Page 46 of Accidental Wedding Crasher
“Did something happen between you?” Ellen pushed. She patted Evan’s arm. “You can tell me.”
“No, it’s fine.” The words came out a little sharp, and his mother’s eyebrows shot up.
“Dear, couples fight sometimes. But you should talk to her, if that’s what’s happening. Your father and I have a rule. When we fight, we give ourselves half an hour to cool off, and then we talk it through. It always works for us. Any longer than that, and we just get angrier.”
“You and Dad fight?” Evan asked, his own eyebrows rising.
“Sure, we do, dear. Everyone does.” She patted his arm again. “Almost no couples avoid fighting all the time. What matters is how the two of you handle it. And we love Mia. I’d hate to see you mess things up, or I’ll have to disown you.”
She winked, and Evan chuckled, but there was a hint of seriousness behind her eyes.
“Well, thanks for the advice,” Evan said.
“Anytime, dear.” Ellen wove away through the crowd toward her sister, and Evan turned away. He glanced back at the villa, where Mia was in their room even now. It would be so easy to raceinside, take the stairs two at a time, and burst into the room. He could take her into his arms and tell her… what?
Because even in his imagination, Evan couldn’t imagine telling her that he’d give up his work for her. Reign had been his life for more than a decade. And without giving up work, he’d be the kind of distant father and boyfriend that no one deserved.
Evan wandered aimlessly through the crowd of wedding guests, smiling at people as best he could, but his thoughts were with Mia. The young flower girl and ring bearer raced by in front of him. The girl was still dressed in her pink dress and flower crown, but the boy had taken off his little suit jacket and tie. They were both giggling. The boy managed to tap the girl’s shoulder, and the chase reversed, with her tearing after him. They were both filled with childlike happiness and joy, and it made Evan think of the baby.
Notthebaby.Hisbaby.Theirbaby. Whether he was involved or not, there would be a child out there growing up with some of his features and some of Mia’s. A child who raced into Mia’s arms, like the flower girl was doing with her mother now, begging to be picked up. A child who wore an oversized backpack to pose for the first day of school. A child who learned to talk and walk, and dance. A child who went off to college, full of optimism, hugged Mia goodbye in the dorm, and called her “Mom.” A child who might inherit Evan’s mind for business or the famous Hirst jawline. A child who would almost certainly inherit Mia’s kindness, intelligence, and love of life.
Evan couldn’t imagine giving up his whole career for anyone or anything. Yet it was also heartbreaking to imagine Mia raising their child without him. She would be a wonderful mother. That much was clear. He’d spent the past week admiring her people skills and her ability to make anything fun. Plus, she was ateacher, so she had experience with young people. He didn’t doubt her ability to raise an amazing kid.
But when he thought of the two of them together, going to the zoo or reading picture books or playing at the park to learn to ride a bike without him, it hurt. And it hurt to imagine Mia someday finding someone else she loved, someone whocouldspend the rest of her life with her.
“Hey, Evan.” Evan’s father waved him over. “It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it?”
“Hmm.” Evan managed a smile. “It was great.” But inside, his heart ached. He was miserable, more so than he’d ever been, and he couldn’t see a way forward. After all, even if he did try to have a relationship with Mia, he knew he would be terrible at it. He’d always put Reign first. He didn’t want to fail at being a boyfriend or father, and he would. His mother’s advice to simply talk to Mia was far too simple.
“Are you okay?” his father asked, looking concerned.
“Yes, I’m great.” Evan put on another smile. “Thanks. I’m going to go get something to drink.”
He wandered off through the crowds again, still thinking about Mia. What was she thinking? Did she feel as unhappy as he did?
Evan was so distracted by his inner thoughts that he almost ran into Sarah, who was talking to an older woman. She beamed at him.
“Evan! There you are. Have you met my grandmother, Grandma Josephine?”
“Not yet.” Evan managed to gather himself enough to hold out a polite hand. Grandma Josephine took it, her fingers thin and herskin papery. She was perhaps in her eighties, with bright white hair and a lavender-colored dress. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, too, young man.” Grandma Josephine leaned closer. “Now, what do you think about Sarah taking a… what was it, dear?”
“A trauma fellowship,” Sarah explained. “I’ll work with leading experts in the field of orthopedic trauma surgery and, hopefully, I’ll get better at my subspeciality.”
While this was interesting, Evan was having trouble paying attention. He was still thinking about Mia and the baby. Still, he managed to nod.
“And this fellowship takes a year,” Grandma Josephine said. “In San Diego. Right after she gets married.”
“It does,” Sarah said patiently. “But Luka knows how important my career is to me, and he always supports me. Plus, San Diego is a short flight or a medium drive away, so we’ll see each other all the time. And after the year ends, I’ll be right back in San Francisco.”
Somehow, her words cut through Evan’s fog of distraction.
“Luka doesn’t mind you spending a year in San Diego for work?” he asked.
“He suggested it, actually,” Sarah said with a smile.
“But he always goes after me for working too much,” Evan said, his eyes narrowing.
