Chapter Twenty-Six
EVELYN
The snow lingered for a while, so it took five days before the girls could ride their new bikes. I suggested Central Park—a place I’d always wanted to see. Logan liked the idea, and so the four of us went.
Even though it wasn't snowing that day, Anna and Aurora looked like two bundled-up balls of joy, swaddled in hats, gloves, scarves, and countless layers under their elbow and knee pads.
Anna complained a bit about the bulk, but it was a non-negotiable condition for the outing.
Aurora, however, was too excited to object; all she wanted was to ride her bike outdoors.
Back at the Holloways' place, Logan and I had to push all the furniture aside and stow away any breakable objects for their first practice sessions.
“Evy, can you hold me?” Anna asked the moment we arrived at the park.
Usually, I helped Anna while Logan stayed with Aurora. Not that Rory monopolized him, but Anna still kept him at a distance.
“Can’t I help Aurora this time?” I suggested. “And your father can hold your bike.”
She didn’t even think before shaking her head. “No, I want you. If you help Rory, I’ll just keep my training wheels on.”
“It’s okay, Evy,” Logan said.
But I knew it wasn't. He’d managed to find a connection with Aurora, but a barrier was still firmly up with Anna. At least she let me past it.
“Give her time, Logan,” I murmured, repeating my usual mantra.
We stood side-by-side, watching the girls fasten their helmets.
“I know,” he said, his voice low. “There’s no point in rushing. It took them six years to find me. I can wait a little longer to earn their trust.”
“It’s not so difficult with Rory.”
“I just need to learn more Sign Language so I can talk to her properly.”
He’d already improved so much in just a few days. Every night, after the girls were in bed, he’d study on his computer before joining me in our room for the sign language lessons I’d promised him.
And after the lessons were over… we’d practice other things.
Just the thought sent a shiver down my spine. I could hardly wait for nightfall, to have Logan inside me again.
“Come on, Evy!” Anna’s voice broke me from my trance.
I blinked and saw Logan was already steadying Aurora on her bike, while Anna waited impatiently for me.
“Sorry, honey. I got distracted,” I told her, bending down to fix the helmet buckle she’d fastened incorrectly.
When I finished, I found her studying me with a thoughtful expression.
“What is it, my love?” I asked.
She pointed a mittened hand at Logan, who was now several feet away, running alongside a beaming Aurora. “It’s just… you know… him?”
“‘Him’? Your father?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”
“What about your father?”
“You and him… Are you a couple?”
My face grew warm. For a second, I fumbled for an answer, but the truth came to me clearly, and sadly. “No, my love. Your father and I are not dating.”
We weren’t. If she’d been ten years older and asked, “Are you sleeping with my dad?” the answer would have been different. Because that’s all it was. There had been no conversations about relationships or feelings.
“But you look like you are,” she countered.
“Why do you think that?”
“You’re always holding hands, always standing close. And you look at each other in that silly way. Like boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Does your mother have a boyfriend?” I asked, seizing the chance to ask about Eleanor, and more urgently, to steer the conversation away from us.
“Susan’s mom, my friend from daycare, has a boyfriend. So I asked Mommy if she had one.”
“And what did she say?”
“She said no, because she only has time for music and us.” She fell silent for a moment, her small face clouding. “Evy, do you think Mommy got a boyfriend and that’s why she doesn’t have time for Rory and me anymore?”
“No, my love. Of course not. I mean, she might have a boyfriend, but she would never stop making time for you.”
“But she’s taking a really long time to come back from her trip.”
In that moment, I hated myself for asking. I hated the sad, confused shadow that fell over her face whenever their mother’s prolonged absence came up.
“She’ll be back, my love. And until then, you have your father to take care of you.”
“And you’re going to take care of us too, right?”
I was, but not for long. The thought of leaving them already hurt more than I ever could have imagined when I made this deal.
“I’m taking care of you right now,” I said, my voice softening. “But enough talk, let’s start pedaling?”
Then she surprised me, throwing her arms around my neck in a tight hug.
“I love you, Evy,” she declared.
The words sent a sharp, aching lump to my throat. I hugged her back, and for a moment, I never wanted to let go. “I love you too, little one. I love you and your sister, very much. But you need to be a good girl for your daddy, too. Because he loves you just as much.”
She pulled back, looking at me with suspicion. “Does he really? For real?”
“Of course he does. How could anyone not love you both?”
“But he didn’t even know who was me and who was Rory. He mixed us up and was always busy.”
“But he doesn’t mix you up anymore, does he? And he’s not too busy now. He’ll have to go back to work soon, but he’ll always make time for you.”
“Evy…” she leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Can I tell you a secret?”
I leaned closer, matching her tone. “Maybe yes.”
“You know the bicycles?”
“I know. What about them?”
“I know it wasn’t Santa Claus.”
“Really? Then who was it?”
“It was… him.”
I pressed my lips together to contain my laughter. “Him? Your father?”
She nodded solemnly. She glanced back at Logan and Rory, then turned to me again, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "I know he was the one who put the bikes and the ballet outfit by the tree. But I didn't tell Rory. She was so happy thinking it was Santa Claus."
My heart swelled at her sweetness. Most kids, upon discovering the truth, make it their mission to shatter the illusion for everyone. I remembered doing exactly that to Camila. But Anna, so young, had chosen to protect her sister's magic.
"That's a wonderful secret to keep," I whispered back. "I promise I won't tell. So... don't you think what your dad did was pretty cool?"
"I guess..." she conceded, a thoughtful frown on her face. "He's not a totally silly deep down."
I couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. I think so too."
We shared a look of understanding before I stood, helping her onto her bike. I held the seat, running alongside her as she pedaled toward her sister. The two immediately started a race to a distant bench, and Logan and I found ourselves sprinting after them, gripping the backs of their bikes.
We’d occasionally let go without them noticing, watching with bated breath as they wobbled with newfound independence before swooping in to steady them again. This went on for hours. We broke for lunch, then started all over. I was utterly exhausted, marveling at the girls' boundless energy.
By mid-afternoon, they finally relented, lured by the promise of hot dogs. I let Logan lead them to a nearby stand, and I seized the moment to collapse onto the curb, my body aching from the day's exertion.
From my spot on the ground, I watched the three of them.
Rory was completely attached to her father, perched on his hip.
He instinctively turned to face her when he spoke, and he was already understanding much of her signing.
Anna, while more reserved, allowed herself to smile in his presence. It was a huge step forward.
They made a beautiful family.
A family I wasn't a part of.
The thought was pierced by the shrill ring of my cell phone. I fished it from my pocket and felt my stomach clench at the sight of my mother’s name.
Speaking of not being part of a family...
I let out a heavy sigh before answering. “Hi, Mom. How are you?”
But the voice that answered was not hers.
“Your mother is fine, Evy.” The sound was a cold blade, twisting in my ear. “Don’t you want to know how I am?”
It was Peter.