You know what that means?
We're going to have some fucking awesome fight-sex someday.
I can't wait.
I give her a few minutes to calm down and then saunter back into the kitchen where she's now putting tiny cat stuff together into a box.
"Do you think you can get a house quickly? I thought it took weeks or months?" she asks suddenly.
"We'll be in our own place in a few days, even if we have to rent it for a few weeks first until we close. Don't worry."
She blinks at me as she absorbs what I'm saying. "So you're planning on actually buying a house for us to live in?"
"Yeah. Don't you want our own house?"
"Of course…but I don't have any money to contribute to a down payment. Or a mortgage, for that matter. I really don't make much with my sales. The clothing and soaps I make aren't in any stores or anything. I make just enough to pay my bills."
"Don't you have a website? To sell and advertise online?"
She shakes her head. "No, I can't afford that. I just use social media sites and word of mouth."
"I'll have our web guy build you a killer site."
She puts her hands up in front of her like she's stopping traffic. "Whoa. Talon, I can't let you do all this. And am I supposed to leave my apartment permanently? What if things don't work out? I may not be able to find a place I can afford again. I know this place isn't much, but it's all I can afford, and the landlord hasn't raised my rent in over three years."
A little vein in her temple is throbbing and her eyes are getting even bigger as her stress level ramps up. I really wasn't expecting to be the calm, rational one in this partnership, but it looks like, for the time being, that role is mine, whether I want it or not.
"Asia, take a deep breath. First, you need a good website if you want to sell your products. The guy who does our band site is great. Second, we can't go into every decision saying, 'What if it doesn't work?' Didn't you listen at all during any of the sessions with Dr. Hollister? We have to treat this like a real marriage."
"Of course I listened, but—"
I touch her lips with my finger. "No buts. I'm just as nervous as you are, trust me. I've been wanting to buy a house for a while, so now is the perfect time. I don't expect you to pay for half or any of it."
She looks up at the ceiling and blinks back what looks like the start of tears. "That's not fair for you. I don't feel good about that at all."
Crossing my arms and leaning back against her kitchen counter, I nail her down with my eyes. "Look, this isn't up for debate. If we had fallen in love and gotten married in the usual way, I'd be paying for everything. Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I want to take care of my wife and kids. I love that you have your own business, but I do not in any way expect you to fork over a down payment or pay half the mortgage or the bills. That shit is not gonna fly with me."