“Nothing, Mom. Nothing has happened, and you know what? I’m okay with that. I don’t think he feels the same way about me, so that makes it easier to get over.”
“I think you’re wrong. I do. The things you’ve told me… like I said before, you can’t help whom you fall in love with. Sometimes the greatest relationships are the ones you never expected to be in. The ones that sweep you off your feet and challenge every view you’ve ever had.”
“Nick will never love me like he loved Isabel,” I say quickly.
“Sweetie, don’t you get it?” I look at her and cock my head in confusion. “He does. It’s already happening. Whether you like it or not. Whether or not it’s the same kind of love as the love he had for Isabel. It might be different, but it’s sure as hell just as strong.”
I want to cry. I can’t even remember the exact moment I fell for Nick. That’s what’s so surprising. It happened slowly, but that didn’t make it any less strong. She’s right.
“Just… think about what I’m saying. I know it’s hard, but—”
“Mom, stop. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Okay,” she says, appeasing me. She sips her wine and looks around, avoiding eye contact. “Excited for your trip?”
“Yeah,” I sigh. “I’m excited to lie on a beach and forget everything for a little bit.”
“And the party! I have friends who have heard about the Wilder Halloween party. I guess it’s the biggest Halloween party in town.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t know how big it’ll be this year. It’s the first year without Isabel, and they didn’t throw one last year. According to Cecelia, Isabel was quite the socialite, and she used to throw all kinds of awesome parties.”
“It’ll be fun,” she says, and she gets herself a glass of wine. “Want one?”
“Sure.”
“Bria seems to like Elijah,” my mother adds.
“Bria likes everyone.”
“That’s good, considering what happened to her,” my mother whispers. “I still can’t think about it without crying.”
“I know. But she seems okay. She hasn’t even had a nightmare since my first night.”
“I think you’re helping with that.” My mother hands me a wine glass, and we click them together to say cheers.
“What do you mean?”
“I just mean”—she sighs and looks away— “you bring a fresh, different perspective to the house. You’re a new start, in a way. You’re helping them both to heal.”
I look down without saying anything. I’d like to hope that she’s right, but it’s so hard to tell.
“Evi!” My dad interrupts our conversation and comes over to me, embracing me in a tight hug. “I’ve been meaning to call you. My co-workers’ daughter just got a job teaching abroad. I wrote down her information in case you’re interested,” he says, and he grabs a beer from the refrigerator. “He says that she can get you a job. I think she’s in China or South Korea.”
“Oh…” I say. “I haven’t really thought seriously about doing that.” I mentioned something to my parents a few weeks ago, and now, as always, my dad was trying to help. I was grateful, but it also meant that he probably wouldn’t drop it until I contacted whomever I needed to contact.
“You should think about it. You can’t be a nanny forever, and you’re young. You won’t get another opportunity like this. Just think about it, okay? I’ll forward her information to you.”
“Okay, Dad,” I oblige, and he leaves to go finish cooking dinner on the grill. It’s nice and warm today. My parents always use the grill when it’s sunny.
“I think you’d like South Korea,” my mom muses.
I sigh. I don’t want to think about China, or South Korea, or anything, really. I sip my wine and pretend to flick through a magazine. I listen for Elijah’s voice, and a low, monotonous murmur meets my ears. Good. I’m glad Bria made a new friend.
The doorbell rings, and I jump. I scramble to get it before my parents do. I walk swiftly to the door and wipe my palms on my pants—I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s just Nick.