hoping she's going to accept that as an answer. Tubbs and I stare at each other while we wait for Violet to respond.
"Actually, yes." She pauses for a long moment and I wonder if I'm going to have to drag the news out of her or if she's still contemplating an attempt to drag my secrets out of me. "I've got an interview in London," she finally says.
"London? London, England? That's like, across the ocean, Violet!"
Cue panic. I don't want her to go to London! It's not that we're not attached at the hip or anything, we went to colleges clear across the country from one another, but another continent? What if I need her?
Except wait. Isn't this what I wanted? For Violet to live her life and not worry about me? Didn't I specifically hide this pregnancy from her, hoping she'd find a job first and move out so she wouldn't hold herself back trying to take care of me?
I did.
And I still want those things for Violet.
"Tell me about London," I urge while reminding myself that a flight from Philadelphia to London can't be much more than seven hours. And my new husband is loaded so I can afford an international flight. Okay, that sounded real gold digger of me but the thing is, he doesn't need my help paying the mortgage. I'm not even sure he has a mortgage.
The pre-nup actually spells that out. Living expenses paid by Kyle. Child-rearing expenses paid by Kyle. Medical expenses, Kyle. Family travel, Kyle. Which doesn't leave a whole lot left for me to pay for, so if I want to spend all of my own income on international airfare to visit Violet, I'm free to do so.
If we ever get divorced I don't get a KINGS store, I can tell you that much. I get three million dollars per year of marriage. Three million freaking dollars. Per. Year. And I get it while we’re still married. Kyle said it’s so I have access to my own funds. There are also larger sums—too gross to mention—every decade.
I told him I didn't want it. I told him it made me feel kind of gross, like this entire thing was a transaction. Kyle said that if I signed off on a pre-nup accepting nothing it would never stand up in court, so this protected us both. He also said I might change my mind someday, and if I don't, I could drop the cash off in a duffle bag and walk away.
I think he meant that as a joke but it's a valid point.
He also said it's a safety net for me so that I never have to stay with him if I don't want to, and that I should be asking for more. He looked a little uncomfortable when he said that, and I wondered if the entire thing wasn't as weird for him as it was for me. Imagine having so much money you have to quantify in advance how much you will give to someone else in the event of a breakup because if you don't you've opened yourself to a parade of lawsuits?
It's weird.
I wrote in at the bottom that he doesn't get half of my blogging income or half of my Honda Civic. That made him smile, but he agreed.
The point is, I can afford to fly to London so if this is what Violet wants, I'm going to support her.
Also, I'm spiraling. She's only just mentioned an interview and I've already mentally relocated her and planned my first dozen trips.
"The job is with Sutton International," she says, naming the parent company of the tour company I just resigned from. "In their London offices. It's in design and development, which means if I get the job I'd be working with the team that refurbishes and redesigns the hotels they operate in the European market.”
"That sounds perfect for you!" Beyond perfect. This would be a dream job for Violet. She loves historic properties. She loves design, and she's always been an anglophile.
"I also have another interview lined up for next week, locally," Violet says. "It's with a good company. It'd be a good fit for me and it's more money than I was making before."
"But it's not London," I fill in.
"It's not London." She sighs in agreement. "But I don't know. London is notoriously expensive. Can I really move there by myself? To another country? That's insanity. This local job is the safer choice. The more rational choice."
"Violet, listen