"Yeah, eventually. I always thought I would've waited a little longer than I did, but I always wanted kids." He smiled a little. "I know you're at a different stage in your life, but you'll see if you have kids someday. They're like nothing else. Being a parent is...it's really great."
"I think I want kids someday," she told him. "Or at least one. I'm not firm on a number. Not like 12 or anything, but 1 or 2. Step kids are fine, too. Obviously if I end up with my professor, at his age, there could be step kids involved," she added lightly.
Ethan cracked a smile. "Obviously. Do you want to get married?"
"Maybe. It's interesting that you ask that, most people assume marriage is a given if you want kids."
"Your parents aren't married," he pointed out.
"That's true, but that's a little different, isn't it?”
"I guess. Not completely. You can build a life with someone without being married. I don't have to tell you that. The state of marriage is really just a piece of paper, in the scheme of things."
Smiling slightly, she said, "I take it your wife was the one who wanted to get married?"
"It was mutual, but yeah, she was pushing for it more than I was. I wasn't in a hurry, but I'm not anti-marriage or anything. I just don't think it's necessary."
“I agree,” she said. “It’s not something that’s ever been important to me. I’m definitely not the girl who’s been planning her wedding since she was 12.”
“You will never inspire your own romantic comedy.”
Cracking a grin, she said, “Damn, there goes that life goal.”
A moment of companionable silence passed, and Ethan thought about checking the time, but…he wasn’t ready to give up the night just yet.
“Tell me something else, something about you.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“I don’t know, anything. Tell me about your family or your fears.”
“Mm, well, my fears have been updated and would only taint the moment, so we’ll go with my family. You’ve met most of them, so you have a pretty good idea already. I have two moms and a brother, my mom is the optimistic one, forever seeing the glass half full. Even if you tell her straight, ‘Mom, this damn glass is empty’ she will be disheartened for however long, then she will repress the knowledge again and literally forget that you ever told her. Ashlynn had a rough start in life, and kind of a rough middle, too. I don’t know anything about her family really, because she doesn’t talk to them. She and my mom have been together since I was four, and my brother is two years younger than me. He’s…pretty much your average teenage boy, but he’s always there for me when I need him to be.”
“What about your dad?”
“Yeah, he’s not so much my dad as just some guy that my mom slept with because she was young and stupid and thought he was exciting, and then—whoops—I was born. Now we all have to deal with it.”
“You’re not close at all?”
She scoffed. “If by close you mean he didn’t even care that I was kidnapped, then yeah, we’re tight.”
“You never heard from him at all?” Ethan asked, frowning.
“He sent me flowers and a stupid gift card,” she said with annoyance. “He didn’t even call right away. Even when he does try to call now, it’s like…I just don’t even want to talk to him. His actions have said plenty since everything happened. I mean, I didn’t expect him to become Liam Neeson or anything, but…I did expect some concern.”
“That’s crazy. I can’t even imagine that.”
Willow nodded. “He won’t be winning father of the year anytime soon—at least, not from me. Who knows how he is with his other kids.”
“Do you know any of his other kids?”
Shaking her head, she said, “Not really. I’ve met them a few times—the legitimate ones, at least; if he has more bastards, I’ve never met them—but we don’t talk or anything. I barely talk to him, so…”
“That sucks, I’m sorry.”
“I’m better off. Honestly, I’ve finally lost the desire after all this. He called yesterday and I didn’t even call him back. I used to…pathetically crave his approval,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It was a fool’s errand, and I hated that I even cared, so I guess I should be glad that he gave me the push I needed.”
“It’s not pathetic, it’s normal, but I know what you mean.”