“You haven’t spoken to him about what?” She tiptoes around what I know she really wants to ask, but we’re nowhere near that question, not yet.
“About anything.” I sigh. “I found out it was him and ran.” I look over at her, waiting for her disapproval, but it never comes.
“So when was this?”
“A week ago…?”
She turns her head to me and back to the road as she tries to figure everything out. “Let me get this straight. You found him—or rather he found you—at a sex club I might add, and you guys still haven’t spoken?”
I pull at the hem of my shirt, hating when I admit, “No. I don’t know what to do. What can I do?”
“About what?”
I whisper out, “About everything. It’s been so long, too long. Too much has happened.”
“But none of that matters. It’s all in the past,” she says like it’s no big deal.
“But is it? There’s so much to tell him but how do I—”
“He knows,” she interrupts, gripping the steering wheel and not looking at me.
My head falls and tears instantly fall freely. “How?”
She looks at me, taking a deep breath. “Evangeline, you left. You took off, and I was so worried about you. So scared for months, shit, years. Don’t hate me, but I told him.”
My head falls back against the headrest as we sit in silence for a few seconds. I turn to look at her. “I could never hate you.”
“I was just worried about you. I thought he needed to know.”
“How did he react?”
She lets out a sigh. “Let’s just say there were multiple times I wished I hadn’t told him.”
“I’m sorry I put you in that position.”
She shrugs, blowing it off. “I can’t blame you. I don’t know what I’d do in that situation, so I’m not one who can judge. Do you mind me asking what you did? With no mention of a child traveling with you, did you…?”
I bite my lip before answering, “We had a boy. I gave him up for adoption.”
She reaches over, squeezing my hand. “You know that’s the ultimate motherly sacrifice, right?”
I shake my head slightly. “You’re the second person to tell me that this week.”
“Well, it’s true. You knew you couldn’t give him a good life, so you found someone who could. I’m proud of you.”
“I’m sure Carter doesn’t feel the same way.”
“Hey, everything happens for a reason. You guys weren’t meant to be parents yet. He needed to get his degree and save lives. He would have quit and come back.”
“See, that’s what I didn’t want.”
“I know. I totally get it. And I know without a doubt he would have. I can’t say keeping it from him was right, but I’m saying I understand where you were coming from.”
I smile at her, silently thanking her for agreeing with my logic from so many years ago.
