I’ll walk out the door with Chloe and Phoebe in the morning, but it feels wrong. One moment is all it takes to change a life, and part of me is afraid the damage is more serious than I can see after two hits like this.
“It’s too quiet,” Owen says. “I forgot how much I missed noise.”
Evie adjusts, crossing her arms on the back of the couch and propping her chin there. For a second, she looks like the version of herself I remember from around Phoebe’s age.
“I need help, guys,” I say. “I don’t know how to navigate this.”
“For Texas? Her family?” Evie says, raising an eyebrow. “You're overthinking this.”
“There’s more.”
“Family meeting, then,” Evie insists. “We’ll lay it all out and see if there’s anything to be done.”
I rub my thumb on my eyebrow. “It’s been a heck of a day.”
Owen turns, glancing at me over his shoulder. “I think we’ve got time.”
“Enough,” I agree.
I cross the room and sit on the opposite couch anyway. They let me dump the events of the day, only stopping me to clarify or be nosy. I expected to feel better once it’s all out, but I don’t.
My siblings look like they’ve been hit by a truck.
That clause has been the point of contention more times than I can count—especially when things were lean. The first Christmas we were closed, everyone understood. No one expected us to spread holiday cheer on the heels of such a loss.
A year later, people were a little less understanding. There was a lot of pushback because we were the only tree farm in a thirty-mile radius, and some customers acted offended that we weren’t catering to them.
This whole time, I thought survival meant doing everything alone. Turns out it just meant I was scared to have more.
“How did we not know?” Owen asks. “Shouldn’t the lawyers have known?”
I shrug. I’ve asked myself the same question, but we won’t have answers until we get past the New Year.
“You want to stay married, though.”
We both turn to Evie.
“Yeah, I do.” I dip my head. “I think it was real for me from the wedding ceremony. I knew then I wanted forever with her, but I felt like I didn’t deserve it.”
“Why?” Evie demands.
I’m a little surprised by her outburst.
“I hurt her, Evie. There are days I still wonder how I got her to say yes to marrying me in the first place.”
Her brows furrow, and she scoots forward. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“How does that not make sense?”
“She broke your heart, Aiden. She walked away.”
My heart cracks wide open at her admission.
“You thoughtChloeended it?” I murmur. “This whole time?”
Her gaze flicks between Owen and me like she’s trying to decipher a secret code.
“Obviously,” she says, but it lacks her usual snap. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
