Chapter 7
During Calvin's earlier proposal, he hadn’t meant they should get a dog, but when Elizabeth said she didn’t want kids, he tried to reassure her by suggesting they could have a dog and live together as a family of three. A few days later, something unexpected happened. Elizabeth went out to buy groceries and noticed a dog following her. Calvin, startled, shouted, "Look at your 6:30! There's a dog!" That’s how the dog got its name, Six-Thirty, and they confirmed he didn’t belong to anyone. Now, the three of them were officially a little family.

Today’s chapter wasn’t very exciting, to be honest. The vocabulary was harder, and the expressions were more complex. I’m writing this down so I don’t skip it, but I think I’ll need to read it again. Haha.

Anyway, Calvin had been rowing since college and even built a rowing machine to practice. When he mentioned wanting Elizabeth and Six-Thirty to join him, Elizabeth hesitated, saying she’d never heard of women rowing before. Calvin challenged her pride by asking if she was saying women couldn’t row, which convinced her to give it a try.

Out on the water, Calvin struggled, and it seemed like his rowing machine wasn’t as effective as he hoped. When Calvin introduced Elizabeth to a competitor, the man teased him, saying he wasn’t performing well because he was rowing with a woman. That seemed to be the main event of this chapter. Honestly, I think I need to read it again to fully understand.

Chapter 6
The lab employees were always gossiping behind Calvin and Elizabeth’s backs out of jealousy, but I could vividly imagine the two of them continuing to grow their love, unbothered by others. Of course, it’s understandable that people might feel jealous, after all, Calvin is a genius scientist and a Nobel Prize nominee, while Elizabeth is nearly at an entry-level position as a chemist. To them, it might look like Elizabeth is taking advantage of Calvin.

Still, the two share a beautiful love. Calvin even bought a ring months ago and has been carrying it around, planning to propose because he wants to build a family with Elizabeth. On the other hand, Elizabeth has already told Calvin she doesn’t want to get married or have children. Eventually, Calvin gathered the courage to propose, but it led to a long argument. It was funny imagining the lab staff secretly watching from a distance, holding their breath. When Calvin tucked the ring back into his coat pocket, everyone assumed they were breaking up but there was a twist!

Calvin expressed how he had lost his entire family and truly wanted to have one with Elizabeth, saying the three of them could live happily together. When Elizabeth angrily reminded him that she would never have kids, Calvin explained that he wasn’t talking about having children but meant they could get a dog and live together as a family of three. And then, they kissed. It was hilarious imagining the staff’s jealousy.

While I admire Elizabeth’s strong determination to stand as an independent woman in a male-dominated society, I also think she could try to understand Calvin’s feelings a little more. He’s so kind, patient, and devoted to her. I love Calvin! The end! 😊

Some people whispered that Elizabeth was just using Calvin, the genius scientist, but no one asked them directly. Their answer would have been simple: "We love each other." After they made love, they always talked, often staying up until morning, discussing work, books, politics, and allergies. But one day, Calvin realized they had never talked about their families, so he casually asked her what she was doing for Thanksgiving. Both their family lives were difficult. Calvin had lost his whole family in an accident and had always been lonely, while Elizabeth grew up with a cult-like father and saw her family fall apart or end up in terrible situations. They had both been lonely as children. It felt like they were meant to be together. Calvin wanted to talk more, but Elizabeth seemed not to want to share more.