“Because I didn’t know I was.”
“Even after you found out, it’s Evy who takes care of us. Not you.”
“I will take care of you now. I promise.”
“You and Evy?”
“Evy will be with us for a while.”
“And then she’ll leave?”
That should have been a simple question to answer.Yes, Evelyn is leaving.Our agreement was only for two months.
But I didn’t want to answer, because I realized in that moment that I didn’t want her to leave.
We sat in silence for a few minutes. It was long enough for Anna to slump against my arm. Startled, she jerked upright, rubbing her eyes.
“I think it’s time for bed,” I said softly.
She shook her head. “No. There aren’t any calming lights in there.”
I smiled and gently pulled her closer. She was so sleepy she didn’t resist as I settled her in my lap. She sat there, her eyelids heavy, fighting to stay awake andwatch the twinkling lights. I took the moment to study her face—every detail.
She was really just a baby, still so small and vulnerable, yet she’d already been through so much. She was a little warrior, fiercely protective of her sister.
I held her until her breathing evened out and she finally fell asleep. Carefully, I stood up, carried her back to her room, and tucked her into bed. After settling her, I watched her sleep for a moment before turning to straighten Aurora’s covers and watching her, too.
They were a handful, but they looked like angels when they slept.
I wondered when exactly I’d started to feel such overwhelming love for them.
I tiptoed out, leaving the door half-open so I could hear if Anna had another nightmare. Instead of going to sleep, I returned to the office, opened the girls’ folder, and took out Eleanor’s letter.
I quickly scanned the text again, my focus settling on the final lines.
I love them more than anything, and I know you will love them, too. I know this feels like I’m abandoning them, but someday they’ll understand I did this outof love. I can’t keep them anymore, and I believe you’ll soon understand why.
Inside the suitcase is a folder with all their documents and everything you might need.
Take good care of them. And when they ask about me… just tell them I had to go on a trip, but that I love them more than my own life.
Yours sincerely,
Eleanor “Ellie” Bean
“Why did you do this, Ellie?” I whispered into the quiet of the room. “I have no doubt you loved them. I can hear it in the way Anna talks about you. So why? Why did you abandon them?”
In that moment, more than anything, I needed an answer.
Chapter Twenty-One
EVELYN
The moment I woke up, I noticed the temperature had dropped. Even with the heater on, the air was distinctly colder, and a pang of guilt hit me about Logan sleeping on the floor.
I sat up to check if he was covered, only to find his spot empty. The blankets were still folded over the chair, exactly as they’d been the night before. It looked like he hadn’t slept there at all.
Well, what did I care? After the girls were asleep, he could have easily gone out. Maybe to a bar with his new colleagues from the hospital. Based on my extensive knowledge of healthcare professionals' social habits (gleaned from years ofGrey’s Anatomy), that seemed like a common pastime.
