61

Seven years later...

***

"I'm home!" I yelled.

I walked to the living room with Aaron in tow, and now I saw why mom wasn't answering.

She was busy setting up Christmas decorations.

Hey mom," I said.

"Hey, sweetheart." She grunted out.

Aaron placed his bag on the ground.

"Let me get that for you."

"Such a sweet one," mom smiled, and the wrinkled around her eyes got more profound.

I watched Aaron as he easily stapled the Christmas lights to the skirting of the ceiling.

I still couldn't believe that after all these years, Aaron and I were still together.

I did just like in my dream and moved to California and went to Stanford University, Aaron came with me and studied law.

He was now a tax lawyer who hadn't failed any of his clients thus far.

I was working at a food testing lab, which was an interesting field, and I didn't want to give up on that.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"Out back, he's trying to chop wood."

"Oh no," I said.

"I thought the same thing when he picked up the axe. Maybe you