When the server left us, Kate smirked at me with raised eyebrows.
“Just because you can’t have one doesn’t mean I can’t, toots.” I smiled. “Besides, this is a celebration.”
Lips pursed, she muttered, “Sure, sure. Wish I could celebrate with a beer.”
I chuckled. “Doc said you could have a sip or two.”
“Oh, believe me, I had plenty before I knew I was pregnant. It’s a wonder these babies are so healthy. But a good beer is about the only thing I’ve craved thus far.” Her mouth quirked. “And steak. Oh! And peanut butter. I go through about a container a week.” Golden eyes lighting up, she leaned forward, elbows resting on the table.
“Yeah, I saw you sucking on a spoon of it before your nap.” I smirked.
“Don’t judge me. At least there are some things I want to eat.”
That was true. With how little she ate and how much weight she’d lost, I was glad to see her eat anything at all.
“Honey, if it’s steak you crave, I’ll slaughter a whole freaking cow for you if it means you’ll eat.”
She laughed so hard, she snorted, melting my heart a little more, right when the server showed up with our drinks. Kate ordered the most expensive steak on the menu, which pleased me. I may have been joking about the cow, but if it meant she’d eat, I’d take her to that restaurant every night of the week until those babies popped out.
When he left after getting my order, I watched her sip her soda while looking around the restaurant. The way her eyes sparkled, the rosy color in her cheeks, enthralled me. This mystery of a girl could have been a supermodel in a different life, yet she’d chosen to study computer science.
“Why’d you pick computer science?” I asked.
She jerked her gaze to mine, rolling her lips between her teeth. “It fascinates me.” She shrugged. I held a hand out to prompt more of an explanation. “The things we can do with computers. Algorithms, programming, and problems to be solved. This whole world of things that was created by man. There’s just so much that has yet to be discovered. I want to discover something.”
A slow burn ignited in my chest. There may have been a story behind her, but she lived in the now, blazing a trail of her own. The control was only a small part; there was so much more to her. I had stifled that by trying to take her job away from her.
“I’m sorry. About last night,” I told her, holding her gaze. “I shouldn’t have inserted myself in your job like that. No matter what I think, you should be able to make your own choices, especially with something like that.”
Her eyes grew wide, her breathing ragged. Certain I must have said something wrong, a pit grew in my stomach.
The server showed up with our food, but she kept on staring at me, even after he asked if we needed anything else, then left us. I broke out in a cold sweat, about to say something, anything, when a tear rolled down her cheek.
What the hell did I say wrong?
She was quick to wipe it away, taking a deep breath. “Thank you,” she whispered, then cleared her throat. “Having the freedom to make my own choices is… important to me.”
Even though I could breathe again, I didn’t understand her reaction. She didn’t say any more before cutting into her steak and looking around the dining room. I forced myself to eat but didn’t stop watching her. The steak was decent, although it didn’t distract me from her reaction. After a few minutes of us eating in silence, she cleared her throat again, but it was unnecessary since I was still watching her every move.
“Why did you choose the air force?” she asked, staring at me from under her long dark lashes.
I racked my brain for the answer. It seemed so long ago that I’d made the decision, despite my parents’ initial disagreement with it.
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.” She twirled a hand, raising her eyebrows. Obviously didn’t like her own game much when it was from the other end. I bit my cheek to keep from chuckling. “Everyone expected me to do something amazing. I was top of my class, had an associate’s under my belt before I graduated high school. With all the talk about being a doctor or scientist, whatever, I just wanted to do my own thing. Which was to not do what everyone else wanted me to do.”
She wrinkled her nose at that, but a smile spread across my lips at the memory. “My parents, they’re supportive now, but they were pissed at first. Had a couple of my teachers try to talk me out of it. But I knew what I was doing. Worked up the ranks quickly, finished my master’s over a year ago. I’ll start toward my doctorate next. No point in not.” I shrugged.
“Lucky you’re dating a genius.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as she took another bite of her steak, which made me wonder….
“Why did you wait to start school?” She was about twenty-three, yet still had one more year until she completed her bachelor’s. She could have started right out of high school and been done with it by now.
That deep line formed between her brow. It must have been the wrong thing to ask, but she still answered. “Not everyone gets to make their own choices without fighting for that right.” She stared at her plate.
I nodded, grasping for anything to
