I mustered the courage to ask him, but Ethan's response was unsatisfactory. Instead of answering directly, he asked back, "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" or "Can I ask why you're curious?" As a result, the answer I got was a disappointing "Let's talk about it later since we're outside now." I had hoped to gauge what Ethan wanted in advance, so of course, I was dissatisfied.

'If he plans to, he should say so, so I can prepare...'

Since it had been a long time, I needed to prepare myself, too.

I’d have to change into different underwear and make sure Eris would sleep in Isabel's room.

And… if he really does prefer doing it "that way," I’d need to be ready for that, too.

'Come to think of it, it’s been almost a year since Ethan and I did it properly.'

Pregnancy and childcare had prevented it, but a year was still too long. For someone Ethan’s age, it must have felt even longer.