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
Amid the turmoil, the spot where Evangeline had just sat was littered with the remains of a milk-drenched cup. A waiter, clad in uniform, tightened his white gloves and carefully collected the fragments, pausing only to dial a number."Ms. Rearden, the funeral has gone haywire, and Evangeline is en route to the hospital..."Julia's voice crackled with excitement on the line. "Did that wretch lose the baby?"Julia had been waiting for days for some shred of good news, and it seemed to have arrived. How could she contain her glee?She had loathed Evangeline, wishing her dead at first. However, after Walter's cruel treatment, her wishes took a darker turn.She relished the thought of Evangeline enduring a fate far crueler than death.Evangeline was head over heels for Walter. If she lost the baby she was carrying, would that not just crush her?The funeral for that old man from the Foster family? She could not care less. It was not her beloved grandpa, and she would not see a dime
Cole's funeral was out in the open, but the chill-out and eatery spots were under those fancy pop-up tents.Thanks to the Foster family's power, even those temporary digs that were coming down later looked lavish, complete with a plush, dark red carpet underfoot.Logically, when a carpet got a milk spill, a quick spot-clean was all that was needed until the party was over. However, that server scooped up the whole milk-splotched carpet, bundled it up quickly, and made to cart it off.Celina eyed him curiously,He had a face as big as a palm, skin like porcelain, and a thin frame, yet he hoisted a carpet heavy as a sack of bricks without breaking a sweat."You've got some muscle on you, kid," she noted.The server shot her a look, his eyes crinkling with a grin. "It's nothing special. I'm always doing stuff like this, so I'm used to it."Celina pressed on, "Which outfit are you with? You're hauling off the whole carpet for a bit of milk. You got a thing for cleanliness or what?"
The doctor theorized that maybe it was Evangeline's heartache, her rollercoaster emotions, that caused such a massive bleed, putting the baby at risk.However, how could Holden, her uncle, ever bring himself to say that to her?"Evie, maybe it just wasn't meant to be with this baby. And hey, you're about to kick that jerk Walter to the curb with a divorce. Keeping the baby wouldn't be the best for you."Holden eased down next to Evangeline, gently pulling her into a half-hug, letting her rest against him. "Sometimes things end, but you've got your whole life ahead. Why tie yourself down with Walter's kid? One day you'll meet someone amazing, and you can start a family then. Wouldn't that be so much better?"Holden's words were careful, but Evangeline got the painful message loud and clear.Without Walter, any child she had would grow up fatherless, and it could mess up her chances of finding happiness with someone else down the line.Maybe it was better to let go then, to one day