Page 89 of The Escape Plan

“You inspired me,” he replies easily, turning the key in the ignition. “You’re pushing yourself to do something hard, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and tackling an article topic that brings up some uncomfortable feelings for you.”

“Speaking of that, I think I’ve figured out how to end the piece.” After our date we spent dancing together on the fire escape without a care in the world, it was like I knew exactly how to tie all of the remaining aspects of the story together without needing any more answers. “I was working on it all day today while you were watching boresball, and I’d love your take.”

This makes him laugh.

“Man, it was like watching paint dry,” he agrees. “Cash didn’t seem to mind that I was so bored though. He actually assured me I’d like hockey better.”

“Pity the season doesn’t start until the fall,” I say with a sad smile. It’s strange to think of him not being here by the time baseball season ends and hockey rolls around. “Same with basketball. I’d love to take you to a game—our team in Boston is called the Celtics.”

“Why on earth would a Boston-based team call themselves Celtics?” He looks baffled.

“They have a mascot named Lucky the Leprechaun and everything.”

“Between Lucky Charms and now this, I truly believe you Americans have more leprechaun-themed things than we do on the entire island of Ireland.”

I grin. “And I haven’t even told you about the college football team in Indiana who call themselves ‘The Fighting Irish.’”

“Well now I really wish I could stick around for the fall sports season to witness some of this,” he exclaims, and even though we’re joking around, I get a little dash of wishful thinking. How nice that would be.

“Me too,” I say softly. “That would have been fun.”

“It would,” he agrees, somewhat wistfully. Then he blinks and his expression clears. “So, what did you come up with for your article, then?”

“I realized that it made sense to focus on the fact that fate brought Noeleen and Douglas together for a time, and they clearly relished that time. And maybe the legends surrounding the building are true, but that fate works in a multitude of ways—its intervention might not be just for everlasting love, but for something that meets us where we need it, in that moment.”

There’s a moment of silence when I’m done talking, one that makes me realize that everything we’ve just been talking about—the upcoming fall sports schedule he won’t get to witness—feels very relevant.

“I love that,” he replies after a beat, and the look on his face makes me smile. “How you turned something that most people would’ve viewed through a sad lens into something positive. Inspirational.”

“Is it okay with you that we didn’t find out what happened? Why Noeleen left? Because even with the article being done, we can keep searching.”

Becks shakes his head. “It’s totally okay with me to leave things as they are. I like the idea of not focusing on things ending, but on the process of growth and change instead.”

“I think I’m going to submit it tonight.” I look up at him with big eyes. “Scary. But I think I’m ready. Do you want to read it?”

“Of course I want to read it! But I want to read it on the internet, with your name and picture next to it, when you get the job and they publish it.”

His belief in me getting this article published—getting the job—is everything.

“I’m really happy right now.”

“You look happy as a tiny little clam,” he agrees solemnly.

This makes me cackle.

But he’s not wrong.

I had such a jaded opinion of love going into this article after Andrew. I wanted to reject everything about the lore and legends surrounding The Serendipity because I couldn’t make sense of love, so therefore, I couldn’t make sense of leaning into the legends.

Yet, somewhere on this journey, I fell head-over-heels into a summer love I didn’t believe would—could—happen to me.

And it’s clear that the building where we live was drawing us together so we could experience this feeling together.

It’s magical. Special. Beautiful. Burning bright.

If only for a time.

And that’s how I concluded my Evoke article—that an investigation into an old town legend about a building in which I happen to currently reside has made me a believer in love and magic.

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