Free The Good Listener by B. M. Hardin Page A

we should wait a little while longer.”
    “For what Hannah?”
    “Until my workload lightens up a bit. If you’re fussing about there not being enough time for us, how are we going to have time for a baby?”
    “That means you are going to have to make time Hannah and stop dedicating your entire life to that job.”
    “But the job is a big part of my life, Joel.”
    “Not a bigger part than me, right?”
    “Right. But I just have so many patients, and some of them are dealing with some really big issues, and a baby would be a lot for me to handle right now.”
    “Why are you making up excuses Hannah? You don’t want to spend time with me. You don’t want a baby with me.”
    “That’s not fair Joel. For over a year I can count the times that you touched me.”
    “But I was going through something Hannah. I wasn’t happy with myself, so, of course, I couldn’t make you happy. But things are better now.”
    “They are, but I just needed a little time.”
    “What’s wrong with you? You have been acting so different lately. I hope you don’t think that I haven’t noticed. What is it? Who is it?”
    “It’s no one.”
    “Who is he, Hannah?”
    “No one Joel.”
    “I’m excelling at work. I thought starting a family would be good for us. But now the problem isn’t me. It’s you.”
    “Starting a family would be great. Just not right now.”
    “So this is about work? Work is more important than becoming a mother? Starting a family? Making your husband happy? Stop trying to save the world and save your marriage.”
    “Whoa. Wait a minute. So our marriage needs saving?”
    “I guess you have been too busy to notice. And it most definitely will if you don’t get onboard with this. I’m ready for a child Hannah. What’s wrong with you?”
    “What’s wrong with you? Why the sudden rush?”
    “We’ve wanted this for years, Hannah. Had I not lost my job we would already have a child. It’s the perfect time to start a family.”
    “Not for me it isn’t. You just don’t understand.”
    “Right. Because you can’t talk about work right?”
    “Right Joel. You know that.”
    He hit the table with all of his might and stabbed his steak with the knife that he was holding.
    People started to stare and whisper.”
    “It’s either your job or me, Hannah!”
    “Joel, you can’t do that. You can’t make me choose.”
    Joel breathed heavily, but I just didn’t see why he was making such a big deal out of it.
    “Let’s just go.”
    Joel stood up and waited on me to do the same.
    The car ride home felt as though I was a convicted felon taking my last stroll, heading for the electric chair.
    “Joel,”
    “I don’t want to hear it, Hannah. I just don’t want to hear it.”
    “I do want to start a family. I didn’t say that it was never going to happen. I just said not right now.”
    “Why Hannah? And don’t say because of work.”
    “But it is because of work.”
    “The only problem I have ever had with your job is that you work too much. But you, you have never seen a problem with it, and you have never seemed to care how I felt about your long hours, almost every single day. But at the same time, you have never worried about work or even mentioned it as though it was some kind of burden. Why now? Why all of a sudden?”
    “Because.”
    “Because what?”
    “Joel, just because.”
    Joel exhaled loudly, and I knew at that very moment that things were going to be a bit shaky between us again for a little while longer.
    This whole situation with Blake was affecting everything and everybody around me.
    I’ve always worked hard and long hours, but I also knew how to step back and balance time when I needed to.
    I definitely would have done so seeing that Joel was giving our marriage a real effort and pressuring starting a family.
    But I couldn’t step back this time.
    I didn’t even know how much time I had before Blake made his next move so I couldn’t take any days off.
    Even on the days