The Wandering Caravan Read Online Free PDF Page A

they think?
    Maybe I was thinking about this too hard. I was scared Janice would realize she settled in her choice of a husband. And if she did, that would make all my fears real.
    And my world would end.
    Janice went to MegaShake because I was too distracting for her. I sat in the living room and stared at the blank TV. Whenever I was depressed like this, I usually talked to Scarlet. She could talk me down. But she was on her honeymoon. The last thing I wanted to do was bother her.
    But . like she could sense my pain even thousands of miles away, she called me. I smiled then answered it. “What do you want?”
    “Hello to you too.”
    “Have you guys gone out yet?”
    “Yes, finally,” she said with sigh. “We went hiking to the waterfalls then had lunch. It was a long day.”
    “I thought you were going to the aquarium?”
    “We’re going tomorrow instead. Sean said they had weird hours or something.”
    That sounded suspicious to me. I had a feeling Sean was planning a surprise for her. I was a good sport about it and kept the knowledge to myself.
    “So, how are you?”
    “Fine.” I don’t know why I bothered to lie to her.
    “What’s wrong, Ryan?”
    Damn, how did she do that? “I’m just…stressed out.”
    “I know moving is scary but it’ll work out in the end. Your new shop will be up and running in no time.”
    “No, that’s not what I’m worried about.”
    “Tell me.”
    “I’m going to propose to Janice soon.”
    She screamed over the phone. “Oh my god! I’m so excited. When? Where? How?”
    “Shut up and calm down.”
    “How can I? My brother is getting married .”
    “Hopefully,” I said miserably.
    “What are you worried about?”
    I took a deep breath before I spoke. “I’m not good enough for her.”
    “Ryan…that’s not true. No one thinks that.”
    “I do.”
    “Well, you need to knock it off. You’re the only who has a problem with the way you make a living. If Janice had a problem with it, she wouldn’t have dated you to begin with. And she certainly wouldn’t have moved all the way to Seattle to be with you.”
    “Maybe it doesn’t bother her now. But what about when we have kids? Will that change?”
    “Ryan, it will never change,” she said firmly.
    “What will my kids say when people ask them what I do for a living?”
    “The truth,” she said quickly. “And what’s wrong with inking for a living? You love it, right?”
    “You weren’t always so supportive,” I jabbed.
    Scarlet held her silence for a moment. “Only because I thought you didn’t reach your full potential. After I saw how passionate you were, I knew it was the perfect match for you. I’m very proud of you, Ryan.”
    “You’re always proud of me,” I said quietly.
    “Because you make me, Ryan.”
    I didn’t have anything to say so I fell silent.
    “You’re the only one who has a problem with this. You need to come to terms with it and move on. If Janice wanted you to change professions, she would have said something.”
    “I’ve bought every book if she’s ever edited and have it on my bookshelf at the shop.” I never told Janice that. I didn’t want her to feel uncomfortable. “Because I’m proud of what she does. There are dozens of books in the world that she helped make into perfection. It’s an accomplishment to be proud of.”
    “And you mark people’s bodies, and they carry those markings for the rest of their lives. They mean something to them. And that’s a big accomplishment too.”
    “In a twisted way,” I said.
    “Ryan, I can have this argument with you over and over, but it’s not going to help. You need to talk to Janice and ask how she feels. I’m sure that will make you feel better.”
    “Maybe,” I said non-committedly. The front door opened and Janice came inside. She put her bag on the counter then hung her keys on the rack. “Scar, I gotta go. My lady is home.”
    “Talk to her.”
    “Okay.”
    “Bye.”
    I hung up and dropped my