The Life Intended Read Free Page B

news from my doctor, the fact that my ovaries have basically shut down, but what if this changes his mind about being with me? He’s the first person I’ve been serious about since I lost Patrick. I’ve made the choice—finally—to blend my life with someone else’s. I can’t lose that. I can’t be alone again.
    You don’t know what Dan will say, I remind myself as I turn the corner onto Forty-Eighth. We’ve never really talked about children, save for a few surface-level conversations when we first started dating. I had just turned thirty-eight when we met, so I suppose my biological clock should have been ticking, but it was strangely silent. I thought—even though I knew intellectually that it would be harder to get pregnant the older I got—that I had all the time in the world to make my mind up about kids. I certainly didn’t expect to be told at barely forty that my chances had all vanished. I’m not even sure I want to be a mom, but I’ve realized I’m not ready for that door to close.
    What if Dan isn’t either?
    I check my watch as I arrive outside the entrance to Zidle’s. I’m already ten minutes late, but there’s a piece of me that wants to turn around and go home. I could text Dan with an apology, tell him I got caught up with a client, and suggest we order takeout. It would buy me an extra hour to keep things just as they are.
    “Kate?”
    My intentions evaporate as Dan emerges from the restaurant, his brow creased in concern.
    “Oh.” I force a smile. “Hey.”
    “What are you doing just standing out here?” He takes a step closer and puts a hand on my shoulder. Right away, I feel better. This is Dan. Perfect, blond-haired, hazel-eyed, friends-with-everyone Dan, who’s reasonable and rational and loves me. Everything’s going to be okay. He’s not going to give up on me just because my ovaries have.
    I take a deep breath. “Dan, there’s something I need to tell you.”
    Something flickers across his face, but then he smiles and shakes his head. “Think we could go in first?”
    “Well—” I begin.
    “You can tell me once we’ve gotten our table, okay?” He grabs my hand and turns around without waiting for an answer. I sigh and let him pull me through the door.
    “Surprise!” A chorus of voices greets us the moment we step inside. I gasp and take a step back as my eyes adjust to the dim lighting of the restaurant. It takes me a moment to register that the entryway is filled with some of the people I love most: my sister, Susan, and her husband, Robert; their kids, Sammie and Calvin; my best friend, Gina, and her husband, Wayne; a dozen other friends and acquaintances from over the years. Dan’s brother, Will, is there too, as is his best friend, Stephen, and a handful of the couples we sometimes go out with.
    “What’s happening?” I ask, directing my confusion toward my sister, the one who always seems to be able to untangle me, even if she’s usually judging me at the same time. But she merely smiles and points over my shoulder.
    In slow motion, I turn back toward the doorway, where I’m startled to see Dan down on one knee. I blink at him, my heart thudding. “You’re proposing?”
    He laughs. “Looks like it.” From his pocket, he pulls a robin’s-egg-blue ring box, cracks it open, and holds it up. “Kate, will you marry me?”
    Our friends break into applause, and it feels like time freezes as I stare at the perfect Tiffany solitaire inside. For a split second, all I can think is that it’s different—too different—from the antique engagement ring Patrick proposed with. Then, my mind shifts into high-gear guilt. I shouldn’t be thinking about Patrick. What’s wrong with me? I should be thinking about whether I can say yes to Dan without telling him the news frommy doctor. Then again, I can’t say no in front of all these people either.
    Of course I don’t want to say no, I remind myself. Dan’s perfect. Always holds doors. Never forgets to say