Bruce frowned. “That does not sound like too much fun. I mean, not to disregard or disrespect the way your family did things.”
“It’s okay. I never thought of things in any other way because that was the way we always did it. I think it sounds nice to just go and enjoy yourself without putting so much thought into it. Maybe with doing too much planning, we may have missed out some things.”
“Should have, could have, would have. None of that will change now. But I’m glad you are willing to see things differently today. So are you game for vacationing on a whim?”
“Most definitely.”
Bruce took her by the hand. “Good. Now, I have another question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“I know we have talked about it before, but I feel like things are changing between us, for the good. Where do you see the two of us in about five years?”
Kate did not want to think too long about the question. “I know that we will be together. I know I want to be with you. And I also know that it is best if I just trust the process of it all.”
Bruce cocked his head to the side. “Really? What brought on this change in thought process?”
Kate sat back in her seat as the flight attendant served them a dinner. They both thanked her and then continued their conversation.
“A little talk with my mother.” Kate laughed.
“Ah ha. A chat with Mom will do it to you every time.” Bruce peered at her from the corner of his eye.
“What did the two of you discuss if you don’t mind me asking?”
Kate cut her steak and took a bite of the medium rare meat.
“She gave me another perspective. Sometimes, it is helpful for someone to remind you of what you have right in front of you.”
Bruce nodded. “I can understand that. What prompted that conversation?”
“She is not unlike every other mother. You know, she thought that maybe I would be a spinster and never get married.”
“And what do you think?”
“I have to tell you, I never really was the type of girl to plan out my marriage or my wedding. You know that. We’ve talked about that before. So when it happens that I found someone that I love dearly, I am not exactly sure about how to push forward. The only thing I keep thinking is there should be some kind of switch that flips and says, ‘Okay, now it’s time for you to get married’ or ‘Okay, this is the proper time to have children’. And of course, this is not happening. There is no green light to say what you should or shouldn’t do. Nothing to say ‘Okay, Kate. This is the right time in your life for love’ or ‘Okay, Kate. This is the right time in your life to get married’. None of that is happening. So I kind of find it hard to figure out what to do next.”
Bruce chuckled. “It is amazing to me that the woman that is a risk taker in fashion and in business will not take the same risks in her personal life.”
“Wait. What do you mean?”
Kate turned all of her attention to Bruce because she wanted to hear his analysis on her life.
“Well, I’m just saying. You are so reserved and withdrawn in your private life. It has taken this long to really let me in. And I get that. It is not always the best thing to be so open in that regard. But do you think so hard about whether or not to take on a certain client? Or do you think that hard about how to take a fashion risk with that client? I don’t think that you do.”
Kate opened her mouth to speak, but kept her thoughts to herself as she considered the point of view Bruce posed to her. He stared at her, waiting for her response.
“You could be right.”
“I’m not posing it to be right or wrong. Simply putting it out there because it’s the way that I see it.”
“That’s really what you see?”
Bruce nodded. “I wish you would trust a bit more and take some risks. I mean, your bucket list is full of exhilarating activities.”
Just the mention of the bucket list brought back memories for Kate. When she and Bruce first met, he convinced her to share with him some of the things that she always wanted to do. There were random things like she wanted to see a Broadway play and comfortably be able to afford shopping in Bal Harbour or Rodeo Drive. She wanted to buy a house for her parents and pay off all of her school loans. But then there were more interesting things like bungee jumping and visiting Paris for Fashion Week.
Bruce encouraged her to go after those things at any cost.
“Very true. I still want to bungee jump. Sometime soon. And possible skydive.”
“So there is a thrill seeker inside of you. Where is that person when it comes to taking a chance on love?”
Kate shrugged. She had never thought about why she did not take chances in her personal life. “I’ve never actually thought about it. I mean, I’ve had relationships before, but none of them were the type that made me want to have anything long term with them. None of that occurred until I met you.”
She inhaled, shocked that she had admitted those feelings to him. Kate had been on the verge of admitting so much about how she felt to Bruce, but held back. When she did, there was a load lifted from her shoulders.
“Bruce, I never thought about marriage until I met you. So that is why I have been taking my time with, well, with everything between us. Do you know what it’s like to suddenly be hit with the fact that you met someone and fell in love so quickly?”
“My love, more than I care to admit.”
She understood the gravity in his words. “So then you know what it feels like to be unsure of where things are going. To feel like your feet are not on solid ground.”
Bruce kissed her cheek. “That is what I think is the best part of falling in love. The not knowing. You don’t know who the person will be. You don’t know how deeply you will fall. You don’t know how much it will take over your life. You just don’t know anything. But why on earth would you let that stop you from being with the person you care about? I would rather have the one I love than not. And I want that woman at any cost.”