Bryson stepped aside so that two younger girls wearing pink and white sorority sweaters could pass them.
“I’m still not sure how you ended up in this profession,” he told Evie. “You come from a family that doesn’t like dogs and were engaged to a man who also doesn’t like them.”
“I never said Cameron didn’t like dogs; he just didn’t want one of his own.”
He slid her a sideways glance.
“Fine,” Evie said. “And, honestly, if it wasn’t for Ashanti, I’m not sure I would have become a vet. I told you this story back when we volunteered at The Sanctuary, didn’t I?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
They were probably too busy getting into the kind of mischief she didn’t want to think about right now.
“Well, it’s true,” Evie said. She told him how she was all set to apply to medical school so that she could follow in her mother’s footsteps as a cardiologist.
“Ashanti pointed out that I always seemed more fascinated in her coursework than my own. I knew I wouldn’t be happy as a cardiologist, but never even considered doing anything else until Ashanti said two simple words to me:Why not?”
“And that’s all it took?”
“That’s it.” She nodded. “I’ve never regretted it, despite the backlash I still occasionally get from my family. I honestly cannot imagine doing anything else.”
“That must make this time right now difficult,” he said. “Not having a practice to go to. Have you started putting out feelers?”
“Not yet. I’ll get a new position eventually,” she said. “I want to focus on The Sanctuary right now. I’m lucky that Icantake some time off to focus on something else. At least this time when I start the job hunt, I know I’m getting the position based on merit.”
“Wait, do you think you didn’t deserve to work at the clinic on Maple?”
“Whether or not I deserved to work there is moot. It was a foregone conclusion that I would.” She hunched her shoulder.“That’s the problem. I have never been in a position of having to rely on myself—I’ve always had this safety net.”
“You mean your superrich parents?”
“Stop it.” She bumped him with her shoulder. “They are notsuperrich.”
“Remember, I’ve seen their house, Ev. Compared to most people, they’re superrich.”
She rolled her eyes. “They make a good living,” she said. “And, yes, it’s nice knowing I can go to my parents if I need anything, even though I’m a perpetual disappointment to them both.”
She raised her hand when he started to speak.
“That’s a joke. Well, kinda,” she said. “But it’s not just my parents; Cameron has also been a safety net. I knew before I graduated that I would work at his practice. I never imagined myself anywhere else.”
“There’s nothing wrong with having a safety net. A lot of people would kill for that.”
“I know how lucky I am.”
“Do you?” Bryson asked.
“Of course I do,” she said. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Because, in my experience, I’ve found that people tend to look at what theydon’thave and whatisn’tgoing right in their lives instead of focusing on the good stuff. It seems to have gotten worse since the pandemic.”
“That isn’t me,” Evie said. “And what we all went through with the pandemic only served to show me just how blessed I am.”
One of St. Charles Avenue’s signature green streetcars rolled past them. The sound of its steel rails rattling always put Evie in a New Orleans state of mind.
“If I share something with you, do you promise not to get upset or hold it against me?” Bryson asked once the noise from the streetcar abated.
“I can’t make that promise because I have a feeling it’s going to piss me off,” Evie said.
