Page 36 of When Alec Met Evie
“Tomorrow morning,” I say. “Bright and early.”
Something like disappointment flickers across her expression, but then she smiles, her hand lifting to Juno’s face where she brushes a stray curl off her forehead. “We’ll have all the dance parties we want, Junebug,” Evie whispers.
She leaves her hand on Juno’s back for a moment, her body swaying toward me the slightest bit. There’s an easy comfort to how we’re standing, linked by Juno, our voices pitched low, and I find myself wishing we could stay like this a while longer.
“I know I said I’d take her,” Evie says, “but do you mind coming with me and carrying her upstairs? I’m afraid we’ll wake her otherwise.”
“Not at all,” I quickly say. “Lead the way.”
I toe off my shoes at the foot of the stairs and follow Evie up to her bedroom. She leaves the room dark but flips the switch in the bathroom so there’s enough light to see by as I walk Juno over to the portable crib.
“Over here first,” Evie whispers. She lays out a blanket looking thing on the bed and motions for me to lay Juno on top. My knee pinches the slightest bit as I lower Juno to the bed, but I ignore it, watching as Evie maneuvers Juno’s arms through the sleeves and zips up the blanket.
“Uh, that thing is really cool,” I say, and Evie grins.
“It’s a sleep sack. Easier than blankets because she can’t get tangled up in them.”
Once Juno is safely bundled, Evie lifts her and carries her over to her crib where she lowers her in. She grabs the baby monitor, then together, we walk into the hall and close the door behind us.
“It’s crazy that she didn’t wake up through all of that,” I say.
“She’s usually pretty good about staying asleep,” Evie says through a yawn. “Sheesh. I’m tired. I hope the twins picked something exciting.”
As much as I’d love to have Evie watch a movie with us, she has to be exhausted. She’d probably enjoy going to bed herself now that Juno is asleep.
“Listen, you don’t have to watch a movie with me and the twins,” I whisper. “I need to spend some time with them, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to.”
She waves away my comment. “I want to. I can already smell the popcorn, and now I want some.” She leans against the wall, arms crossed. “What’s going on with the twins?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure, actually. They’re doing okay on the ice, but I don’t love that they’re leaving team dinners to party right in the middle of the season. I don’t know. The transition can be tough when you start so young.”
“How old are they?”
“Barely eighteen,” I say, and her eyes widen the slightest bit.
“Wow. Yeah. That’s young.”
I let out a little huff. “You’re one to talk. Did you have to tell them you wereninewhen I was in high school?”
She grins. “Sorry, old man. The truth hurts, but it’s still the truth.” She cocks her head to the side. “Hey, how’s your knee?”
“So we go from calling me an old man to bringing up my knee problems? Hit me where it hurts, nerd.”
“I’m sorry! That’s not why I asked…” She purses her lips to the side. “Okay, actually, that’s exactly why I asked. But I promise I really do want to know.”
“It’s doing okay. I saw the team doc before leaving the Summit,” I say, recognizing how much easier it is to say this to Evie than it would be to my teammates. “He came up with a new plan to manage the inflammation. I just have to hope it works.”
“You don’t have any other options?” she asks.
I lean against the wall and fold my arms over my chest. “Surgery. But I’ve already had three. Another would probably take me out for the season.”
“Areyou in a lot of pain?”
“Nah. It’s not too bad,” I whisper. “Probably not as bad as bleeding nipples.”
She lifts her hands to her face and covers her cheeks. “Please don’t remind me I actually said that out loud.”
“I’m glad you did. It keeps the playing field even because you’re still the only person outside of the Appies staff who knows how bad things are with my knee.”
