Meet You in the Middle

by Devon Daniels

Rising child care costs are a major pain point for families, especially those living under the median income. Lack of access to affordable care is the number one reason women drop out of the workforce.”

Bruh i think we are in the same shoes

“You better hope that’s what happens, because my new mission in life is to piss you off.

And frankly? I just don’t care enough. I’m a happily independent woman, and the only times I wish things were different, it goes away in five to seven days.

If anything ever happened to you, I’m sure there’s someone, somewhere, who would miss you.

His eyes catch and hold mine. “I’d rather argue with you than get along with anyone else.”

What he said—no, the way he said it—feels superior to any compliment I’ve ever gotten. I want to hug it to my chest. Tattoo it on my skin. Brand it on my memory.

“Kate.” The smile he gives me is somehow both calm and nervous. “Do you think about me even half as much as I think about you?”

His eyes are locked on mine. “All the time. When I’m with you, when I’m without you. Since the day we met I’ve thought of almost nothing else. I pretend I don’t. That’s the killer, you know. The pretending. Pretending I don’t have feelings for you, pretending that being friends is enough. I’ve gotten really good at pretending. But goddamn, I’m so tired of it, Kate. Every minute I’m with you that I don’t tell you feels like one step closer to insanity.”

but what I finally realized is, if you find someone who makes you happy, don’t you have a responsibility to tell them? Just say it out loud and go for it?”

I was . . . sad when we stopped talking. I missed you.”

“No. I do not chase guys. I don’t make the first move. That’s your job.” “Says the feminist!” He claps a hand to his forehead. “You can still be a feminist and believe in the traditional rules of courtship, okay? I don’t need to lead in every aspect of my life. That’s the entire point of feminism, anyway, that I can do or be anything I want. And I want to be pursued.”

“You say you’re not a romantic, but I think that’s just because no one’s ever done it right.”

“You know I want you,” he says quietly. “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything. I want you so much that I’m willing to put what I want aside to give you time to wrap your mind around this.”

“We have the same values. The same approach to life. The same sense of humor. We even have the same jobs. We just have different ways of solving problems. And isn’t that what life’s all about? Learning from each other? Appreciating that another person can teach us something?”

I want someone who challenges me. You make my life better, not harder. I’d rather argue with you than get along with anyone else.

“The point is, you can disagree with someone and still love them. They’re not mutually exclusive.”

“But maybe leave yourself open to some of life’s surprises. They turn out pretty great sometimes.”

“I’ve been thinking about all the things I wanted to say to you. How much I love you. What an amazing, kind, generous, brilliant woman you are. How you’ve made this past year the best of my life. How you own me, body and soul. That I’ll do everything in my power to take care of you and make you happy.”

So this is what it feels like to get everything you’ve ever wanted.

“You mean you get to argue with me for the rest of our lives.” She smiles at me. “Promise?”