Page 31

Chapter thirty-one

Evie

“Come, Evie, drive home with me.” Mom’s invitation is more of a gentle demand than a request.

“Okay.” I lean down and give Oba-chan one more hug. “I’ll come by again before we leave, okay?”

She nods and pats my hand. “I’d like that.”

We walk as a group out of the hospital. Vivienne thankfully left earlier, saving me from having to interact with her any longer. At least for today. Apparently, Mom has a family dinner planned for tomorrow before Kai, Rhett, and I return home the next day.

In the parking lot, we split up, Dad and Kai going in one car back to the house, Josephine headed home on her own. Leaving Mom and I to drive back together.

My mother has always known when I need time to process, and when I need to be drawn out of myself and pushed to talk things through.

A talent she clearly still possesses, as the first ten minutes of our drive are silent. I stare out the window, watching the city I grew up in pass by outside. I don’t miss it. I do miss the mountains of Vancouver .

After a while, I realize Mom has veered off from the route that would take us directly home. I turn to ask her where we’re going, but she answers me before I can say a word.

“I thought we might go and get some tea.” Her gaze is forward, but a knowing warmth is in her smile.

A moment later, we’re pulling up in front of a bakery. Inside, we place our orders. I insist on paying, and Mom eventually acquiesces. We take our cups of steaming tea and find two comfortable-looking chairs tucked into the corner.

Even though I know Mom didn’t bring me here just for tea, I wait. I’m not even sure what to say.

“I heard your sister talking to you.”

Startled, I lower my cup without taking a sip and stare wide-eyed at her. “You did?” I had no idea she was anywhere near us when Viv was berating me.

“Yes.” She nods, sipping calmly from her tea. “She loves you, Evie. You know that’s where she’s coming from. Love.”

“She’s got a funny way of showing it,” I mumble, half under my breath.

“Evangeline,” Mom chides gently, and I lift my gaze again to hers.

“Love shouldn’t make me feel like crap about myself, Mom.”

She shakes her head. “No, it shouldn’t. And I’ll be speaking to your sister later about how she handled things. But love does mean being honest, even when it might hurt. Vivienne is so proud of you, we all are. She’s also worried about you, and some of that is my fault. When you were little, you were so sick all the time. You know your father and I asked your siblings to look out for you, but I didn’t realize they were still taking that to heart.” She takes another sip, her gaze direct but full of affection. “But her concern does come from a good place. You’re such a bright star, Evie, and your sister doesn’t want you to deny yourself how high you could climb.”

“I’m not,” I protest. “I’m looking for jobs. Being with Rhett hasn’t changed that.”

“Of course. You’re not going to abandon everything you’ve worked hard for, not for anyone, I know that, and so does your sister.” Mom reaches a hand over and covers mine with hers. “But I want you to be honest with yourself. Is there a chance you are perhaps limiting your searches because of him? Your relationship is new, and I assume, wonderful and exciting. That can make it very tempting to shift your priorities to include him.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I fiddle with the tag from my tea bag.

“Not at all.” Mom shakes her head, squeezing my hand again. “If you and Rhett are happy, and if things are serious between the two of you, then following your heart is all I could ever want for you.” Her smile takes on a hint of nostalgia. “After all, your father followed his heart all the way across the world to be with me.”

I force a smile back at her. It helps, knowing Mom doesn’t feel the same way as Viv. But telling me to follow my heart only works if Rhett’s heart is in the same place as mine. And the harsh reality I’ve been avoiding is that I don’t know if that’s the case.

“I won’t lie, when you told us you wanted to move out west, I was heartbroken. You’re my baby girl. I will always want you close by. But I also want you to live your own life and find your own happiness. If that’s with Rhett, that’s wonderful. If it’s not, then you’ll find it somewhere else.” She pauses, her head tilting to the side, those all-knowing eyes reaching down straight to my soul. “Just make sure the happiness you seek isn’t dependent on someone else.”

I nod but don’t say a word.

Mom pushes back from the table, standing and picking up her cup. “Come, we had better get home and start making dinner before your dad decides to take matters in his own hands.”

Her laugh is rich and full of love for my father, terrible cooking skills and all.

That’s what I want. That deep, unending love and respect they share. The kind of love that made my father leave his home in Japan, defying his father’s wishes, to move all the way to Canada for the girl he met when she studied abroad for a year.

He sacrificed everything for her. He showed her there was nothing they couldn’t overcome, because they both knew they were meant to be together.

That knowing, that belief in fate or destiny, that’s what I’ve dreamed of having some day. While I might feel strongly for Rhett, possibly even love him, everything is still so new, and so undefined. Does he believe we could have a future? That some force has been bringing us together all this time?

Do I believe that?

Or am I subconsciously sacrificing my career goals for the fantasy of a future with him?

If things were different, would he even consider doing the same for me?

Mom’s well-intentioned intervention has only left me with more questions instead of answers .

All of which have me trying to swallow around a lump in my throat because I don’t know how to answer them, or if I even want to.

I just know I have to.

Rhett is waiting for me when we get home, as everyone else is already home. The concerned look on his face when he pulls me in for a hug, his gaze searching my expression for answers of what might be wrong, is almost my undoing. He kisses the top of my head and quietly whispers, “Everything okay, honey?”

I want to melt into his arms and tell him everything that is so jumbled up inside of me, in hopes that he can untangle it.

But I don’t. I find the strength — or maybe cowardice — to pull back and paste a smile on my face as I lie to him. “Yep, everything’s fine. Mom and I just wanted to catch up quickly and hear more about Ruthie.”

I step farther away from him, forcing myself not to acknowledge how his brows furrow.

“Okay. Well, I’m glad your grandmother is doin’ better.”

I give another short nod. “Me too.” I gesture to the kitchen. “I’m gonna help Mom with dinner.”

Making my escape, I can feel his gaze on my back, and my face flushes with all the conflicting emotions. How can I be falling in love with him, and want forever with him, but be so scared of saying anything to him?

Where are we going as a couple if I am so clueless as to how he feels that I can’t trust he won’t break my heart if I reveal it to him?

Unanswered questions rattle around in my brain like a pile of bingo balls being mixed around in the spinning cage.

“Evie, I think that’s good.” Mom gently takes the spoon from me, and I blink back to awareness, realizing I had been stirring the pasta sauce for a lot longer than she asked me to.

I take a step back and brush my hands on my pants. “Sorry.”

“You need to take a breath, my girl. That beautiful brain of yours is overthinking and overanalyzing everything, and all that will do is drive you crazy.”

I smile guiltily. “I know. It’s hard not to, though.”

Mom just rubs my arm. “It is, especially when something,” — she leans in closer — “or someone, is so important. You need to talk to him, Evie. Even if you’re scared.”

I nod because it’s what she expects. “Right. I know.”

But as we sit around the dinner table later, and I watch Rhett with my family, seeing how easily he fits in, like he always has, the lump in my throat doesn’t ease. If anything, it grows bigger.

The realization of how much is at stake, how big the impact would be if things went further between Rhett and me, starts hitting me in waves, one after another.

It’s not just Kai and Rhett’s friendship.

It’s his connection to our family.

It’s his career and the team.

It’s my career and finding a job I love.

There’s so much on the line. What started as pure fantasy fulfillment, a chance to be with the man I’d crushed on for so many years, has become a ticking time bomb.

A bomb that only Rhett can disarm, and only if he does see a future with me.

Not only that, but only if we can somehow find a way to make our two lives, our two careers and goals, somehow align.

All of which terrifies me. Because I have no idea if he wants any of that.

And asking him outright feels like setting myself up for rejection. I did that once, and I can’t do it again. Or I really will be the foolish, naive little girl my sister thinks I am.