Page 61 of The Right Kind of Wrong

I'm going to be in Hannah's office discussing the divorce, so feel free to sneak out of the bedroom when you want, or just stay there. There are plenty of things we can do.

Also, there's a surprise for you in the kitchen. Enjoy.

I'll let you know what happens.

-Nathan

I smiled at the note. Maybe he didn't think I'd lost it after the crying session the night before. Sighing, I stretched before standing up and putting on the robe we had brought from my bedroom the night before. I made the bed, picked up my clothing and finally, cracked the door open.

Everything was silent so I went down to my bedroom, closing the door quietly next to me.

My sister would probably be angry that I’d woken up so late instead of being worried. I was never one to wake up past nine.

Normalcy would be difficult to find. It was hard to picture a world in which someone you love doesn't exist anymore.

No more crying, Evelyn.

“It's okay to cry, dear,” I heard Nana's voice scolding me gently. Squeezing my eyes, I reveled in hearing her voice, at least in my mind. “Crying soothes the soul,” she'd said.

It seemed as if knowing that my parents would be there made it hurt more.

I got into the shower and just stood there, letting the warm water soothe my aching limbs. Everything was just so tiring and all I wanted to do was get into bed. Nana wouldn't have approved though, so I forced myself to live a normal life without her.

After changing, I dragged myself downstairs and into the kitchen where I heard voices already talking. I knew my parents wouldn't be there until later, so the voices, the cheerful voices caught me off guard.

“There you are!” Deborah, Nathan's mom exclaimed, a wide smile on her face while she flipped over what looked like French toast. “See, it really isn't brunch if it's past noon when you eat it,” she said with a laugh.

Her husband maneuvered his way around her, taking out eggs from the fridge. It was a move that had been perfected over several years of marriage and I found myself admiring it. My parents never did anything like that together and the Maxwells, they seemed to be having fun.

“How do you like your eggs, hun?” Frank asked, cracking the egg.

“Uh,” I stood there still like a child in shock, wide-eyed and speechless. “Um, scrambled I guess.”

“See, I told you,” the woman said, elbowing him. “Go on, take a seat. This will all be ready in a few minutes.”

Dumbfounded, I did as I was told and took a seat, still staring at the couple. For the past few days, my appetite had been lacking but the lovely smell and sweet gesture had my taste buds prickling.

“Nathan gave us a call early this morning. Said he had a lot to do but he wanted us to keep you company. Now, if you don't have anything planned we'd like to take you out. It's not good for you to be stuck here where the environment is so…cold.”

I gaped at Deborah. She didn't mince her words, and yet, I knew she didn't mean any harm.

They served a plate for each of us and sat with me, my eyes welling up with tears yet again. I was an emotional wreck.

Deborah looked at me questioningly and I shook my head, wanting to avoid crying at the table. “I'm sorry, I'm okay. I'm just a bit all over the place lately.”

“It's understandable, darling.” She squeezed my hand in comfort. “Now eat. Nathan told me you haven't eaten in days.”

Talking to them was easy, although I didn't really speak much. I found myself admiring them and just how happy they were.

“Thank you for breakfast,” I said quietly.

The woman waved me off. “It's a pleasure, Evelyn.”

Just then Nathan walked into the kitchen. He looked angry but composed, yet even then he smiled when he saw me. He greeted his parents with a warm hug and then placed a kiss on my forehead, lingering there with a sigh.

Seconds later, my sister was there too, barely even greeting his parents. They seemed unaffected, ignoring her coldness and conversing with Nathan about the plans for the day.

“Evelyn,” came Hannah's voice, making me snap my head up. “Mom and dad want to talk to you. They’ll be here in five. Meet me in the office.”

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