65 EVIE
E VIE
Sometimes we need a little perspective to get us out of our own head and pointed in the right direction.
We ventured outside of the city a few times over those two weeks, including a visit to the house that Tommy shared with his wife, Haley.
They had the most charming little three-year-old son, Wyatt, a spitting image of his father with long blond surfer hair who played in the sand.
Seeing the little boy made me desperately miss you, Lucas.
It had been the longest I’d ever been away from the two of you, and I’d grown homesick for you.
But it was endearing to watch. I liked Haley instantly, and she had the same easy warmth as Tommy.
A California girl, she wore a long, stylish, bohemian dress in black with ivory embroidery and a cinched waist that flattered her soft shape.
Silver bracelets adorned her wrists, and strands of sun-bleached, pale-brown hair hung down her back in a loose braid.
She and Tommy made such a perfect match.
While she and I watched on, Carter, Tommy, and Wyatt chased one another on the beach, selecting smooth white rocks from the sand and tucking them into a jar.
I had never seen Carter with children and found it fascinating to watch—the two of them inspecting each rock, nestled together and crouched low to the ground.
It was like seeing an entirely different side of him as he followed Wyatt around the beach, tossing him into the air.
“He loves that little boy.” Haley nodded toward the beach. “He’s always been good with him. When the guys are on the road, I’m never quite sure who Wyatt misses more, his dad or Uncle Carter.”
“It’s fun seeing them this way. I’m not used to it.” I suppose if I could pinpoint the moment I stopped being afraid of a future in which Carter was braided in with the love I had for my children, this was it. I began to imagine the life we might actually have together.
“Tommy tells me you have kids?” she asked.
I hadn’t realized she’d known much about me. “He did? Yes, I do. Two.”
She smiled at my surprise. “Evie, I’ve been hearing about you for years.
Tommy used to talk about those early days a lot.
I think they were all a little in love with you back then.
” She laughed lightly and smiled kindly again.
“I can’t tell you how glad I was to finally meet you.
When you showed up back in Carter’s life a few weeks ago, Tommy called me and filled me in.
” She nodded toward Carter. “It’ll be good for him to have you around.
I’m glad you’ve found your way back to each other. ”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s ...” I looked off again at him.
“Complicated?”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
“It’s probably easier than it seems right now. You’ll figure it out. You made it back to each other, right? That’s a good start.”