Chapter 28
Eloisa
“Life is like art—you never know what shape your creations will take, but oh, what fun it is to try!”
—Eloisa Hobby
On Monday morning, following the revelation of Cantu’s big secret, Eloisa Hobby stood in the clearing beneath Opportunity Ridge, her eyes fixed on the thick cable stretched three feet above the ground, threaded between jacaranda trees shedding their purple blooms.
In her hands, she gripped two large bubble wands and grinned at them like an old friend.
She dunked the wands into a small bucket filled with soapy water, took a big breath, stepped up onto the stool, boosted herself onto the tightrope, and started her walk.
Adroitly, she put one foot in front of the other, flicking bubbles into the air. They caught the sunlight filtering through the branches and turned into floating rainbows all around her.
“Ha! Take that, gravity! Eloisa’s Bubble Bonanza!” She hummed. “Defying Gravity.”
The bubbles drifted. Some popped against leaves with little plink sounds. Others floated toward the clouds. Eloisa imagined them chatting away.
“Yo, Bob,” one bubble might say, “looking a bit puffy today. Too much soap in your diet?”
Footsteps snapped her from her bubble trance. She glanced down to see Reid trudge into view.
His usual confident strut was gone, replaced by the plod of a man carrying the world on his shoulders. His every-which-way hair looked as if he’d stuck his finger in an electric socket, and his untucked shirt screamed I’ve given up on life and fashion.
He stopped and stared.
She waved the wands for one last shower of bubbles and hopped off the rope. Her landing was less than graceful. She stumbled, arms windmilling, and managed to avoid face-planting into her soapy brew, even as fresh bubbles flew from the wands. She recovered with a grin and a bow, because why not?
“Hello, Reid.” She plopped down on a grassy spot and crossed her legs tailor style in billowy palazzo pants that draped nicely around her ankles. “Have a seat and let’s chat. Don’t worry, the grass only bites during the full moon.”
He didn’t even laugh at her silly joke, just shuffled over and plopped down beside her. Eloisa picked up a bubble wand and started twirling it, an old habit she’d picked up somewhere between “learning to adult” and “giving up on other people’s expectations.”
“All right, spill it,” she said. “Your face is doing more talking than an auctioneer on espresso. What’s eating you?”
Reid exhaled in a whoosh. “I really messed up with Calista.”
Eloisa smiled gently. No kidding, Sherlock. She nodded for him to continue.
“I thought keeping Gavin’s secret as he asked was the right thing to do,” Reid said, his hands clenching and unclenching like he was trying to strangle the air. “But I was so wrong. It’s all come out, and now . . . god, Eloisa, I think I’ve lost her for good.”
“Ah, you’re afraid she won’t forgive you.”
Reid nodded, his hair flopping like a sad puppy’s ears. The pain in his eyes was so raw it pained her heart. “I never wanted to hurt her, but now it feels like that’s all I’ve done.”
“Tell me exactly what went down.”
“We were . . . you know . . . together.”
“Oh, you mean . . .” Eloisa suppressed a knowing smile.
“Yeah.” He winced. “And then Gavin showed up out of nowhere. He wasn’t supposed to arrive until July first. I panicked and just blurted out that he was her real dad while we were in bed together.”
“Oh dear.”
“Eloisa, you should’ve seen her face. It was like watching someone’s whole world fall apart in slow motion.”
Eloisa grimaced. “Ouch! Talk about bad timing. When Gavin arrived much earlier than expected late last night, I put him up in the cottage with you because I was short on space. I had no idea Calista was with you.”
“It’s not your fault. I was the dunderhead.”
“What happened after that? Did she and Gavin get a chance to talk?”
“She refused to speak to either of us. She just ran off. Withdrew like she always does when she’s wounded. She wouldn’t let me explain or anything. And now I don’t know if she’ll ever want to see me again. I’ve ruined everything.”
Eloisa listened as Reid poured his heart out. She punctuated his story with the occasional bubble wand wave, because sometimes life needs a little whimsy, even in the toughest moments.
“Reid,” she said when he finished, her voice kind but firm, “love isn’t about hiding the hard truths. It’s about facing them together, even when they suck. Even when all you want to do is hide in your blanket fort and pretend the world doesn’t exist.”
“I get that, but what if it’s too late? I’ve let her down so many times.”
“Oh, honey.” Eloisa sighed and patted his arm. “It’s never too late to be honest, but trying to protect someone from pain often backfires. It’s like trying to keep a bubble safe by never letting it float. Sure, it won’t pop, but it’ll never really be a bubble either.”
Reid blinked at her, looking like he was stuck somewhere between an existential crisis and a bubble-induced epiphany.
“Look, you messed up, we all do, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lost Calista forever.”
Hope flickered in Reid’s eyes and relief spread over his face. “You really think I have a chance?”
“I do, but here’s the deal. You must give her some space. Let her process all this chaos. Finding out your father isn’t your biological dad, and your boyfriend was in on the secret? That’s a lot to take in.”
Reid looked gut-punched by his own guilt.
“When she’s ready, be open, be patient, and for the love of all things bubbly, be honest. That’s the only way to rebuild what’s been broken.”
Reid looked over at her, a small smile tugging at his lips. “How do you always know what to say to make people feel better?”
“Years of practice and a slight obsession with being helpful.” Eloisa winked. “Now scoot. Go take a shower, brush your hair, and do some serious thinking. Doctor Eloisa’s orders.”
Reid stood, dusting off his pants. “Thanks.”
“Good luck.” Eloisa watched him go, her heart filled—hope, worry, and a splash of your kids are gonna be the death of me, Demetra.