“Not yet.” I typed back. “But I will, soon.”
I ventured into the kitchen where the kids were happily eating and Evan was standing at the sink telling Liam a silly story about a dancing giant. The little boy was giggling so hard that tears were forming in his eyes and Hadley was looking at him and clapping wildly. My breath stuck in my chest for a moment and I felt warmth spread all the way through to my toes. No matter what he thought about himself, Evan was doing a wonderful job with those kids.
“Good morning Mew!” Liam called when he spotted me.
“Good morning Liam,” I answered with a grin.
I stepped into the kitchen and Evan surprised me by placing a kiss on my forehead before handing me a cup of steaming hot coffee. I looked over to see if Liam had noticed, but he was busy smearing peanut butter over half of his face. I giggled and went over to wipe him down with a wet washcloth.
“That’s supposed to go in your mouth, silly,” I said as he giggled.
Evan went and worked in his shed for a few hours while I cleaned up the house, did some laundry, and read to the kids. I was really starting to enjoy taking care of the house and the kids. It was something I never thought I’d have after my abduction. It had taken me almost a year of extensive therapy even to be able to go back to school, and almost another year to go out anywhere else besides classes.
Though I’d improved a lot over the last two years, I had still resigned myself to the fact that I might never be able to trust a man enough to have a relationship, get married, and have kids. Being able to care for Evan, Liam, and Hadley was refreshing and made me hope for the future. A future I hoped would include all three of them.
When Evan came back in the house in the early evening, dinner was ready and we all sat down to eat after he had a quick shower to warm up and wash the sawdust out of his hair. As we ate, I couldn’t help but steal glances at the man across from me. Though he had shared his secrets with me, he was still such a contradiction.
He was big and rough, but gentle and loving. He was rich beyond what most people would ever see in their lifetime, yet he spent his time making and selling furniture in town. He had said he’d never wanted kids, yet everything he did was for the two precious bundles that sat at the table with us.
I admired him. And I was falling for him. Hard. The realization brought a lump to my throat and I had to excuse myself from the table. I went into the bathroom, feeling Evan’s worried eyes on me, and shut the door. I turned on the cold water and splashed some on my face as the hot tears spilled from my eyes. Realizing that I was in love with Evan was the most freeing sensation I’d felt in a long time.
I regained my composure and turned off the water. I opened the door to find Evan standing on the other side, his brow furrowed in worry.
“Are you okay?” he asked, reaching out to run his fingertips down my arm.
I smiled up at him and nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. Better than I’ve been in a while,” I assured him.
He looked only half convinced as we made our way back to the table to finish dinner. Once the food had been cleared, I took the kids to get them bathed and dressed for bed while Evan did the dishes.
After the goodnights had been said and the blankets had all been tucked under their chins, Evan and I retired to the living room to sit on the couch in front of the fire as we did most nights.
“I’m sorry I haven’t asked, but how is your dad doing?” Evan asked.
A new warmth spread through my chest. “He’s doing really well actually. Stronger by the day,” I told him.
Though the news was welcome to me, Evan looked troubled by it, though he tried to hide it.
“That’s great to hear,” he said softly.
We sat in silence for a few moments before he spoke again. “So, if he’s doing well, does that mean you’ll be looking for a teaching job somewhere soon? I mean, it seems wrong for you to waste your education.”
I turned and looked at him, taking in the hint of sadness in his eyes that he was trying so hard not to show and my heart nearly broke. “My education is in Early Childhood Development, Evan. Yes, my original goal was to be a preschool teacher, but things can change. I think you know that better than most people. I may not be in a classroom here, but what I’m doing with Liam and Hadley is no less important. I’m using my degree every day with them.”