Page 122 of Stolen Fate

“Everything will be fine, Evelyn. The world’s not going to fall apart just because you stopped worrying about it for a moment.”

I shook my head and looked away. “I know,” I said softly, and I did know that. I just didn’t know how to shut off my brain.

“I’m excited about this. I just don’t want to spend my time drilling my passion into kids that aren’t dedicated or very motivated.”

I nodded, knowing what she meant. That was how I had felt my first year of teaching. And though I enjoyed watching kids, considering I was the nanny to the most adorable five-year-old little boy, I didn’t like babysitting thirty-plus kids every day for five days a week. It could become exhausting at times.

Speaking of Elliot, I turned to where I had left him when we got in and he was still there, a cautious but excited look in his eyes. Elliot was a pretty social kid, but only once you get to know him.

I waved him over, and he rushed to me, burying his face into my stomach.

Emilia looked down at him with a soft smile on her face. “Is this him?” she asked.

I nodded. “Elliot, would you like to meet my sister?”

“Your sister?” he asked, pulling back and peeking up at me with his big blue eyes.

“Yeah. I promise she’s really nice.”

He tugged on my shirt, and I knew he wanted to whisper something into my ear, so I bent down. He leaned toward me and whispered, “She’s loud.”

I let out a small laugh before I composed myself and nodded seriously. “Yes, but that’s because she’s excited to see me again—and to meet you.”

“Meet me?” he asked, looking astonished.

“Oh, yeah. I’ve been telling her what a handsome and good boy you are, and she really wants to meet you.”

His chest puffed up a little and his face brightened. I smiled at him. “Would you like to say hi?” I asked.

“Okay. But you have to stay right here, okay, Evelyn?”

“Of course.”

I motioned for Emilia to come down to us and she bent down until they were eye to eye. Elliot shyly hid his face in my neck a bit, his arms going around me, before he looked back out at her, a hesitant look on his face.

“Elliot, meet Emilia. Emilia, this is Elliot.”

Emilia let out a little laugh. “Hey, your name starts with an E. Mine, too! And so does Evelyn’s. Did you know that?”

Elliot looked at me with wide eyes, as if Emilia just told him the secret to the world. “Really?”

I knew Elliot was just learning how to read in school. He knew his ABCs and that his name started with an E, but that was most of all he knew. He was still learning how to write it. I nodded. “Yeah. Isn’t it cool?”

He smiled, though still a bit hesitant, and his eyes brightened. “Hey, Evelyn, guess what?”

“What?”

“Marcus’s name starts with an M, and Charlie’s name starts with a C. My name is the only one that starts with an E in my class.”

“Oh yeah? Well, now there are three people you know with names that start with an E.”

“Let’s not forget Ethan’s name, too.” Emilia added.

Elliot turned wide eyes to me. “Oh, yeah,” I said. “My brother’s name is Ethan and it also starts with an E.”

“You have a brother and a sister?”

“Yes.”

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