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statement, which sounded harmless, but was anything but. She’d told him it was good to see him, then took Nate’s arm and they walked away.
    One thing hadn’t changed since high school. She’d spent a night that was supposed to be fun in the shadowed periphery, asking herself why she’d come. Lucy and Nate both tried to coax her to mingle, but she claimed the crowd was making her dizzy.  
    The ride home was quiet. Nate didn’t ask her why she’d avoided almost all interaction. He probably knew that if she’d wanted to talk about it, she would have. But, like most women, Georgia had hoped he could read her mind. That he would understand why she felt the way she did. Why it was awkward being faced with all the things she was supposed to have been. But to him, there was nothing to lament. Her path had been the same as his and he was content with his life. Ambition a foreign concept.  
    Just once she wished he could understand what she was going through. That she didn’t regret him or the girls. It was much worse.
    She regretted herself.  

~Chapter Five~

    “Okay, their things are inside,” Nate said to his mom, kissing her on the cheek.
    “Rachel, they haven’t had dinner, but they had a snack about an hour ago. They’ll probably need a bath. And Bonnie has to wear a pull-up at bedtime.”
    “Pull-up, got it. Don’t worry, honey, I know the drill. Nana has this under control. Right, girls?”  
    “Right!”
    “You two be good. Mind your Nana, and don’t bother Gramps when he’s watching the game.”
    They both nodded. “Yes, Momma.”  
      “Can we please go see Gypsy now, Nana?” Amelia begged.
    “Of course…I have lots of fresh carrots for her,” Rachel said, and swung Bonnie into her arms.
    “Carrots?” Bonnie asked.
    “Yes, carrots. And Amelia you can refresh her hay box.” Both girls were beaming. “And after the horse has been tended, we can make cookies.”
    “Yay!” the girls cheered.  
    Nate and Georgia watched their little girls walk away. “Bye, love you!” Georgia called after them. They acknowledged her with a half-hearted, “Yeah, okay. See ya.”  
    Nate laughed behind her. “Think they’re gonna miss us?” Georgia laughed and nudged him in the ribs  
    “Does it ever scare you that two human beings rely on us for their survival?” she asked.
    “I try not to think about it.” He hooked his arm around her neck and pulled her into him.
      “So, it’s just you and me. Where would my gorgeous wife like to go tonight?” he asked, as they got into his truck. It was a bigger, fancier version than the one he had in high school. Worn fabric replaced with soft beige leather.
    “Nothing with the words ‘K’ or ‘Bob’s’ on the menu,” she said, lifting an eyebrow at Nate. “Oooh, I know. Lucy said they opened a new Thai restaurant twenty minutes south of here. It’s supposed to be delicious.”  
    “Thai, with all those weird noodles and shit?   Not so sure about that one, babe. I eat with a fork. You give me those stick things and I’ll starve to death.” He backed out of the long cement driveway and pulled into the street.
    “They actually eat with forks in Thailand…ugh, that’s not the point. The point is, don’t you want to try something different for once?”
    “Okay, say we drive the twenty minutes to this Thai place, and we hate it. Then we’ll just have to go eat somewhere we know we like anyway.” The logic of someone who never wanted to try new things.
    “Well, what if we go and it’s the best thing you ever tasted?”  
    “Doubt it, Georgie, seriously doubt it.”
    “Okay, mister won’t eat anything that doesn’t have gravy on it, what would you suggest?”
    “We could drive out to Cattleman’s.”
    “Nate, you know that’s too expensive. Plus that’s forty five minutes away. Why can’t we get a new restaurant here,” she growled.
    “Because, people ‘round here like what they like, just like me.” He winked. “How