Page 31 of Loving Roman
I do the same. “You’re welcome.”
We sit side by side for several minutes in silence. I trace the rim of my mug as I wait for Evelyn to share her worries with me.
“Sylvia Tovie told me she saw you storm out of Principal Jacobs’ office today after she heard really loud voices,” Evelyn whispers, then takes a sip of her drink.
My shoulders draw tight, creating tension up the back of my neck and across my jaw. I didn’t want the kids to know about my meeting with their principal.
Her big brown eyes peer up at me, shiny and wide. “Did you get into trouble because of us?”
A surprised sound bursts across my lips, something between a laugh and a disbelieving grunt. My shoulders drop from around my ears, and I reach up to rest my hand on her shoulder, locking my eyes with hers so she knows I’m being sincere. “Yes, I met with Principal Jacobs today. No, I wasn’t and won’t be in trouble because of you guys. We didn’t agree on something, and we raised our voices. Adults sometimes get loud when we argue, the same as you guys do.”
“But what did you argue about?”
I sigh heavily. I’ve always tried to be transparent with the kids. It’s how I’ve gained their trust in our relationships, but I don’t want to burden Evelyn with this. She already somehow feels as though she’s responsible for the boys taking photographs of her and Ivy. Unsurprising, really, when her mother blamed her for her father leaving and for subsequent boyfriends showing an unhealthy interest in her, which led to her mother beating her to ensure she was no longer appealingto the men she was seeing. She’s been trained to take the blame for things that are out of her control.
Her eyes bore into mine, and I’m man enough to admit that it makes me squirm. “It must be about us if you don’t want to tell me.”
“I want to be one hundred percent clear with you. You and Ivy did absolutely nothing to draw the attention of those boys who photographed you. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were taking photos of lots of girls.” She nods sagely, so much more mature than her years in some ways, yet so young in others. I blow out a long breath. “And as much as I don’t condone violence, I’m glad Jack stood up for you and Ivy. I’m proud of him for having your back.” Her lips tip up tentatively. “But I’m unhappy with the punishment given to the boys who took the photos and sold them online. Mr. Jacobs and I disagreed about the severity of the issue and subsequent punishment.” I shrug carelessly, trying to downplay how pissed I am about everything that happened.
Evelyn lifts her mug to her lips, and I can tell that her thoughts are spinning. “Do you think Jack’s going to be allowed to stay here?” she asks quietly, her voice a little shaky and unsure. “I don’t want him to be kicked out because he was protecting Ivy and me.”
“Jack won’t be going anywhere.” Over my dead body will he be taken from us for looking out for his sisters. “I’m certain once Alice has finished speaking with everyone and completes her report, they’ll agree that Jack did the right thing. Even if he went about it the wrong way.”
Alice. I wonder what she’s doing right now? I wonder if she thinks about me because she’s constantly on my mind.
“Alice seems nice. I like her. I hope she likes us, too.”
The wistfulness in Evelyn’s tone has me turning toward her. “Why do you say that?”
She shrugs. “I figure if she likes us enough, she won’t take Jack away.”
“Ev,” I sigh. “I like Alice too, and I’m certain she enjoys spending time with you guys.”
The smile that blooms across Evelyn’s face is a relief and lifts some of the worry from my shoulders. “Yeah.”
“Yeah. But Alice has a job to do, and she can’t let her feelings for you guys cloud her judgment.” Her shoulders sag, and an air of dejection fills the space between us like a heavy fog. I tilt her face up to mine. “But I also trust Alice to recognize that Jack’s behavior came from a good place and that he’s a good person who deserves to be here with us.”
“You really think so?”
I nod slowly. “Yeah, I do. Jack’s never hit another kid at school, and Alice will evaluate everything she learns about Jack and the incident at school. I trust she’s intelligent enough to make the right decision.”
“Okay. If you trust her, then I trust her too.”
“Great. Now drink your hot chocolate. It’s getting late, and you have school in the morning.”
She smiles softly up at me, then dips to sip her drink. “Okay.”
As we both finish our drinks, we chat about what she has left to do on her art project for her after-school art class with Jack.
Once she’s finished, she drops to her feet and carries her mug to the sink to wash it. “Leave it. I’ll wash it up with mine.”
“Thanks, Roman.”
“You’re welcome. Sleep tight, Ev.”
She smiles at me as she slips through the doorway and heads to bed. I sag against the counter and run my fingers through my hair, missing the length. I hope I didn’t mess up by telling her about the meeting. I tried to keep it as vague as I could while giving her enough information to address herconcern. She seemed lighter when she left the kitchen. This is a tough gig sometimes.
Ha! Who am I kidding?
