“Not yet, they did a paternity test, the results should be back any day,” I respond.
Daphne exhales softly. “That must be a lot for him.”
“It is.”
“And for you,” Rose adds.
I shrug a little. “I wasn’t actually upset about the daughter.”
That makes them pause.
“Then what?” Daphne asks.
“The communication part.”
I told them about the conversation in the theater yesterday. About how Everett waited a week to tell me. How could I tell something was wrong but didn’t know what?
Rose nods slowly.
“No Wonder you were frustrated!”
Lily adds gently, “But the fact that he told you before the results came back also says something.”
I stare down at my glass.
“I miss him.” The words come out quieter than I expect. All three of them soften immediately. I continue, “There has just been this weird void this past week.”
Lily nods, “That happens when someone becomes part of your everyday life.”
And Everett had.
Somewhere between quiet conversations, late-night texts, and the way he always showed up at the café to just say hi and check in.
He had settled into my life in a way that felt natural. Comfortable. Like he belonged there.
“You should talk to Mom and Dad,” Daphne offers.
“Why?” I ask.
“Because they are parents. They may not be stepparents, but they will be able to give you guidance in areas where we can’t.”
They understand what it means to love someone and choose each other every day. Even the messy parts.
Lily squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to decide anything right now.”
“I know.”
“But one thing seems pretty clear,” Lily adds.
“What?”
“You really care about him.”
I look down at my wine. She isn’t wrong. He has become more than just someone I hang out with. I stare out the kitchen window into the night. Somewhere across town, Everett is waiting.
And the truth was. I am too.
26
