Page 30

Chapter thirty

Evie

I’m not a fan of hospitals. Never have been. I spent way too much time in them as a child.

Apparently, I like them even less when it’s someone I love inside.

Dad leads us to the medical floor and into Oba-chan’s private room. She’s sitting up in bed with oxygen cannulas in her nose and my mother by her side.

“Kai, Evie.” Mom stands up and walks over to us, pulling me in first for a long hug. I inhale the comforting, earthy scent I always associate with my mom, letting it fill me with peace.

“Hey, Mom.” We break apart and she cups my face, looking into my eyes with a smile before releasing us and moving to Kai. I make my way to the bed where my grandmother waits.

She looks so old, so frail. It takes me aback for a second, but I don’t think I let it show. I sit down and pick up one of her hands, covered in fine wrinkles. I lift it to my cheek and close my eyes. “Hi, Oba-chan.”

“Hello, Evie.” Her voice is strong, and clear, and sends a wave of relief through me.

“How are you feeling?” I take her in more closely now and see the usual warmth and intelligence in her eyes.

“I am improving with the antibiotics they are giving me. The doctors have said I will be home soon. You did not have to come visit.”

Her formal speech patterns are so familiar and take me back to long days spent learning Japanese at her side as she learned English at mine.

I give her a smile, but it’s Kai who answers first.

“Sure we did, Oba-chan. You’re kinda important, you know, so quit it with this whole getting sick business.”

She laughs, but it turns into a coughing fit that has Kai frowning and all of us crowding around her bed. She waves us off after Dad gives her a cup of water with a straw.

“Jokes are not welcome right now.”

“Sorry, Oba-chan,” Kai says, taking her other hand.

“You are forgiven. Now. Tell me, Evangeline. Have you found a job yet?”

All eyes turn to me. I’ve never felt pressure from my family quite like I am in this particular moment. And I know, deep down, that it’s not so much pressure from them as it is pressure from myself. I hate the fact that I still haven’t secured a job. But if I’m being completely honest, I haven’t been searching quite as actively as I could be. I may like living with Rhett a little too much, and knowing when I find work, that situation will end, which makes me feel less motivated than I should.

“Not yet,” I say, clearing my throat and forcing a smile. “There haven’t been many postings near Vancouver this year, but I’m still looking.”

“You could always look in a different province,” Vivienne says, her tone mild but with something critical underlying.

“We’d love it if you moved back here, honey.” My mom places her hand on my shoulder. “You’ve always got a room at home, for as long as you need it. And we could help —”

I put up my hand to cover hers and interrupt. “Thank you, but no. I love it in British Columbia. I want to stay there.”

“And that decision has nothing to do with a certain baseball player,” Viv says, and everyone turns their attention to her.

“Evie?” my mom asks, and I realize she doesn’t know. “What does your sister mean?”

“Um, well, Rhett and I…” I pause, glancing at Kai to see if he’ll help me out, but he’s carefully not looking at me. “Rhett and I are dating now.”

“Oh honey, that’s wonderful, he’s a good man.”

“He flew out with her and Kai,” Viv interjects, her arms folded across her chest. “He’s back at the house right now.”

“Really? Well, isn’t that lovely.”

Viv makes a snorting sound.

At least my mother seems happy with my news. And Dad seems to have accepted it, along with one of my sisters. But my focus narrows in on Vivienne. Why is she so upset by this? I can’t help but wonder what the heck is wrong with her.

"Anyway. Oba-chan, can I get you anything?” I squeeze my grandmother’s hand, desperate to move the focus away from me.

Somehow, the elderly woman always sees exactly what I need. Giving me a knowing smile, she inclines her head. “Some fresh water would be lovely, thank you.”

I stand and snatch up the plastic water jug. “Great. Be right back.”

In the hall outside her room, I take a quick breath in and blow it all out. I know I’ve never been close to my older sisters, but the frustration emanating off Viv is unsettling. Especially since it’s so clearly directed at me.

I take a bit longer than I should filling the water jug, but I can’t avoid my family for long. I don’t want to. I came here to be with my grandmother, and I’ll be damned if Viv’s judgmental attitude is going to keep me from her. She’s always had a haughty, better-than-everyone attitude, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why she seems so angry at me.

But as I pivot on my feet to head back to the room, my sister walks up to me, her hands clutching her purse that’s strapped across her chest.

“Viv, whatever has you mad at me, can it wait? Oba-chan needs her water,” I say, attempting to move past her.

“No, Evie, it can’t.” Her hand comes to my arm, bringing me to a stop. “What the heck is going on right now? You don’t have a job, you’re mooching off our brother and now you’re dating his best friend? Come on. It’s time to grow up.”

I take a minute to breathe in and out slowly. I will not rise to her bait. “Grow up? Last time I checked, I’m twenty-four with two degrees. Pretty sure that’s considered grown up.”

Viv scoffs. “Yeah, and instead of focusing on finding a job with those two degrees, you’re messing around with a guy. What about your future?” The absurdity of her statement has me dropping my mouth open in shock.

But fast on the heels of that surprise is a sinking feeling in my stomach .

“It’s not like I’m not looking,” I argue. “I don’t want to settle for a job that isn’t right for me.”

Still, my gut churns at her accusation.

“You know that if you had come back here when you graduated, you probably would have a job already. And you’d be with your family. You would have been here when Oba-chan first got sick.”

“That’s a low blow, Viv,” I say, somehow remaining calm despite the sharp pain her words cause me.

My older sister doesn’t break my stare. “I’m not the one setting aside my goals, my priorities, my family , because of a guy.”

“Viv. Stop.”

We both turn at the sound of Kai’s angry voice. He’s striding toward us, fists clenched. He comes to a stop, shooting daggers at our sister from his hard eyes.

“You’re out of line.”

“Am I?” Vivienne goes toe-to-toe with Kai. “Did you know she was dating Rhett? You’re meant to be looking after her out there, ensuring she doesn’t make foolish decisions. What happened, Kai?”

“What happened is that I decided to treat Evie like an adult, not a fucking child, Viv.”

“Mom and Dad told us —”

“Mom and Dad would tell you that you’re being insane right now,” he interrupts Vivienne. I’m frozen between them, unable to move or say anything as one sibling attacks me and the other defends. “C’mon. They wanted us to watch out for her when she was a kid and sick all the time. It was the right thing for us to do. But not anymore.” He looks over at me, his face softening. “Given recent… events, I’ve had a come-to-Jesus moment. She’s a grown-ass adult, no matter how weird it is to think of her dating my best friend. But Evie doesn’t need us to be so overprotective anymore. So back off and leave her alone.”

If Vivienne is listening to him, it doesn’t show. Instead, she turns to me, putting her back to Kai.

“You’re putting a guy who’s gone half the year for his job above your own career.”

“She’s not,” Kai says, stepping around Viv and taking my hand in his. I appreciate his solidarity, but Vivienne’s words are hitting their mark.

“She is, Kai. Or don’t you remember last Christmas when she so boldly proclaimed her only focus would be finding a job. That’s why she’s staying with you, so she can put all her energy and time into that. Except now, she’s distracted by Rhett.”

It’s impossible to hide the guilt I feel when she mistakenly assumes I’m staying with Kai. And of course, Viv picks up on it.

“Wait. What’s that all about?” She waves her hand at my face. “Hold on.” Her hand comes up to cover her mouth. “You’re not staying with Kai, are you? Oh my God, Evie. Because dating him wasn’t enough, you had to move in with him?”

“It’s not like that!” I finally find my voice. “I couldn’t stay with Kai, and Rhett was able to help out. We didn’t expect to fall for each other.”

“Why couldn’t you stay with Kai?”

I look at my brother, beseeching him to help me find a way out of this inquisition. But he’s just as lost as I am as to how to handle our out-of-control sister.

“Why, Evie? What possible reason could there be for you not staying with our brother where he can look out for you?”

I’m guessing that telling her I rescued a puppy from the side of the road and Kai’s building doesn’t allow dogs isn’t the answer she wants to hear. Instead, I focus on the long-standing wound she’s pouring salt into.

“I don’t need looking out for!” I cry, finally losing my cool. My ability to stay calm and be the mature one has reached it’s limit. “For God’s sake, Vivienne, I’m an adult. You do realize that, right? I’m not a little kid, I’m a freaking adult. Fully capable of making my own decisions, whether you agree with them or not.”

Viv’s mouth narrows into a thin line. “If you’re so grown up, then start acting like one. You need a job, Evie, not a boyfriend.”

She turns on her heel and walks away, not toward Oba-chan’s room, but toward the elevators.

“Fucking hell,” Kai mutters, turning me to face him with his hands on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”

I reach up and dash away the tears building in my eyes. “Not really.”

“She’s wrong, Gigi and totally out of line. That was not cool for her to blow up like that. You’re not being a fool. Rhett’s a good guy.”

I nod and let him pull me in for a hug.

“But,” he starts with a more cautious tone. “What are you going to do about a job?”

“I can’t make one appear out of nowhere,” I mumble into his shirt, then I pull back. “I swear I’m looking for one. I’m just not ready to give up on staying in BC.”

“Then don’t. Mom and Dad always encouraged us to follow our hearts. And if you want to stay out west, not for a guy but for yourself, then do it. I’ll be there to help every step of the way.”

His words help, but not enough to fully erase the damage done by my sister’s accusations.

Or fill the pit that has opened up in my stomach.