And Evangeline didn’t know how to change that.
“I’m sorry,” she told him softly.
“Me too,” he said after a moment, his eyes still on the table. “They sent me home because of the burns. I was let out of the hospital for the memorial. His family was there, but I… I couldn’t talk to them, couldn’t tell them how sorry I was.”
Evangeline was sure that the family knew. But she didn’t want to say anything to break the spell that was allowing him to put his thoughts into words, just in case he had more to say.
But before he had a chance, the kettle whistled. She gave his hand a last squeeze before getting up to pour their tea.
When she brought the mugs back to the table, he took the one she offered and they sat for a long time in silence.
Outside the windows, a fresh snowfall began to shimmer in the back porch light. As the time passed, the silence in the house seemed to shift slightly into coziness.
Though Grayson wasn’t drinking his tea, he was holding it reverently in both hands, the steam swirling up to his face.
Tea is comfort, Grandma used to say. And she was always right. Evangeline wished she could be here with them right now to help her ease the suffering of this good man.
“I have somewhere I need to go first thing tomorrow,” he said, finally breaking the silence.
“Okay,” she told him. “Leo and I will be just fine.”
“I’m gonna head up,” he said quietly.
He carried his mug into the kitchen and then headed for the stairs as she watched after him.
“Evangeline,” he said, stopping partway up the flight.
“Yes?” she said.
“Thank you,” he murmured.
He was gone before she could reply, and she sat there for a moment, wishing there was something she could do.
But the only thing in her power that needed doing was a kitchen cleanup, so she got to her feet and carefully put away the untouched dinner and washed the dishes, deep in thought the whole time.
When she was finished, she retrieved the medals from her pocket.
She had stashed them there while she was cleaning up the glass, afraid that Grayson really would do something with them that he’d regret. Whether he approved of them or not, it wasn’t right to treat what they represented with anything less than respect.
She tucked them away in the cabinet over the fridge, determined to find an opportunity to purchase another shadow box as soon as possible.
Taking one last look around, she decided that everything was under control now, then headed to her bedroom. While she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to get to sleep anytime soon, she had to at least try so that she would have enough energy for Leo tomorrow.
As she put on her pajamas, she thought more andmore about Grayson, and all he had been through to send him to a dark enough place that he really believed that he didn’t deserve to be happy.
I don’t know how, but I have to find a way to change that. If not for him, then for Leo…
19
GRAYSON
Grayson drove slowly and carefully out of the village the next day, keeping his eyes on the road even as his heart disintegrated in his chest.
He had just signed papers giving Levi the right to represent him and seek information on his behalf. But nothing good would come of it.
Levi was going to try and find out who Leo’s birth father was. And he was going to try to work out an adoption, if both birth parents were willing.
Listening to Levi explain how tenuous Leo’s current situation was, Grayson had been tempted not to do anything at all—just to lay low and hope for the best.
