Page 57 of A Match Made In Evan
Mia stirs and lifts her head, staring blearily at her grandmother before she’s up and launching herself into my mum’s arms. I don’t begrudge her that. My mum gives amazing hugs.
Mum tucks Mia into her left side and gestures for me to join at her right, and I go willingly, falling into the group embrace almost desperately. I take strength from the hug, bolstered by Mum’s lips to my temple and her whispered, “He’ll be okay.”
“I love him,” I blurt, hiding my ugly tears in the crook of her neck.
“I know,” she says, and I feel Dad’s hand clasp my shoulder and squeeze his own reassurance.
“No, Mum,” I pull back, looking her in the eye, pleading with her to understand, “Ilovehim.”
Her smile is soft and sympathetic. Knowing. “Darling,” she chuckles wetly, “we’ve known that since you were fifteen.”
I don’t even have the energy to be confused or flabbergasted. “Oh.” I clear my throat and look around, finding Jan and Dennis nodding as well. My cheeks heat. Despite my resolve not to out him, I wipe my eyes and say, “We’re together now. It’s…it’s new. We were going to tell everyone but…it’s been a hectic week.”
“Damn it,” Dennis sighs and pulls out his wallet, handing a crisp fifty dollar note over to my dad. “You couldn’t have held out another eighteen months?Oi.” He rubs at his side, where his wife has elbowed him.
I blink at the exchange. “You…you were betting on…what, exactly?”
“When you two would get your heads out of your arses and see what was right in front of you,” Dennis answers with a shrug. “My money was on Mia’s graduation.”
Despite the situation, Mia starts to giggle. “Evvy’s going to find that hilarious,” she explains when I turn my bewildered stare on her, still tucked into her grandmother’s side.
They look very alike, seeing as I take after my mum and Mia takes after me. All blonde hair and blue eyes, with the same straight nose and angular jawlines. The older Mia gets, the more she reminds me of my mother, and it’s startling to see them side-by-side after a few months without seeing each other in person.
Where has the year gone?
It’s been a whirlwind of school events and work and focusing on our (apparently-not-so-surprising) romantic relationship. I’ve spoken to my parents, sure, but we haven’t seen each other enough. I feel guilty about that, especially when their support remains so unwavering.
In the face of Mia’s continued giggles, I can’t help but smile and chuckle a little, however weakly. “Wouldn’t surprise me if he was in on it.”
“Nah,” she shakes her head, “he can’t keep secrets from you.”
That’s true. I flash back to that night a couple of months ago, when he’d worked out that he had feelings for me andhadto tell me immediately, and my heart clenches. He’s always been the brave one. The one unafraid to be completely honest and upfront.
I could learn from him. Be brave for him.
With our combined families’ obvious support, I know I can be.
Now I just need him to make it through surgery.
Chapter Twenty
Evan
Everything fucking hurts.
Everything.
My stomach. My chest. Even my freaking eyelids.
What the hell happened?
I blink, squinting against lights that arefartoo bright, and I whine through a throat that is scratchy and sore.
Am I sick?
I don’t remember getting sick.
“Hang on, love,” a familiar voice says, and I feel a gentle touch to my hand as she says, “Den, can you hit the lights?” Then the voice —my mum’s voice— says, “Don’t try to talk yet. You were intubated. Have a couple sips of water.Justsips.” I feel a straw pressed to my lips. One of those awful paper ones that I hate. ButIamthirsty, so I sip and wince as I swallow. “That’s it,” she says gently. “Good.”
