Nathaniel's personal assistant pushed his weekly schedule toward him and Nate swallowed at the sight of the date of his third wedding anniversary, labeled only as a meeting with his wife's initials, not her name. Initials she never changed to include the surname 'Delmore'. This domestic arrangement was a choice that seemed to work at the time. Drunken marriage when Nate's life kept him bouncing between three homes; New York City, Washington D.C., and Boston; while also sending him on quarterly trips all over the world. Even if she had moved into one of his homes, he would have rarely been around. It made sense for her to keep her house and for them to avoid the divorce talk when it seemed messy and they were busy. But they were still making an effort to see each other and Nate knew there wouldn't be a single person in his life he cared about like her.
Every day went by with his parents bickering replaying in his head: You know Samantha isn't going to have children. We're relying on you to settle down. We didn't make a big deal about your decision to remain CFO, but if this is going to remain a family business, then you need to give us the next head of the table. Cosmo had stuck close to Nate as the date came close, the pair agreeing to meet at the Boston cottage. He stood at her terminal, pulse racing, one hand tangled up in the dog's fur. While he felt sure that he was ready to ask his wife to give this marriage a real shot, Nate wasn't sure if she would agree to uproot her life for him, let alone be ready for children. These meetings had been about reconnecting, passion, and ultimately the dreaded d-word had never come up. He could hardly muster a smile when he finally saw her, anxious about what this anniversary would bring. "You're still the most beautiful wife I've ever had." Nate teased, pulling her into his arms as his service dog sat patiently at his side. "Was your flight okay? You hungry?"
