Evie’s expression mirrored his own. “I heard he passed away… earlier this year.”
“Oh, right! Yes,” Romeo said, nodding, scrunching up his nose from the itching inside. “It was a real tragedy.”
“It was more than a tragedy. I honestly felt so awful reading the news especially because… Never mind,” she said, shaking her head.
“What is it?” he asked her.
“No… It’s insensitive of me, I shouldn’t.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not all that sensitive, despite appearances,” he replied.
She stopped walking suddenly, giving him a sideways glance.
“I don’t think Henry did it,” she said.
Romeo felt dread building as he replied. “Did what?”
“I still don’t think he killed your father. Actually, I know he didn’t. I was talking to him at the time and… I even told the police this, but they did not want to hear it. It was like it was being decided by some higher power that Henry had to take the fall for this. I know Henry confessed, but peopleconfess to things they didn’t do all the time. It just makes me sad, that’s all. I really, really liked Henry.”
Romeo swallowed, nodding quietly and facing the ducks instead of her suspecting face.
“I’m sorry. You deserve to grieve without me bringing it all up again. But I just can’t help but think that the world can be such an unfair place sometimes.”
“I agree, it really is,” Romeo replied, tightening his scarf around his neck.
They fell into a comfortable quiet as Romeo tossed more seeds onto the path for the ducks to eat.
“It’s so chilly out here. I thought as we were nearing springtime it was meant to get warmer,” Evie suddenly said.
“That’s climate change for you,” Romeo replied.
“I bet the ducks are so cold out here all the time. Do you think you could make them little duck jackets? Seeing as you’re clearly a genius knitter,” she said teasingly, nudging him a little.
Romeo smiled. “I bet I could,” he said, and then wriggled his nose.
Evie returned his smile. “You do that a lot,” she said.
He raised a confused eyebrow at her. “I do what?”
“Crinkle your nose when you’re lying,” she replied.
“Fola said the same thing to me once…”
“Well, your sister is a keen observer… It’s what I admire most about her.”
He turned once again to one of the ducks standing by his feet. The duck he happened to make eye contact with gave him aStop being pathetic and ask her out alreadylook, and so he decided to take its advice.
He turned back to Evie. “Evie,” he said.
“Romeo,” she replied, blinking up at him with her warm brown eyes.
“I don’t suppose… you’d be—free to have coffee or tea with me sometime?”
“Romeo Button… are you trying to ask me out on a date?” Evie asked with an arched brow.
“No…,” he said, his nose itching. “Yes,” he corrected.
There was a brief silence. “This is very awkward,” Evie said.
