Page 91 of Wish You Faith

“What would you like to talk about?” Evan asked.

“Maybe we can reveal ten personal things that the other person may not know,” Rosie suggested.

“That sounds fun.” Evan hoped they’d take two hours or more.

When the clock struck midnight, he’d propose.

Time flew by as they filled in the blanks about their lives, from childhood to their schooling years. Evan listened in fascination as he discovered more about Rosie that he hadn’t known before, such as the fact that she had taken piano lessons as a kid, and won a few regional music competitions to boot. There was no piano in the condo.

Evan made a mental note to buy her a piano of her choice next Christmas. If she wanted one.

This Christmas, he had bought her this house. “I have to tell you something you might not already know.”

“Go ahead.”

Here goes nothing.“Before Grandpa died, he left Connor and me separate trust funds. I used the money to buy this condo so that Mom won’t be able to evict you next year if she changes her mind and takes the condo back.”

“For real?” Rosie’s eyes widened. “So we’re renting from you?”

“Your scholarship award is renting from my trust fund.”

“That means you lowered the rental price to fit the scholarship because this condo rents out for three times more.”

Evan nodded. “Looks like you did your research.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Rosie asked.

“This is the earliest I could tell you.”

“Hmm… Technically your trust fund is renting out the condo to Mom. Not you personally.” Rosie closed her eyes.

“Right. I don’t see the money myself.”

“Would you be willing to let me pay the rent instead of the scholarship?” Rosie asked.

“What do you mean?” Evan didn’t want disruptions of his careful plan.

“I’m going to clean out our old house and make it a rental. The rent near the hospital is pretty good. With that recurring income plus some money that Dad left us, Mom and I can pay this condo’s rent out of our pockets. That way, Roger could give the scholarship money to a needier widow on the SSLR waiting list.”

“You want to give away your mom’s housing scholarship?”

“As you already know, our problem was that SSLR is fully occupied. We applied for some scholarships, but didn’t expect Mom to get a full one. We have lived frugally for years and have money saved up. Someone else who has less savings can get Mom’s housing scholarship. We would keep the food and activity scholarship since SSLR gives out many of those.”

“I see.” Realization dawned on Evan. “So if I had talked to you in the first place…”

“I wouldn’t have had to google to confirm that this was your grandpa’s condo.” Her voice was quiet and soft. She wasn’t scolding him. She was stating her own opinion in a non-confrontational way.

So different from all the other women in his life, like his mother and aunts and previous girlfriends.

Evan teared up. He had lived his life skirting issues and walking on eggshells around Mom, as though every good thing had to be a secret or at least secretly obtained.

How refreshing it was that with Rosie, he could speak his mind and not get yelled at or abandoned!

“No more secrets between us, okay?” Rosie held his hand.

Evan’s heart dropped. In order for his trust fund to buy the condo from Grandpa’s estate, he had to make the deal with Mom. Whether he told Rosie the truth about everything or not, they would end up with the same result: potentially ten years apart.

Could she handle it if he told her about that deal?

---