Daniel came by around hours later.
Leon was already up and bubbly.
Leon opened the door before Evelyn could get there.
“Daniel!” he said happily.
Daniel smiled immediately.
“Hey, little man.”
Leon hugged him around the waist and Daniel ruffled his hair gently.
“How are you doing today?” he asked.
“Good, good.” Leon said proudly.
Daniel looked over Leon’s head toward Evelyn standing staring at them.
They had not spoken ever that last time.
But Daniel looked at her and noticed she looked tired.
Daniel watched Leon go back to his little games.
“You okay?” he asked quietly, as he walked up to Evelyn.
He kissed her forehead lightly.
Evelyn crossed her arms loosely.
“I’m fine.”
Daniel studied her for another second like he didn’t fully believe that answer.
But he let it go.
Leon called Daniel toward the living room immediately.
“Come see my drawings.”
”I’m being kidnapped apparently,” Daniel told Evelyn.
“You’ll survive,” Evelyn said dryly.
Daniel laughed softly and let Leon pull him away.
Evelun followed behind.
The apartment felt calmer with Daniel around but Evelyn still couldn’t shake the feeling sitting beneath her ribs.
Seventy-two hours.
Every time she thought about the delayed review her stomach tightened again.
What if something goes wrong within then?
What if the review was delayed on purpose.
Dr Moreau was a family doc, he had no reason to do that.
“Mommy look.” Her son’s voice shook her out of her trance.
Leon held up a drawing proudly from the carpet.
Daniel crouched beside him.
“Wow.
Okay this one’s actually good.”
”It’s a shark.”
”I can tell.”
”It’s eating a boat.”
Daniel nodded seriously.
“Very realistic.”
Leon grinned.
Evelyn laughed.
Daniel was good with Leon.
For three years he had shown up without asking for credit for it.
And suddenly guilt pressed against her chest hard enough to make her uncomfortable.
Daniel looked up then.
Their eyes met.
The distance.
He whispered something to Leon and stood up to meet Evelyn.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked her softly.
Evelyn forced a small smile.
“Daniel.”
”No seriously.”
”I’m quite tired.”
”That’s not the same thing.”
Leon looked between them curiously before returning to his crayons.
“What happened?”
”Nothing happened.”
”You’re lying.”
Her eyes flicked toward Leon instinctively.
Daniel noticed and immediately lowered his voice.
“What’s wrong?”
She wanted to tell someone about her worry, about what happened to Leon last night that scared her terribly.
“It’s handled,” she said finally.
Daniel stared at her.
“God, you don’t have to do everything alone.”
Something sharp moved through her chest at that because the problem was— she had been doing everything alone for so long she genuinely did not know how to stop.
Before she could answer, Daniel’s eyes moved toward the coffee table.
Toward the brass compass sitting beside Leon’s sketchbook.
He picked it up carefully.
“This is nice.”
Leon looked up immediately.
“That’s mine.”
Daniel smiled faintly.
“I guessed.”
”My friend gave it to me.”
Daniel turned the compass over once in his hand.
“Your friend?
What friend of yours would own such?”
”Mr.
Aidan.”
The room atmosphere changed, a brief moment of awkward silence.
Evelyn felt it instantly.
Daniel looked at her.
Evelyn kept her face neutral.
“It’s just a compass, Daniel.”
Daniel looked back down at it.
Then at Leon.
“When did he give you this?”
”At the hospital.”
Leon took it back carefully.
“He said I should remember him with it.
I think it’s because mommy doesn’t really like him much.
Well i do…a lot.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened slightly.
“What?” she asked quietly.
Daniel shook his head once.
“Nothing.”
”Daniel.”
He exhaled softly through his nose.
“I just don’t think it’s appropriate.”
Leon looked confused immediately.
Evelyn’s expression changed.
“What’s not appropriate ”
”That thing.” He was referring to the compass.
“It’s a compass.”
”It’s not just a compass.” His tone surprised even him.
Evelyn stared at him.
Daniel turned to her fully now, suddenly restless.
“What exactly is happening here, Evelyn?”
Her brows pulled together.
“Excuse me?”
”You wanna let him back into your life.”
”That is not what happened.”
”He’s always around Leon now.”
”He met Leon accidentally.”
”And now Leon has gifts from him.”
Evelyn’s face hardened slightly.
“Daniel, please stop this.”
”No, listen to me for a second.” His voice wasn’t loud but emotion had started slipping through it now.
“You keep saying he doesn’t matter but every time his name comes up something changes in your body language.”
”That’s not a fair thing to say”
”Isn’t it?”
“Leon,” she said softly.
“Baby, can you go turn on the water heater for your bath?
Leon nodded slowly and disappeared.
The second he was gone, Evelyn looked back at Daniel.
“What is this?”
Daniel rubbed a hand over his face roughly.
“I don’t know, why are you letting him back in?” Daniel said quietly.
Evelyn blinked slowly.
“I’m not”
”You are.”
”That’s ridiculous.”
”You think I can’t see it?”
”Ok, I think you should leave.”
Daniel’s face changed immediately.
“Evelyn—”
”You’re upset.”
”I didn’t mean it like that.
I just—” He stopped and looked frustrated with himself.
“I don’t know what came over me.”
Evelyn stepped back slightly when he moved closer.
“Eve.”
”Daniel.”
”I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to upset you.”
”But you did.”
Silence.
“I love you,” he said quietly.
Evelyn closed her eyes briefly.
“Okay,” he whispered.
He grabbed his jacket slowly.
“Goodnight, Evelyn.”
”Goodnight, Daniel.”
******************
The flowers arrived the next morning, two dozen of white roses.
Sophie’s voice came through the office intercom almost immediately.
“Uh… Ms.
Cole?”
Evelyn looked up from her laptop.
“Yes?”
”There’s… flowers.”
Evelyn frowned slightly.
“From who?”
”There’s no card.”
”Well, that’s annoying.”
Sophie laughed nervously through the speaker.
“They’re very expensive annoying flowers.”
Evelyn sighed and stood up.
When she stepped out of her office the roses were sitting across the reception desk in an enormous arrangement.
“Oh my God,” Zara muttered from nearby.
“Please tell me this is not from Aidan.”
”It’s not,” Evelyn said immediately.
Then paused.
Actually— she had no idea.
She hoped it wasn’t him…at least.
She walked toward them slowly.
“I do love white roses, who delivered these?”
”The courier already left,” Sophie said.
Evelyn reached toward the flowers—”I hope you still love white roses?” Her entire body froze.
The voice came from behind her.
Male, deep and familiar.
Slowly Evelyn turned around and saw him standing in a dark coat with one hand in his pocket.
Tall, same witty sharp smile.
Damien Holt.
He looked at her like no time had passed at all.
“Hello, Evelyn,” he said softly.
“It’s been a while.”
Evelyn stared at him, completely shocked.
“Damien?”