Page 18 of Evan

She nods, jotting down my order. But as she turns to leave, I reach out, my hand brushing against her arm.

"Wait, Molly... can we talk for a minute?"

She hesitates, her gaze flickering to the bustling diner around us. But then she sighs, sliding into the booth across from me.

"Sure, Evan. What's on your mind?"

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I wanted to apologize, Molly. For the way I acted at the tree lighting ceremony, for the things I said. I was out of line, and I'm sorry."

Molly's eyes soften, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. "I appreciate that, Evan. And I'm sorry, too. I didn’t handle that well."

I shake my head, reaching across the table to take her hand in mine. "You have nothing to apologize for Molly and again, I’m so sorry about your house. If there’s anything I can do…"

She smiles, her fingers tightening around mine. "You’ve already done more than enough.” Her eyes are brimming with emotion. “I know it was you who paid for the security system to be installed, not to mention the anonymous gift card to ‘Hanks’ Department Store’.”

My brow furrows as my face heats. “That was supposed to be a secret.” I huff and cross my arms over my chest. “And it was purely selfish. I feel a lot better knowing you and Chad are safe.”

We sit there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes, the rest of the world fading away. But then Molly clears her throat, pulling her hand back as she remembers where we are.

"I should probably get back to work," she says, a hint of regret in her voice. "But thank you, Evan. For everything."

I nod, watching as she slides out of the booth and heads back to the kitchen. But before she disappears behind the swinging door, I call out to her.

"Hey, Molly? Your wreath-making job at the farm... it's still open whenever you're ready to come back. We miss having you around."

She pauses, a surprised smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks, Evan. I'll keep that in mind."

As she vanishes into the kitchen, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders. It's not much, but it's a start. A step towards mending the rift between us, towards finding our way back to the easy camaraderie and budding connection we'd been building before everything went sideways.

I'm just digging into my meatloaf when a familiar voice pipes up from beside the booth.

"Hi, Mr. Evan."

I look up to see Chad grinning at me, his sandy hair tousled and his cheeks flushed from the cold.

"Hey there, buddy." I say, setting down my fork. "What brings you here tonight?"

"Mom had to work, so I'm hanging out until she's done," he explains, sliding into the booth across from me. "Are you going to the Community Caroling Night tonight?"

I blink, surprised by the question. "The what now?"

"The singing night." Chad says, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "It's this big thing where the whole town gets together in the square and sings Christmas songs. There's hot cocoa and cookies and everything. Mom’s getting off early so we can go."

I chuckle, charmed by his enthusiasm. "That sounds pretty great. But I don't know, buddy. I'm not much of a singer."

Chad's face falls, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout. "But it won't be the same without you, Mr. Evan. Please say you'll come?"

I hesitate, glancing towards the kitchen where Molly is bustling about. "I don't know, Chad. I'm not sure if your mom would want me there.”

But Chad is undeterred, his eyes wide and pleading. "She will want you to come. You are best friends, remember?She likes you, Mr. Evan. I can tell."

I feel a flush creep up my neck, my heart stuttering in my chest. "She does, huh?"

Chad nods vigorously, his little face serious. "Yep. And I like you, too. You make her smile, even when she's sad."

I swallow hard, a lump rising in my throat. "I like your mom a lot, too, Chad. And you. I hope you know that."

He beams at me, his smile brighter than the twinkling Christmas lights outside. "I know. So you'll come to the caroling thing? Please?"

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