Evangeline paused, cradling her growing belly, and slowly spun to take her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Walter's number.As soon as the call connected…"I'm sorry, Mr. Walter Gordon, but Celina doesn't want to see you."Beep, beep, beep!Evangeline ended the call, leaving Walter with nothing but the tone of a dead line.Back at the funeral home, Evangeline's gaze landed on the black and white photos again, and the tears started flowing anew.Julieta was heartbroken to see her like that. With a gentle swipe of her hand, she dried the tears on Evangeline's face and whispered, "Ms. Evangeline, don't be heartbroken...""Mrs. Lewis..."In moments like these, the tender words were like a spell, coaxing out all the grief Evangeline had bottled up inside. She collapsed into Julieta's embrace, crying her heart out.At that moment, Evangeline was not the cherished darling of the Foster family. She was just a girl who had lost her beloved grandfather.Julieta's hand moved in soot
Celina's eyes brimmed with tears as she moved next to the old butler, Edwin, who was also struggling to keep it together. She leaned in, her voice a soft murmur, "Mr. Jamison, is Ms. Snyder's poster all set?"Seeing him nod, she added, "Okay, let's get it sorted for Mr. Foster."Evangeline had mentioned her love for celebrities in passing. However, Cole, bless his heart, took it seriously. Despite his age, he fumbled with a smartphone he barely understood, on a quest to find his favorite star…Evangeline's tears came on stronger, especially when she saw Elliana's glossy poster in front of Cole's old black and white photo. She just could not hold them back.Elliana, looking serious and holding a bouquet of daisies, stepped up to the memorial. "Mr. Foster, we've never met, but I've known about you for ages. Being your idol, and getting invited to such a big moment in your life, it's a huge honor for me..."At first, when Elliana heard about Cole from Celina, she thought it was some
"T-Thank you."Elliana's voice came out in a shaky whisper, her cheeks burning so much that she could barely get the words out.The guy just gave a slight, calm smile. "No problem. See ya."They were at a funeral on a grassy lawn, and the man had picked up the white flower, getting a bit of dirt on his fingertips."Sir!" Elliana could not help but stop him as he turned to leave, noticing the dirt. She felt a wave of embarrassment as she offered, "Your hand... it's got dirt on it. Need a tissue?"She reached for the zipper on her jacket.He looked at his hand as if he would just notice, glanced at the dirt, and casually wiped it away. "I'm good, thanks."He did not look back after that, but Elliana could not help but watch his retreating figure for a long while until her agent interrupted her thoughts."Ms. Snyder? We've got an hour before our next gig, and it's a bit of a drive. We should head out now or we might be late..."Elliana snapped out of her daze. "Right, let's go."
Aemon rushed to Evangeline's side. "Evie, let me handle this, okay? You should go and take a break over there."Helping Yale with the guests was not a huge task, but Evangeline was pregnant and all over the place emotionally. How could she keep up with such stress?"Don't worry, I've got this." Evangeline stubbornly shrugged off Aemon's hand, determined to stay by Cole's side until the very end.Aemon understood where his niece was coming from. However, seeing her pale, delicate face made his heart ache."Listen to me, Evie, go on back. You've done enough. Let me do this last thing for him, as his son..."Aemon's voice was barely a whisper by the end, yet Evangeline caught every word.If it had been any other uncle, she might not have batted an eye, but this was Aemon, the one who always talked about living life on the edge. How could she not be touched?That was when Evangeline realized that her usually over-the-top uncle had toned it down, dressing all neat and proper.She re
Roslyn was steaming when she mentioned the situation, but her anger melted away when she reached Evangeline and saw her pale, tear-streaked face."Evie, how could you keep such big news from me?" The fiery Roslyn suddenly seemed like a hurt puppy, her eyes filled with sadness as she looked at Evangeline."I figured you'd be very busy, so I didn't want to bother you..." said Evangeline.Roslyn glanced at Evangeline's baby bump, let out a resigned sigh, and gently took her hand, cradling it on her own. "Mr. Foster has been like family since I was a kid. I couldn't miss his funeral."Funerals were a big deal, the last chance to say goodbye. They might have been simple, but they were a must for anyone who cared to show up.Roslyn knew what was going on in her heart, but she understood where Evangeline was coming from.She had been stuck on set for the latest movie, her agent keeping her in the dark about everything. It was not until she finally escaped the set that she caught up on a
"So, what am I like now?" asked Evangeline, her curiosity piqued as they walked arm in arm toward the funeral home.Truth be told, Roslyn was hoping Evangeline would stick by her side.With Cole gone, and his eldest son Yale bound to be at the reception thanking guests, she felt uneasy.It had been ages since she had seen him. Having Evangeline there would make things less awkward.The black and white photo showcased Cole's gentle, benevolent face.Roslyn looked up, studying the lines of the face she knew so well, and bowed deeply in a silent gesture of respect.Evangeline was just behind her, but she could not take her eyes off Cole's photo.Yale looked the same as ever, his voice flat as he thanked Roslyn."My sympathies." Roslyn nodded politely, ready to lead Evangeline away.However, Yale then broke the silence. "It's been ages, Roslyn.""Yeah, what, over two months?"Roslyn recalled the last time she saw Evangeline, who was not showing at all. Times had changed, and her
The laughter was just for show, a mask to keep the grown-ups from worrying.Evangeline's eyes darkened with another wave of sadness."You're doing great, getting through this," said Roslyn.She gazed at Evangeline's face, streaked with tears, her lips so pale and cracked that they looked like they might split.Just then, a waiter in uniform walked by with two steaming cups of milk.Roslyn stopped him, grabbed a cup, and handed it to Evangeline. "Drink some milk. You've got a baby to think about, remember? So try not to be too down, okay?"Roslyn knew how close Evangeline and Cole had been, and it hurt her to see her best friend so broken.However, her words, meant to comfort, were like opening a dam. Tears flooded Evangeline's eyes, and she began to sob uncontrollably. "How can I not be sad?"Memories came rushing back. She clutched Roslyn's wrist, and when she looked up, her face was wet with tears."Roslyn, do you know? It's my fault Grandpa is gone! If I hadn't been so set
"You know I'm your best friend, and now I've gone and fallen for..."Roslyn trailed off, too shy to finish, but she was sure Evangeline would get it."What's so bad about having a crush? And honestly, I've always thought you're too awesome to just hand off to anyone. If it's Uncle Yale... I guess that's not too bad."Yale was all about his job, and she could not even begin to imagine what a relationship with him would look like."You really think that?"A glimmer of hope shone in Roslyn's eyes, but it was quickly clouded by sadness. Yale had turned her down before, saying the age difference and Evangeline being in the mix was too much. How could they ever work?However, Evie seemed to be saying she was fine with them as a couple. So, Yale's reasons were just excuses to push her away."Evie, don't stress about me and Yale. You've got your own thing—taking care of the new Foster family addition!"Roslyn tried to sound nonchalant. "As for us... we'll just see where things go."De