Tommy thanked Deon for letting him know, and the tiny niggling sense of guilt he’d been feeling vanished.
Chapter Fifty-Eight: Quiet Triumphs
In the months following Evie's breakup with Alex, things slowly settled into a new normal that she enjoyed immensely. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so relaxed and happy.
She had talked with Tommy about Alex using the Honey Oven’s security system to spy on her after her interview with Harvey and told him she wanted to pay for their internet for a year. When he asked why, she explained that she felt so bad about them getting dragged into the drama that she wanted to do something to make it up to them.
She usually went to the cafe to write on Sundays, both to get out of the tower and to have a place where no one interrupted her writing flow. Aaron had started joining her, working on reports and planning his assignments, because he found it hard to be alone in his house. Deon had been kind enough to give them access to the private internet, so they didn’t have to use the less secure public network, and they could sit all day working and occasionally ordering coffee or food.
They were working out the logistics of her covering the internet when Thorn had stormed into Tommy’s office, his entire body tense with anger, and asked to speak to him alone. She was waiting in her office for them to finish when Aaron poked his head in and nervously asked if she’d seen Thorn. When she said he was with Tommy, he went in without knocking. They weren’t in there long before Thorn and Aaron left, and Tommy called her in to finish their discussion.
Tommy had been upset about something but wouldn’t talk about it. She let it go, figuring it had to do with something that came out in Aaron's interview regarding Alex. No one would tell her what was discussed, but four days later, she was informed that Alex had moved out of her apartment and that she was free to return. She didn’t know if it was a coincidence or if it was related to that conversation in Tommy’s office between the three of them, but she didn’t care enough to question it. She was just happy to have her place all to herself again.
With Alex gone, Evie and Aaron began going to movies and watching their shows together instead of going to lunch or dinner afterward to discuss them. They were both adamant that they weren’t going on dates, just two people hanging out who enjoyed sci-fi movies and TV shows.
With Paula no longer in the picture, Evie found Aaron much easier to be around. He still occasionally made stupid comments, but he wasn’t constantly on or trying to make everyone like him. She figured he’d been overcompensating for Paula’s abrasive personality, and now he was just being himself.
Aaron’s personality was much more in line with hers. He was more introverted, preferring to spend time with just Evie and Nissa or by himself. Her initial assumption that he was lonely without Paula was wrong. He told her he didn’t like being in his house because everything reminded him of Paula.
“She made all the decisions, all the colour choices, all the furniture. It’s her house, not mine.”
When she suggested redecorating or selling it, he’d shrugged, telling her that redecorating felt like erasing her and selling it felt like moving on, and he just wasn’t ready for either of those things.
**********
It was the middle of the afternoon in early December when a knock came on Evie’s office door. She looked up from what she was working on and saw Aaron standing in the doorway, looking a little nervous.
“Hey!” She smiled and waved him in. “What’s up?”
He sat in the chair in front of her desk and gave her a small smile. “I have to reschedule our movie night, sorry.”
“Oh, okay.” She felt a slight pang of disappointment. She had been looking forward to it. The movie had come out at the beginning of November, and the reviews were calling it one of the best Marvel movies to date. Every time they’d tried to go, something had come up and derailed the plans. “Everything good?”
“Depends on how you define good, I guess.” He ran his hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “Beau volunteered for an IA slot to go back to Iraq. Says he doesn’t want to be home for another Christmas. He leaves next Friday, so we booked a last-minute skiing trip.”
Evie immediately understood, her heart aching for his best friend. Aaron had told her quite a bit about the soldier, how he’d almost lost his foot on his first tour rescuing a kitten that had gotten stuck under a building. He was on his stomach trying to coax the terrified animal to come to him when an RPG hit a building across the street. The concussion blast broke most of the bones in his right foot, while the wheel of his Humvee protected his left. The injury had required extensive surgery to repair, followed by months of physical therapy.
When he was cleared for active duty, he volunteered for another deployment, but he was only there five months when he was informed his childhood home had burnt down, killing his parents and sister just five days before Christmas. Luckily, hisgrandfather, whose bedroom was on the ground floor, managed to get out. Beau had been assigned to Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn on a compassionate reassignment to take care of his family's estates and figure out the best option for his grandfather, who was in his eighties and, while still pretty independent, had some balance issues that made it unsafe for him to live alone.
“Oh.” Evie tilted her head, wondering why he was so annoyed by Beau volunteering for deployment. “I guess that means he found a place for his grandfather?”
“Yeah. About two, two and a half months ago, he was contacted by the Prospect Harbour Assisted Living Home and was told that a room was available.” Aaron nodded, still looking a little sour. “And because he’s active duty military, he qualified under their Military Family Assistance Program, and his grandfather’s name was at the top of their list for admittance.”
“That’s great!” Evie grinned, but it faded when she saw his expression. Aaron had told her that Beau was struggling to find a place that fit his budget and wasn’t less-than-reputable, and he’d expressed his frustration that his friend was too proud to accept his help.
“Why are you being so sulky about it? That’s a huge source of stress off his shoulders.”
Aaron sighed. “I’m not. I’m annoyed he volunteered for an IA slot. He doesn’t have to go; he’s actively choosing it.” He shook his head. “But I guess I can’t blame him. Last Christmas was tough on him. Anyway.” He straightened up and smiled at her. “Yeah, his grandfather got a spot. It was lucky, honestly. Beau said he’d called and spoken to someone and explained his situation, and they never mentioned anything about the Military Family Assistance Program.”
“He checked their website, and apparently it’s a new subsidy program made possible by a generous grant from the Mary Wright Foundation, which he couldn’t find any information on at all, just that it occasionally makes generous donations to various charities around Brooklyn.”
“Well, given what you’ve told me, Beau has gone through enough bad luck that it’s about time he got some good,” Evie murmured, trying not to show an inappropriate amount of joy. The Mary Wright Foundation was the name Tommy used when he wanted to donate without his name attached, and she made a mental note to give him a huge hug and thank him after Aaron left.
When Aaron told her how much trouble Beau was having finding a place for his grandfather, she was reminded of her situation with her mother and how she would have been lost without Tommy, and she wanted to help. She quietly did some research and found a good facility that often prioritized family members of active-duty soldiers. Having no idea how Tommy actually used his influence and money to pull strings and get things done quickly, she went to his office to get advice.
When she explained the situation and asked how to do what he did, he leaned back in his chair and smiled at her.
“Well, not to be too blunt, but you can’t.”
