She had agreed.
Lucas had embraced Evelyn on impulse, but now he couldn’t let go. He’d been worried – terrified that seeing Issac, who still loved her, might change her mind.
Evelyn turned her face, seeing Lucas’s ears had turned bright red. She laughed softly. “How long are you going to hold me?”
“Eva’s not here,” Lucas whispered. “Just a little longer, Eve. It’s so cold outside.”
Evelyn had absorbed the afternoon sun’s warmth. They squeezed into the recliner together, dozing off.
Golden light fell on Lucas’s short, fluffy hair. Dust motes danced in the sunbeams like stars, floating around their sleeping faces, creating a peaceful
sanctuary.
They slept like that for a long while.
Food containers kept appearing outside the hospital room. Lucas kicked them over each time he left. When Evelyn scolded him for wasting food, he stubbornly claimed he gave it to stray animals.
His cooking had improved over the three years. Whether making baby food for Eva or light meals for an invalid, Lucas managed perfectly. He’d rented a small kitchen near the hospital, creating delicious dishes from simple ingredients.
They both knew Issac sent those containers, and Evelyn knew Lucas threw away all the soups and dishes. Neither mentioned it, avoiding the uncomfortable topic.
Lucas was determined – Issac would never feed Evelyn anything he sent.
one day unul surgery, Lucas went grocery shopping with Evelyn’s list. She’d been reading lately – doctors advised limiting phone use – so Lucas had a new daily task: visiting bookstores to find her chosen books.
Some were philosophy and psychology texts, others light novels young women enjoyed. Lucas would tease her about being childish, but willingly traveled miles to buy them, just hoping to keep her from boredom.
Today’s list seemed especially long. Lucas sighed after one glance. “How long will this take? You’re leaving the hospital soon – we’ll have to move all these books home!”
“I’ll donate them to the hospital library,” Evelyn pouted. “Now go get them.”
“Alright, alright.” Lucas shook his head fondly, jingling his car keys as he left.
Shortly after he left, Issac knocked.
Evelyn had expected this, deliberately sending Lucas away. Not because there was anything he couldn’t hear or know, but because she understood his nature – easily jealous, prone to overthinking. She couldn’t bear him silently worrying and getting angry.
Her debt to settle, her responsibility.
Issac appeared more composed than before. He carried another food container – clearly he’d been the one leaving them at the door.
“Please stop bringing these,” Evelyn said softly. “It makes him worry.”
Last time, she’d caught Issac off guard with talk of Eva. Now he realized Evelyn couldn’t possibly have birthed and raised a child that age in three years, especially with her illness.
He lowered his head, opening the container to reveal a bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup, placing it before her. “This was your favorite.”
“No thank you, Mr. Hernandez,” Evelyn smiled. “You made this yourself, didn’t you?”
Issac seemed surprised she’d guessed, awkwardly responding, “Yes. Won’t you try it?”
Evelyn expressionlessly poured it on the floor.
As soup splashed his pants, Issac’s face turned ashen. Evelyn spoke: “Sophia loved soup, not me. Consider this my offering to her.”
“Mr. Hernandez, perhaps you forgot – your family never allowed me to pay respects to Sophia. So making offerings here seems fitting.”
“Yes,” Issac nodded, his lips turning purplish. He stood unsteadily. “I’m sorry, Evelyn.”
Unable to find a mop, he removed his expensive suit jacket, using it to clean the floor before leaving.
Evelyn watched him go, sighing softly. She didn’t hate Issac, but knew Lucas lacked security. Allowing Issac’s gestures would be unfair to Lucas.
When Lucas returned, he noticed the missing food containers and snorted: “Gave up already, did he?”
Evelyn just smiled, flipping through her new books without comment.
C
C
2
#
22
3
9
4
