He deserved more than a wife who could drop dead at any second and had panic attacks every time a follow-up test had to be scheduled.
“If you want them, we’ll adopt.”
“I mean kids of your own,” she specified.
They sat at the coffee table and started preparing sandwiches. “Overrated,” Alec pronounced. “When you grow up on the streets, you learn pretty fast that blood does not a family make. None of the meaningful relationships I forged in my life were based on blood.”
“In that future of yours, what do I do for a living?” Because aside from being a professional sick person, she lacked experience in about every damn thing.
“What was it about nursing school that attracted you?”
She didn’t have to think that even for a moment. “I wanted to work in the maternity ward. I wanted to help deliver babies and care for the newborns. But that was before I developed my ‘allergy’ to hospitals.”
“Okay.” He pondered for a second, taking a bite and chewing slowly. “Ever heard of doulas?”
“Sort of midwives who help women during labor?”
“In part. They’re trained to provide support to the mother during labor, but also to help women with the late stages of pregnancy and with adapting to life with a new baby. You don’t have to set foot in a hospital if you don’t want to. You can focus on home deliveries—plenty of those in prepper communities. What do you think? I’ll make sure this town survives the end of the world, and you’ll make sure there’s a next generation to succeed us.”
Megan couldn’t stifle a laugh. “You don’t understand the term ‘casual relationship,’ do you?”
He kissed her on the lips. “When it comes to you, there’s no way in hell I can do casual. Never. Nor would I want to.”
Nope, he didn’t get it. He was living in a la-la land where she would get better. He still hadn’t realized there was no happy ending for them.
Time for a hard-core reality check. “Do you know what happens when cancer reaches the brain? It fucks up the neurological system. Sometimes you can’t walk. Sometimes you can’t see. As the illness progresses, the humiliating periods become longer. You become totally incapacitated. You are also less aware of time, being unconscious for most of it, so I guess it balances out for the patient. For the family… I don’t think I need to describe how it feels to watch your loved one shitting and peeing and puking all over. Well, not so much puking by that stage; they’ve already stopped eating. Thank God for small favors, right?” And that was exactly what was going to happen during palliative care, so either way, they were screwed.
He didn’t even flinch. “Are you trying to scare me away? Give it up. It won’t work.” He cut his sandwich in half and sat back. “Now, let’s eat while you take my virginity.”
That totally sidetracked her. “You mean your ass?” she asked cautiously.
“Hah! My K-drama virginity. What the fuck, boss? Do we need to have a talk?”
She laughed, shaking her head vigorously. “You just caught me off guard! Did you pay for one of those K-drama cable channels?”
“I did.” He clicked it open and scrolled over the options. “This one?”
W, one of the most popular shows. “Sure. The hero has lips to die for.”
“And the heroine?”
“What can I tell you?” She scrunched her nose. “Korean actresses aren’t known for T&A. They’re very pretty though.”
“You’re the first woman I’ve met who comments on other women’s boobs. I’m not sure if I should be disturbed or turned on.”
She winked at him. “Turned on, of course.”
They watched the first episode of W. She enjoyed it as much as the other several times she’d watched that show, commenting almost nonstop.
Clearly, he didn’t share her enthusiasm, because by the end of the episode, he’d fallen asleep, the other half of his sandwich still on the tray. She should have rolled with Descendants of the Sun—at least he could have related to the military types. The heroines were still flat, but the heroes had some muscle on them.
The music over the final credits woke Alec up. “Is it over? Sorry, boss. I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I’ll go fetch a couple thumbscrews. I might make it through the second episode that way.”
“If you need an instrument of torture to not fall asleep during K-dramas, I can already tell you our future is in doubt. As in, we will not make it past this afternoon,” she stated,