Of course, Evelyn had insisted on a summer wedding. It would be in Los Angeles, a beach ceremony for just family and close friends.
And not even all family, at that.
Peter had survived the stab wound, but not his incarceration. He was killed in a prison fight a month after his arrest. Evelyn’s mother—unaware of the full story—blamed her for it and had since cut off all contact.
Evelyn slipped away from my embrace for a moment when another guest arrived. It was a woman named Layla, an intern at Turner Architecture and a friend of Camila’s. The two talked for a while before Layla went to find Camila, and Evy returned to me.
“My heart just breaks for her, Logan,” she said as I hugged her again. “Layla is such a sweet person.”
I then remembered Evelyn mentioning that Layla had recently lost her mother.
“She’s still taking it hard, isn’t she?” I commented.
“She is. I’m surprised she even came tonight; it’s all so fresh.”
“It’s good she came, to try and distract herself. Although… I thought the same about Sebastian.”
We both looked toward my older brother, sitting alone in a chair. Someone would occasionally approach him, but he’d quickly dismiss them.
Evelyn spoke softly, “I’ve never lost someone that close, but… seeing Sebastian’s grief, and now thesadness in Layla’s eyes… I think I understand what Eleanor did. I don’t know if the girls would have coped as well if they’d had to watch her fade away.”
Looking at it from that perspective, I could understand, too. I’d held so much anger toward Eleanor, but Evelyn had helped me let it go.
That woman had transformed my life in so many ways.
Not just her, but Aurora and Anna as well. I was a new man. I’d learned to be a father and, in the process, had become a better son, brother, doctor, and human being.
I was even better for myself.
And all I wanted was to be the best man for Evelyn, too—as her husband, her friend, her lover, her partner.
The hours slipped by. Some guests left before midnight—Sebastian and Layla among them, clearly not in a celebratory mood. As the countdown approached, champagne was poured, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
“Remember what we were doing this exact day, a year ago?” I whispered teasingly in Evelyn’s ear.
“I confess, I wish we were doing that right now,” she replied. I kissed her neck and felt a shiver runthrough her. “But we’re not, Logan. Behave. There are too many people.”
“I can’t wait to be alone with you,” I murmured. “To start the year doing what I want to do with you all next year… and the next… and the next…”
“And for all to come,” she finished.
The countdown began.
10…
9…
“Have you made your New Year’s resolutions yet?” she asked.
8…
“To make love to you every single day of the new year,” I replied.
7…
6…
“Oh, that one is definitely on my list, too,” she said with a laugh.
