“I know you don’t mean to, but the puppy? Getting him anyway, it’s like… you don’t even care how I feel,” Leo explained with a shrug. “And then just deciding to invite another family in to adopt him, without even talking to me again, it’s just continuing. I know there are places to take him for training, but it is important at least one of us is part of that process Ross, otherwise he’s not going to listen to us as well. And we already have so much on our plate right now. Well, maybe we don’t, know that you’re pushing back the album. Or maybe you do because you have to do redo the cover, I don’t know what this means for your schedule.” They pushed their hands through their hair. “And I know there are people that can watch him and care for him while we’re at many hours of rehearsals most days of the week, but that’s not the point of getting a dog, to just hand them over when it doesn’t fit the schedule.”
Leo looked at Ross and sighed softly. “I know baby. You want it all. And you want to do it all, and if anyone ever had a chance at it, it would probably be you. But that’s not me. I like to commit; fully, deeply, to just one or two things at a time. I want to know if something needs my attention, or more time, I can do that. Maybe this difference in how we approach our lives is just too much. Honestly Ross, if your album wasn’t being pushed back… how would you be able to do it all right now? The album drop and promotion, the musical, the puppy?” he asked.
“As for doing more fun things, I never want to be the reason you don’t go out and have fun,” Leo explained. “You can go without me, and if I know it’s important to you, I will try my best to be there. But I need you to talk to me, and tell me these things. Like the trip to New York after our Caribbean trip, and the Disney trip. I was tired, but I knew it was important to you. So I went. And I did have a good time, but when I got back I needed a little more quiet time for me.”
Leo still didn’t really understand the delay, but maybe that part didn’t matter. “So why didn’t you tell me any of that? And if that’s the case, why are you asking someone else to come in and adopt the pup? I’m not saying it would change my mind personally on the pup, but this is conversation we’re obviously missing. Like I said, I’m not in a rush, and I want all of that with you…someday. But I’m about to start my masters degree. You’re about to drop your album and go out and promote it. I like when we are able to be together and start and end our days together. And I want that in my marriage. I don’t want to get married and then have to be separated from my husband for periods of time while he follows his dream and I chase my goal. You know? I don’t want to have a puppy or a baby and hire people, or hand off to family just because we can,” they explained. “Yes, get the help when you need it, but I feel like those are decisions that should usually be the priority over other things.” They shook their head. “You didn’t really answer my question, you’ve worked so hard for this Ross, don’t you want to just enjoy it? You want to go out and have fun, it’s going to be considerably more difficult with a new puppy or a baby. Maybe you need to explore that time of your life more.”
“I don’t know what we are arguing for anymore with this.” Ross sighed shaking his head. “You are upset at me for getting the puppy? You are upset at me for wanting to get rid of the puppy? Which I am doing because I didn’t consult you about it at all.” He shook his head and looked at the other with a soft expression, he didn’t like arguing, because he was never good with words and he could never form the correct sentences when they needed to be formed. “That was not what my intentions were. I wasn’t getting a dog with the thoughts that I would just hand them off to everyone.” He sighed. “You just have everything figured out huh.” Ross moved away from Leo to stand up, because he didn’t like where any of this conversation was going. “Just because I want a damn career Leo doesn’t mean I would be negligent to the puppy.” He glared and snapped a bit. “It’s like you truly want to argue right now, because in all of this there has been no solution. Or understanding to any of this at all. And most of its been you trying to figure out what’s wrong with me, as if I have some issue.” He shook his head.
“I have faith in things. That’s how. My album promotion and sales aren’t that strict to where I can’t have a puppy Leo. I didn’t think about your master program, but I didn’t want to place all of the responsibility of him on you.” He stated, grabbing a hair tie to tie up his hair. He was a little upset and wired, because some of the things kind of were coming off as maybe Leo didn’t want to do them and some things Leo were saying seemed like they were questioning the relationship and that was breaking Ross’ heart alone.
“Leo, I meant fun things together. This New Years was our first one together. As a couple and we didn’t do anything for it.” He stated softly. “And you know I love our sitting on the couch rom com marathons more than anything. But just that night, I kind of wanted to do something out of the ordinary.” Ross stated. “But again I remembered how tired you were from the Bahamas, Disney, and New York and felt bad for wanting to do more things. So I didn’t push any ideas.”
“I am asking someone to come adopt the pups, because you haven’t listed a single reason on why we should keep him. You’ve given me a hundred cons. But not a reason why we should keep him. You never even said if he was cute or not.” He stated. “And we are already arguing something bigger over a puppy, something most people are ecstatic over and we are arguing about.” He sighed. “You don’t want to be married to me?” He looked at Leo with a curious glance and heard his last sentence. “Are you breaking up with me?” His chest heaved a bit and he felt like everything was closing in. “Over a puppy?” his voice was weak. He didn’t even let Leo finish before he barged out of the room to go find his keys.
