Page 97 of This Memory
“My mother said when I was five, I swore up and down that I saw him. You?”
Smiling, I replied, “I think I was about seven or eight. We were at the toy store, and I was sitting in the window display while my mother was redoing it for the big after-Christmas sale. It was Christmas Eve, and she told me if I sat and played quietly, I could open a present that night. I saw himwalking right down the middle of Main Street. I pulled on my mother’s pants leg and told her to look.” I laughed at the memory. “I’ll never forget what she said.”
Gavin grinned. “What did she say?”
“She said, ‘I’ll be goddamned. It’s the moose!’”
He tossed his head back and laughed.
“I informed her it was Perry, and my mother yelled for my dad. And I know we weren’tbothcrazy, because he saw him too. Perry stopped, looked directly at us, and continued toward city hall.”
“Your parents didn’t take a photo with their cell phone?”
Hitting his arm, I replied, “No! They were both so shocked. I don’t know why no one else has seen him.”
“Maybe he only shows himself to people who’re special.”
I smiled up at him. “Maybe.”
“You know what we should do?” he said. “We should sit in the window at the toy store this Christmas Eve and see if we can spot him.”
I stopped walking. “Wait, are you serious? Because I would totally do that.”
He laughed. “I know you would. That’s why I suggested we do it!”
Bouncing on my toes, I replied, “It’s a date!”
Christmas had come and gone in a flash. Gavin had the whole week of Christmas off, so he’d offered to come in and help—and thank goodness he did. The toy store was hectic the two days before Christmas, and even though Gavin and I were both exhausted, we camped out in the window on ChristmasEve. If Perry walked by, we missed it, because we both fell asleep and didn’t wake up until nearly two in the morning with neck and back pain.
I was open the day after Christmas as well, but only worked a few hours. I let my staff work the rest of the week. The time off was wonderful, and I’d swear I napped more in those few days than I had in my entire life. Gavin kept reminding me I was making a baby and rest was good for me.
We did manage to go out to dinner a couple times, but we spent most evenings in the kitchen together at my house, which was so fun. Gavin was on a baking kick, and we ended up with so many sugary treats, we started delivering them to family and friends.
We were at my parents’ house, delivering them a batch of cookies, when my phone rang.
“It’s Evelyn,” I said, standing from the sofa. “I should get it.”
My mother nodded, and Gavin continued chatting with my father. “Who do you think will be in the Super Bowl, Drake?” he asked my dad as I stepped away.
I stepped into the foyer before answering. “Hey, Eve. Everything okay?”
“Everything’s amazing! Denny surprised me with a trip to New York City to shop for baby things and to spend New Year’s Eve there! We’ll be gone through the first of the year, and we’ll head back home on the fourth. He rented a condo near Times Square so we can watch the ball drop!”
Excited for them, I smiled and replied, “That’s amazing. When are you leaving?”
“Right now! I just wanted to say thank you for the fudge. I’m sorry we missed you, but thanks for leaving it on the porch. We’ll take it with us to New York.”
“You’re welcome. I’ve been giving everyone goodies since Gavin has the baking bug. I’ll be glad when he heads back to work.”
Evelyn laughed. “I’m so happy, Bry. I finally feel like myself again. I think this trip was just what I needed. I’m so excited to shop for the baby! I’ll have to keep everything neutral for now, until we find out the sex, but it’ll still be fun. I’ve got a list of baby boutiques I want to stop at—oh, and there’s a store there that makes custom cribs! You can turn it into a toddler bed when they’re old enough. It’s popular with celebrities. Apparently, Jennifer Lewis, that super-popular actress from that fantasy show on TV? She bought a crib from this guy.”
“I’m so happy to hear the joy in your voice again, Eve.”
“Therapy has been a tremendous help too. It’s gotten me out of my funk and made me realize how blessed we are. No, I’m not carrying our child, but we’ll have a baby this June.Ourbaby!”
I couldn’t hold the smile back if I wanted to. “That’s right. June will be here before you know it!”
“Ugh, I have to go. Denny’s yelling for me to get packing. Love you, Bry. Take care of our little one!”
