That familiar rock settled in my stomach. The want that hit me when she was near.
I’d never experienced this with anyone else. I was a simple guy; if I wanted something, I either went for it or got distracted by the next shiny thing and moved on. But this ache was endless. Every night I slept out in my tent, chest tight, knowing she was so close and yet so far away.
Dad, I’d think, staring up at the highest point of my tent,I feel this. This feels right. I want things I’ve never wanted before.
He wouldn’t respond, but I’d close my eyes and pretend he was there, telling me the story of how he and my mom met.
I’d grown up in a house filled with love and chaos. But mostly love. Most days, my dad would pick wildflowers for my mom andpresent them with a flourish when he came in for dinner. And Mom fussed over him, always so proud of him and of us.
Our time here was limited. They’d proven that, so I’d done my best to have fun and stay away from all the hard, heavy stuff.
But I was drawn to all of Evie. The fun parts and the parts that brought up my fears.
The smiles and the sass, but also the hurt and the pain.
I wanted more. I wanted everything.
Instead, I’d settle for the small scraps she’d give me.
Because Evie had made one thing clear. She did not want more.
I waved at her, and she gave me a nod, then used her foot to rock Vincent in his play chair without missing a beat.
I propped myself up against the doorframe, taking my time unzipping my hoodie so I could watch her. The calm authority in her voice was magnetic.
“Let’s be clear,” she chirped. “If Costmart isn’t satisfied with the transparency statement, then we need to dig deeper internally. The integrity of our product is our brand. End of story.”
The confident statement was followed by an incredulous laugh, as if the person behind the other screen had pushed back.
“No,” she said. “We’re not fucking around with labeling and supplementation. If we’re using something new, then I need the full composition data before we print another label. I don’t care what Evergreen provides. We verify and compile our own data.”
She turned away and made a silly face at Vincent. She was multitasking like it was a competitive sport.
“No, Dave.” Her tone was firmer. “I had a baby. I didn’t lose my ability to spot PR landmines. And this is one. So get me the data, and we’ll update. But I’m taking your word for it. Please.”
When she scoffed, I cheered internally. I had no idea who Dave was, but he was getting a verbal ass-kicking.
After she ended the meeting, she quickly lowered the laptop screen, then jumped up and scooped Vincent into her arms, peppering his little face with kisses.
As he squirmed, I noticed a Post-it stuck to his butt. The wordsQ4 targetswere written on it.
My heart clenched. Evie looked exhausted but unstoppable. Like a woman who’d been running on fumes for months and still refused to fail.
Her steely resolve was admirable, but it only made me feel like I should be doing more for her.
I wandered closer and peeled the Post-it off his butt.
“You sounded like a boss,” I said proudly.
She passed Vincent to me, eyes brighter than they had been recently. “I like it,” she said. “Being back, doing something I’m good at. And the place is a mess without me.”
She said that last part with an eye roll, like she was annoyed, though the way her lips tipped up told me she was secretly pleased.
“Of course they are.” I blew a raspberry into Vincent’s tummy. “Mama is the smartest. And she absolutely handed Dave his ass.” I lowered my little guy and cradled him to my chest. “Who is Dave?”
She was standing in front of the mirror by the front door, putting her hair up into a ponytail. “The procurement lead. We’re midway through an environmental audit, and there are label concerns. So I asked for the BGX data files, but they’re archived for internal use only. And that’s bullshit. We can’t legally claim sustainability and maintain organic certification without?—”
“Why does that sound familiar?” I asked. “BGX?”
