Silently, she watched him go, the chill in the air bothering her. She wished he had taken a hat or something to stay warm. Maine winters were unpredictable. The ocean influenced the weather, causing it to either freeze quickly or grow warmer, with new temperatures that only the ocean’s vastness could bring.
As his form disappeared, to where she didn’t know, the memory of Evander floated into her mind. She’d sat on this very patio countless times, watching him come in from the same direction Steven had just left, his black and red flannel jacket billowing in the cold breeze.
She could still see him—his brown hair fluttering in the air, his blue eyes seeming to pierce right to her soul. She’d been young then, filled with hope that masked a sorrow she could only live with. Losing Mom hadn’t been easy for her and Emma,but it was even harder for Jack, who had lost what he always considered the love of his life.
He’d hardened his heart after that, even toward her and Emma, and like a light in the darkness, Evander walked into her life. He moved into town after his grandmother was in a car accident during a severe storm, and he, her only grandchild, came to stay with her.
She and Emma had long since finished high school. She worked part-time at the convenience store, hoping to save enough money to leave Mistletoe Harbor and pursue her dreams. Hard work was the main focus, unlike what her father considered the silliness of fitness and aerobic exercise.
Still, standing in that store, she could still feel it—the moment she’d first met him. He came in to pick up some things for his grandmother, and when their eyes met, it was love at first sight—at least for her.
Thinking back, she had never believed in love at first sight, a notion her sister had held since childhood, from the illusions and storybooks. When she felt it, she knew.
They’d started by casually talking about what his grandmother wanted and where he could find it. One visit quickly led to another and another, and soon he was coming back sometimes two or three times a day.
Bolder than her sister, on his fifth visit to the store, Angela could still remember telling him she was going to see if he could get a job since he was there so often. That boldness earned her a flash of a perfect grin and an admission that he’d only been coming in since the first visit because he wanted to take her out on a date.
A few nights later, after many silent stares and her struggle to find words, he picked her up in his red truck to go to dinner. Emma, forever the hopeless romantic, stood at the window withsheer curtains half parted, waving to her as Evander helped her into the truck.
She’d shivered in the cold, but not from the chill—rather from how their touch sent electricity coursing through every part of her.
They talked about everything: her hopes and dreams and his indecisiveness that led him to decide the military was the best place for him to be, following in his father’s footsteps. He said things no other guy she had ever dated up to that point did or would.
Their love was quick and intense, a blaze so bright that others doubted it would last—except for them. He spoke of marrying her someday, once he had sorted his life out and fulfilled his dream of joining the military.
Though it hurt to hear he would be gone for a while, love had a way of letting those things go when it was right. She promised more than she could deliver—waiting forever, never letting go—as Evander talked about their future.
So caught up in the emotions of the moment, she overstepped boundaries, and so did they both. Soon after, she approached him, his happiness nearly bursting because he was heading out very soon, and right after his medical exam that Thursday.
Overcome with grief and sensing something wasn’t right, but unsure what it was, she didn’t have a mother to discuss it with. Still, she supported his choice and promised to wait for him when he returned.
His departure was as painful as one could imagine for a woman of such a young age. Emotions overwhelmed her without understanding why, thinking it was only the loss of the man she loved from her life for a short time.
Discovering a week later that she was pregnant after spending the last five days sick every morning was a shock.Angela’s heart quickly recovered, filled with hope for the future with Evander, and she wrote him a letter to be sent later.
Fearful but feeling blessed, she readily accepted the changes that would come her way, alone. There was nowhere else for her to go, so she told Emma. Emma was fully supportive and happy, convinced that it would only be a short time before she and Evander would be married and reunited. She insisted that Angela tell their father.
Angela could still hear the harshness in his voice when he found out she was pregnant out of wedlock and who the father was. With Emma standing beside her, she told him that, despite his love for them, Jack had a way of making both of them cower with his harshness.
The kitchen felt smaller as he accused her of horrible things and expressed his disappointment in her, infringing on her happiness. Repeating in her mind, she could still hear the echoes of his scorn and how he talked about how people would view him and his family once they knew she was pregnant out of wedlock. It wasn’t accepted, and it reflected poorly on her somewhat unstable upbringing from poor parenting.
It had been too much for her emotional, tender nature in that moment, and Angela nearly crumbled when he threw her out. Bags were packed in just an hour, and she had the stash of money Evander left for her to use if she ever needed it. She called her aunt, the only person she could think of.
Thankfully, her aunt was sympathetic and agreed she could stay in Chicago for a while until the baby was born. When she arrived, things weren’t as cozy as she expected, being pregnant. Her aunt was sick and had little money, offering only a roof over her head and some basic food.
She snapped out of her reverie about the past when she heard something crashing inside the house. Angela then rushed to the door and threw it open.
Six
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah, we just need to get this tree secured, and we’re good. I was thinking of doing some cleaning today after the kids decorate. There are enough of them to do it, and Brandon can help while we clean.”
Emma stood holding one side of the tree while her husband did whatever he needed to secure it. Thoughtful and needing something to do after spending too much time outside, Angela went into the house and closed the door.
“Whew, it's cold out there, and my son just went for a walk. He’s crazy. I’m going to start on Dad’s bedroom if that works.”
Emma flashed a grin. “Gotta love Maine winters. Yeah, I’m going to hunt down all the decorations for the tree, and they should still be where I left them last time. Dad hated decorating, so every year I did it. You clean his room up; I know there are some boxes in the garage.”
