandings, but then again everything that happened brought us this far and I we both both grown so much individually and together. I couldn't wait to start our lives together.

***End

Thank you for everyone who's been a part of this story. Everyone who has voted, commented and sent me messages when I was feeling discouraged.

I am ever so grateful and also very sorry it took me (literally) years to wrap up this story.

I am doing a 'pros and cons' series for anyone interested in reading more of my work.

Some of the titles/stories in this series:

- Pros and cons of dating a younger guy

-Pros and cons of dating a Christian girl

-Pros and cons of dating a hooker

I will try to upload a lot more regularly (once or twice a week)

love always,

Val

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