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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 14, 2019 15:21:13 GMT -8
"I get that. There's been a lot that some of us in my family have had to get past too," Jeremy responds. "Love takes care of a lot of things. Doesn't it?"
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Post by Joelle on Nov 14, 2019 16:28:12 GMT -8
Graciela nods. "That verse in the Bible about love covering a multitude of sins? It's true. I can say that for a fact. And even though I know you're not very religious, I hope you can, too."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 14, 2019 16:31:28 GMT -8
"From experience, yeah."
For a moment Jeremy falls silent. "Does it... bother you at all that I'm not really religious?" he asksm
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Post by Joelle on Nov 14, 2019 16:55:03 GMT -8
"Well...it does make me wonder...what...we're going to raise our kids...if it works out that way," she admits. "Future parents do need to talk about that stuff. But other than that, no. Like I said, love gets past all that. Otherwise, it's not really love, is it?" she observes.
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 14, 2019 17:06:00 GMT -8
"Fair enough," Jeremy says, smiling at the comment about their future. "Do you really think we could make it that far? To the point we'd have to discuss that kind of thing?"
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 9:15:33 GMT -8
"I think we could. It'd take work of course, on both our parts, and both of us would have to be ready for a kid when it happened, but yeah."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 9:24:07 GMT -8
Jeremy smiles softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You know it's gonna take a lot of work for us to get there, right?"
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 9:40:58 GMT -8
"I know. And hopefully, a few more years. I'm not ready for a baby at 21, anyway!" She grins. "I feel like I have to graduate first... and start helping people." She doesn't add 'and make money'. That is implied, but luckily, with a career in the sciences, she'll make plenty enough to afford a family.
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 9:47:18 GMT -8
"And we both know I'm in no position to be helping raise a baby either," Jeremy adds with a slight chuckle. "So giving us years is definitely going to be necessary."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 10:22:23 GMT -8
"Do you feel that you kind of rushed your previous relationship? Given that I'm a little gun-shy, I think taking things slowly is a good idea...but maybe that's why it didn't work out."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 11:45:40 GMT -8
"Oh, it was absolutely rushed," Jeremy replies. "I mean... Sure, we'd known each other for a few years before we got together, but slow was definitely nowhere near our relationship vocabulary. She was sleeping over within a few days of becoming official and within just a couple months I'd move in with her."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 16:14:56 GMT -8
"Wow," Graciela says. "That's not quite what I meant, though. I mean, just because you know someone for half of forever doesn't mean you can ever...talk to them. Not like we have. Do you think things blew up because you held stuff back and the tension just...I'm not finding my words very well here, am I? But you can put physical stuff ahead of emotional stuff, and still have sex even though stuff doesn't go well otherwise."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 16:23:30 GMT -8
"I mean... We connected emotionally sometimes. But it definitely felt like it was driven by the physical side," Jersmy admits reluctantly. "I know she cared about me and loved me, but we definitely didn't talk about things as much as we pribably should have. Especially after the-- the loss."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 16:32:13 GMT -8
"See, that's my point. When you rush things- physically- and don't talk, nothing gets solved. I don't want us to be like that. Not even if it means arguing. If we argue... we get to make up," she says with a wink.
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 16:57:04 GMT -8
"Honestly, this is much more mature. I don't think I was ready for a real, mature relationship when I was with her. It took losing her and getting over her for me to realize I needed more in a relationship than just sex. Which is why I'm okay with taking the physical aspect of our relationship so slowly."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 17:05:25 GMT -8
"Personally, I can't say for sure, but maybe watching my family- bio and adopted- made me mature, in a way. Otherwise, I don't think I'd be so...nervous."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 17:22:15 GMT -8
"What are you nervous about?" Jeremy asks, taking her hand comfortingly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 17:50:22 GMT -8
"Getting left," she whispers, an unexpected tear running down her cheek. "Most of my siblings- the married ones, except Celine- have been. It's hard to watch that. And honestly...I may seem like I have it all together and in some respects it's true, but it's come at a price, and it isn't very fun to be mature- to know so many things can go wrong."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 18:03:40 GMT -8
Jeremy gently reaches out to brush the tear off her cheek. "Hey, hey, I'm not going to leave you," he whispers. "I know how much that hurts."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 15, 2019 18:14:45 GMT -8
"Mine were left after they got married, though. I don't think there's any good excuse for...for not working through stuff. Most of them have resumed their relationships now, but that's only been in the past few months, like since April or something. And they were gone for years and years and just- appeared. Kai's wife died. Amy hadn't seen Isaiah since he was a year old, and Spencer, her husband, had hooked up with Kai's wife and...there are more, but that's the craziest."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 15, 2019 20:02:18 GMT -8
"Geez. Well, I won't abandon you and then sleep with the wife of one of your relatives. Deal?" Jeremy replies with a chuckle. "But to be more serious, I think the fact that we're trying to work things out now when we're still so early in the relationship."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 16, 2019 7:59:49 GMT -8
Graciela laughs, though it isn't like her old one. "Imagine being Kai. 'I'm glad that you took care of my kids after my wife died, but I also wanna kick your butt for stepping out on on my sister with my own wife.' She shakes her head before leaning against him. "And yeah, this is a good sign. We'll be okay."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 16, 2019 9:18:45 GMT -8
"Again, I'm sorry if I caused you any confusion," he says softly, wrapping an arm around her. "Or worse. I wasn't thinking about that. Just about how I needed to get out of there and find something better."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 16, 2019 11:55:52 GMT -8
"You did cause a little confusion," she admits. "I thought you wanted to make money to take me out, and then you quit your job? I get it now, though. I'm sorry I didn't before."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 16, 2019 12:43:09 GMT -8
"I didn't exactly explain to you what I was going through. I didn't talk to you about what I was feeling. I understand now that I should have. That was my fault. I'm not used to being able to be open and vulnerable with someone like that."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 18, 2019 18:26:20 GMT -8
"Me neither. And it's been that way for so long that when I do finally have the words to try to be open, they come out totally not sounding like I meant them to. I didn't mean to call you a stubborn j****ss. Okay, maybe I did a little...but only because I felt confused when you told me all the stuff you should have before."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 18, 2019 23:46:54 GMT -8
"I probably deserved it," Jeremy says, shrugging it off. "I need to learn how to communicate better with people I care about. Specifically girls I'm dating. Obviously not communicating was a big reason my last relationship fell apart. I wanna do better this time."
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Post by Joelle on Nov 19, 2019 13:09:35 GMT -8
Graciela smiles. "You seem to be doing pretty well now. But I have some stuff to work on too, and that includes not being a jerk when I don't understand what someone is trying to tell me."
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Post by starletinwaiting on Nov 19, 2019 13:40:04 GMT -8
"You're getting there. It was kind of a lot. Especially for a date night," Jeremy says with an awkward chuckle.
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Post by Joelle on Nov 19, 2019 17:02:33 GMT -8
"Oh!" Graciela blushes a little just as her stomach growls loudly. "We forgot about finishing the pizza!" She laughs. "Some date, huh? I don't think we'll ever forget this one!"
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