“I can’t wait!”
“Well, I can’t bear to be away any longer.”
Once again,giggles were all she could manage in response.
“Aw… dormouse, you crack me up.”
Chapter 39
Withoutincident or delay, Crispin and Gwen arrived in Toronto right onschedule. On the drive home from the airport, Gwen sat reflectingon their trip and everything they’d seen and done. She couldn’thelp but feel disheartened to see it come to an end. She truly feltshe could simply keep going, keep on travelling. With Crispin ather side, her anxieties seemed to have taken a backseat and it nowfelt as though anything was possible. She felt she could deal withany situation. Except one. Being apart from him. When they reachedKingston, and Crispin drove toward her apartment above thejewellery shop, the idea of not having him near weighed heavily onher mind.
“Hey, I’ll bet you’re looking forward to sleeping in your ownbed tonight,” Crispin said, putting on a brave face as he parked infront of the shop.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, unable to mask the melancholy inher heart. “What happens with us now, Crispin?”
Feeling muchthe same way, he reached out and took her hand. “What do you wantto happen?” he asked.
She smiled atthe look on his face, mirroring her own sentiments. “I’ve gotten soaccustomed to your face, to your company. At the prospect of nothaving you near, I’m feeling an bout of separation anxiety comingon.”
Crispin noddedand said, “You’ve read my mind.” He had been thinking the samething all the way home.
“It’s just… I guess I don’t want this to end. I’ve had such alovely time,” Gwen said. “I dread being away from you even for afew hours. I know you’re looking forward to getting home, to seeyour friends. I too want to go in and rest, get myself together forthe upcoming week. But I can’t help it. I just want to be withyou.”
Crispin’ssmile couldn’t be helped. “Well, then let’s just be together,always.”
“Won’t you find it stifling?” she asked. “Having me around allthe time?”
“Not in the slightest. Quite the opposite,” he said. “If I hadit my way, we’d never part.”
“That sounds real nice, Crispin. I suppose it’s unrealistic,though. We both have lives to get back to. I have my job at theshop. You have classes to take, band practises and gigs all linedup.”
“True, unfortunately, we can’t be together every minute of theday, but we can move in together.”
“Move in together?” she repeated. “You mean find our ownplace?”
“I want us to live together, yes. Find our own place? Not yet,”Crispin confessed. “I’m not ready to leave the House of Goths. Movein with me there.”
“With you and your friends?”
“Yeah, why not? I have a big enough room, big enough bed,” hesaid with a wink. “You’d love my bed.”
“I’m sure I would,” she said pensively. “But I don’t know.Anyway, won’t they mind?”
“I don’t see why. But I can ask to be sure. Besides, it’s notforever. We would eventually get our own place. I want to be withyou but I also want to be with my friends for a little whilelonger, at least until I graduate. And I want you to go back toschool. Quit your job at the shop if you find doing bothoverwhelming. I just want you to finish your course. I feel it’simportant.”
“I know it is,” she said with a heavy sigh. “But I can’t affordit. Especially if I quit my job.”
“Gwen, I’m ridiculously rich. You know that. Let me help you.What’s the point in having an absurd amount of money if I can’tsupport the woman I love while she finishes hereducation?”
“Well, when you put it like that,” she said with a smile.“Thank you. I would appreciate your help in that regard and I thinkI’m ready to try university again. But about moving in with you andyour friends… are you sure? This is moving pretty fast.”
“Are you having doubts?” Crispin asked, dreading thethought.
“No way, I love you,” Gwen declared. “I’m in this for the longrun. You’re stuck with me.”
“Good to know,” he sighed with relief. “I can’t think of anyoneelse I’d rather be stuck with.”
“But, Crispin, I don’t know about this moving in business,” shesaid with hesitation. If she had it her way, she would be happy tomove in with him alone. But to move into the House of Goths felt abit daunting. “I don’t think moving in with you and your friends iswhat I want. I wouldn’t feel right about it. I don’t know them.They don’t know me. I just wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. Ihope you understand.”
“Of course, I do.” He brought her hand to his lips and gave ita kiss. “I was being selfish. Hey, it’s only a ten-minute driveback and forth from our homes. I’m sure we can divide our timebetween them. How does that sound?”
“That sounds perfect. Who knows, maybe after I get to knoweveryone, I’ll reconsider.”
“I’ll hold you to it.” He winked.
“So, what else are you planning to do with all your newfoundwealth?” she asked, not wanting to end their time together sosoon.
“A few things.” He turned in his chair and looked at her.“Planning on how to spend money is a great way to kill time on aneight-hour flight, especially when my travel companion sleeps theentire trip.”
“I was tired,” she said with a rueful smile. “Besides, it’sbeen a whirlwind of a vacation.”
“Truer words have never been spoken.”
“So what did you come up with?” she asked. “What will you dofirst?”
“Well, I figured with our summer tour coming up, we could do itin style,” Crispin said, his eyes lighting up. “Maybe I’ll buy astate of the art tour bus for the Kingston Quartet to travel in. Ormaybe I’ll just fly everyone to wherever we like. By the way,you’re coming with us. You know that, right?
“On tour with your band?” she said wide-eyed. “Absolutely!Where?”
“Across Canada,” Crispin said. “We do it everysummer.”
“I’d love nothing more than to keep on travelling with you,Crispin,” she said wistfully. “You are the best travelcompanion.”
“Well, perhaps after
