Page 32 of The One Who Changed Everything

I watched as Sophia shot him a sly grin. “You’re really bad at explaining this, you know.”

Evan let out a short laugh, leaning back in his chair. “I am explaining it just fine. You’re just messing with me.”

Sophia gasped, all mock offense. “Wow. You think I would do that?”

“Yes.” His answer was immediate, completely deadpan.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing.

Sophia nudged him with her elbow. “Okay, maybe a little.” She flipped the page in her textbook, her smile lingering. “I just like hearing you talk about history. You sound like you care about it.”

That surprised him. I could see it in the way his expression shifted, like he wasn’t sure how to take the compliment.

“It’s important,” he said after a pause, his tone gentler now. “The past has a way of shaping us, even when we don’t realize it.”

Sophia nodded thoughtfully, twirling her pencil between her fingers. “That’s kind of deep for a guy who looks like he should be in an action movie, jumping out of burning buildings.”

Evan huffed a laugh, shaking his head. “I runintoburning buildings.” He shrugged. “I mean, I guess I’ve jumped out of one or two.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have a cool catchphrase when you do it, do you?” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Like,‘Time to turn up the heat’or‘Looks like things are getting a little too toasty in here.’”

I snorted from my desk, quickly covering my mouth.

Evan shot me an exasperated look before turning back to Sophia. “No, because I have to focus onsaving lives.Not sounding like a bad action hero.”

Sophia sighed dramatically. “That’s a missed opportunity.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said dryly, but his smile lingered.

I should have looked away, should have gotten back to work. But I couldn’t. Because in that moment, watching them joke so easily, Evan’s eyes alight with laughter, Sophia utterly at ease beside him…

I had never seen her look at anyone the way she looked at him. Like she wasfinallygetting something she didn’t even know she had been missing. It was effortless, the way they interacted. Natural.

"Your chair is a bit wobbly there, let me just—" Evan bent down, reaching for something under the chair. He popped back up, then gave it another shake to make sure he had fixed it.

“Thanks, " she said, sending him a grateful look that was mirrored by the warmth in his eyes.

"Anytime, kiddo," he replied, his usual careful composure softened around the edges. “Now, back to the Industrial Revolution.”

And there I sat, on the fringes of their world, a silent observer caught between the joy of watching my daughter connect with someone so deeply and the ache of memories that danced just out of reach.

"Thank you so much, Evan. You're like…the best at explaining things," Sophia gushed, her eyes reflecting the overhead lights like twin stars of gratitude.

"I'm just glad I could help. Besides, it's easy when I have such a smart daughter."

Sophia’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing with pleasure.

Evan didn’t seem to notice the way my entire body locked up, too caught in the moment, too focused on Sophia’s reaction. He had said it so easily, so naturally, like the words had been waiting just beneath the surface, ready to slip free.

Sophia beamed, practically glowing under the weight of his praise. “Well, Idotry,” she said, pretending to buff her nails against her sleeve. “Not everyone can be a history genius like me.”

Evan smirked. “Oh, is that what we’re calling it?”

“Obviously,” she shot back, grinning.

I forced myself to breathe, to swallow past the lump in my throat.

She didn’t correct him. She barely hesitated. And the worst part? Neither did he.

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