Evie froze just outside the door, her breath catching in her throat. Wait. Was Wren leaving? Was Charlie?
“So it didn’t go the way you wanted, Wren.” Charlie’s voice was calm, but Evie could hear the frustration beneath the surface. “That doesn’t mean you just up and leave.”
“There’s no reason to stay any longer.”
“There’s every reason. You’ve got an opportunity to work with an outstanding doctor. What more could you want?”
“So much more ... thanthis!”
This. Evie knew Wren well enough by now to know whatthismeant to her. A stinky farm, a run-down buggy shop, a rural doctor who encouraged her patients to try what Wren considered whacky, nontraditional remedies.
Charlie’s voice had an edge to it, one that Evie hadn’t heard before. “Then ... just go back and get it.”
“Without you?”
“That’s right. Go without me.”
A long pause. “What about us? What about our plans?”
“Those are your plans, Wren. They’ve always been yours.” Charlie sounded firm. “I’m not leaving.”
“Well,she’sleaving.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“Charlie, be serious.” Wren’s tone shifted, the anger slipping away, replaced by a tinge of panic. “You can’t make it on yourown. You never could. I’m the only reason you got through college and med school. You’ve got the boards staring you in the face and you’ve barely started to study! You’ll never pass them without my help.”
“Quite possibly right. But I’m willing to try. I’m not leaving, Wren.”
“Well,” Wren said, her voice tight with emotion, “I’m not staying.”
“Look, I want you to stay. But if you need to leave, then leave. I think you’re making a terrible mistake by going.”
There was a tense silence, followed by the sound of something being moved inside. Suddenly, Wren stormed through the door, suitcase in tow. She stopped short when she saw Evie standing there. “Oh, for Pete’s sake. You’re eavesdropping again.”
Eavesdropping was turning into a terrible habit for Evie, but it was not without its benefits. Hearing what she heard, she stood taller, as if it would make her feel braver. “Wren, don’t leave.”
Wren’s eyes blazed with a mix of hurt and fury. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go.”
“There’s only one good reason. Dok Stoltzfus can make you a better doctor.”
Wren took a step close to her, until their faces were inches apart. “I don’t need Dr. Stoltzfus’s help to make me a better doctor. I don’t need anyone’s help.”
Before Evie could even think of how to respond, Charlie joined them at the door. “Man, Wren. You’re always pushing good people away. When will that ever change? When are you going to figure it out?”
Wren turned on him, her expression a mix of defiance and something deeper, something raw. “What does that mean?”
“That you need people,” Charlie said, his voice quieter now.
Evie could see Wren was taken aback by his words. Therewas a flicker of something—doubt, maybe—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. A honk from the road shattered the moment. Wren’s Uber had arrived. She glanced between Evie and Charlie, her face hardening again, before letting out a huff of frustration, turning, and heading toward the waiting car.
Charlie and Evie stood side by side, watching Wren climb into the car. The engine hummed to life, and without a glance back, Wren was down the road, the dust trailing behind her. They watched until the car disappeared around the bend in the road.
“I thought coming here would be good for Wren,” Charlie said quietly. “But it didn’t work out the way I’d hoped.”
A week ago, Evie would’ve been dying to know what exactly he had hoped for. But now, she wasn’t so sure she wanted the answer. Knowing would only add salt to a wound she was trying to let heal. Best to leave it alone.
Charlie turned to Evie, like he wanted to say something. His lips parted, his brow furrowed, but after a moment’s hesitation, he closed his mouth and turned back toward the buggy shop.
