Page 43 of Chalk It Up

“I will never pressure you to feel the same. Love doesn’t work that way. I’d love you every day even if I never heard it back. You brought my soul back to life, and I don’t have enough lifetimes to show you my gratitude for that. I’m forever grateful I never gave anyone else my heart because Evie, you deserve all of it. And you have all of it for all time.”

“August.” My name is a whisper on her lips, and it somehow says everything. She sniffles and wipes her nose, and it’s criminally adorable. She places her hand back in mine before continuing. “August, of course I love you. I’m terrifyingly, unwaveringly in love with you.” I honestly think I might be crying now too because how could this woman love me? “I hate everything that’s happening right now, but there’s no one I’d rather go through this with than you. You have more unshakeable confidence than any tree in this forest, and I find all the comfort I need in you. I know this all sucks, but I love you, August, and somehow you love me, so I know, no matter what, everything is going to be okay.”

“Thank you for letting me love you, Princess.”

“Thanks for choosing to love me, Billionaire.” I graze her cheek with my hand before moving it down to her neck, leaning across the cab, and kissing the smirk right off her face. Evie responds in kind and our kiss is wholly different now. It feels like we’re finally meshing together and there’s no more space between our souls.

Her breathing speeds up with the pacing of our kiss. It’s frantic and intimate all at once. We both close all of the space between us before and yet it’s not enough. “August.” She purrs my name on our mingled breaths, and I never want to leave this spot. I would contentedly die here in her kiss. “Can we stay here forever? Let’s just pretend nothing else is happening.”

“I wish, baby. Oh I desperately wish. Once we put out all of these fires, I’ll kiss you everyday forever. I promise.” We reluctantly pull apart, but I don’t lose contact with her. I’m grossly desperate to always be touching her, so I leave my hand in hers. I never want to break this moment, but we need to get everything sorted out, and something tells me we don’t have a lot of time to do that.

“If you don’t want to live there anymore because of Larissa then we have options. Just let me make some calls.”

“You’re too good for me, August Von.” I want her to say my last name again and again, but with her name preceding it, and I’m deeply determined to make that happen.

“Baby, I’ll never be good enough.” I concede while dropping a kiss on the back of her hand. She smiles at that and it’s enough to make every problem that’s come up in the last half hour disappear.

We pull back onto the road and head over to Ms. Wilma’s house and I attempt to pay her extra since I didn’t expect to be picking up Addie this late and I feel awful. But in true Wilma fashion, she refuses and just tells me how much she loves spending time with Addie. Wilma never got to have kids of her own and I think it’s healing for her to be able to spend time with Addie.

Addie sees Evie and bolts to the truck faster than I think she ever has before, and I’m just slightly offended. But more than that, I’m beholden that the two women I love also effortlessly adore each other.

“Ms. Jake, what are you doing here?” Addie’s voice is nothing short of enthusiastic. But I think Evie is still processing everything that happened and can’t figure out how to answer Addie without telling her things that we aren’t ready to tell her just yet.

“Ms. Jake had a problem with her car and then something came up with her house, so I’m giving her a ride.” I see Evie pull her phone out at that, probably realizing she needs a place to stay until all of this is sorted out. I start heading in the direction of Thea’s house since I’m certain that’s who she’s texting.

Evie maintains her usual positive, happy disposition while she’s in the car with Addie. Thankfully for her the drive to Thea’s is only a few minutes because I’m positive that facade is taking everything out of her.

Even with everything going on she carries on a thoughtful conversation with Addie asking about her day and what she did at Ms. Wilma’s house. She asks Addie such engaging questions, and I’m amazed at how easily they converse. Evie genuinely cares about Addie because there’s no way to speak with someone this personally if you didn’t care for them.

There are so many impossible things happening right now, but the fact that I don’t have to worry about the woman I love also loving my daughter is the biggest relief I could wish for.

We pull up to Thea’s and Evie jumps out of the SUV. She rounds to the back to give Addie a hug and then snatches up Maples' crate and toys.

“Thanks for the ride, August.” She beams at me and my chest explodes despite everything. “I’m sorry for all of the inconveniences.” I hate that she’s saying sorry for things that are none of her fault.

“Don’t think twice about any of it. We’ll get it all figured out.” We’re being vague enough that it’s easy for Addie to assume we’re talking about the car and house issues because there’s no reason for a child to know the issues their parent is going through. I want to keep her childhood as carefree as I possibly can.

“I’ll see ya later.” She smiles and waves to both of us before walking down the pathway to Thea’s house where she’s already waiting on the porch for Evie, and wraps her in a huge hug. I’m so grateful that Evie has a friend who cares for her so much that she’d let her crash at her place last minute and indefinitely. Once they’re all inside and I can assume the door is locked behind them, Addie and I head across the lake to our house.

“Sorry I had to pick you up so late tonight, bug.” The sun is entirely behind the mountains and the sky is beautifully clear. The stars are so crisp at this elevation and Addie spends a lot of time looking out of windows up at the stars. I always wonder what’s going through her mind when she does, if it’s a time of silence for her or for her thoughts to run wild and free. “Did you get a chance to eat with Ms. Wilma or are you hungry? We can grab something really quick if you are.”

“No, I’m not hungry. I ate already.” She answers me while continuing to stare out of the window. “Is Ms. Jake, okay? I feel bad that she can’t sleep in her own bed.”

“You’re so thoughtful, sweetie. Don’t you worry about a thing. Ms. Jake is good, she’s just going to hang out with her friend for a little while her house is worked on.”

“Yeah, okay. I hope she doesn’t miss her bed too much.” Oh, my sensitive, thoughtful girl.

“I think she’ll be just fine. Plus she has Maple with her.”

“Oh, yeah! You’re right!” Like a dog instantly makes any situation better, and honestly, they really do. The silhouetted shadows of the pines fly past us as we make our way home in the dark. I remember as a kid always being scared of these huge trees at night, but they carry so many of my secrets and feelings now that it feels like I’m constantly surrounded by friends.

“Hey, so once we get home we’re going to have to get ready for bed right away. It’s late and daddy has some work he needs to do. Sound good?” She nods while resting her head on the passenger window already exhausted from the day.

In classic kid style, she’s fallen asleep again in the car so I have to manage a way to open her door without her falling over and waking up. I get her out with no issues and up the stairs for bed. I press a kiss to her forehead and gently click her door closed behind me.

I head downstairs to my office and fire up my desktop. It’s late and I’m emotionally drained from the day, but we need to figure out a solution for Evie’s job and house sooner rather than later. Everything in me is screaming to just have her quit and move in here. But neither of those are my call to make.

Evie loves her job and she’s amazing at it. Those kids need a teacher who is going to love them the way she does. And I’d never want to be so presumptuous as to assume she would want to live with us, and essentially take on the entire role of being a mom because of a situation that forced her hand. Do I want her to live with us? Eventually. But on her own terms and time table. I send off a couple of quick emails before pulling my phone out to call some people that I think can help us.