Eva sighed as she made one final assessment of her Thanksgiving Day spread. She was a little worn out, but that was part of the holiday. If she didn't spend the rest of the day alternating between napping and eating, she wouldn't feel like a real patriot. Deciding that she'd done all that she could, she made her way to the living room and sat down for a well-deserved rest.
She checked her watch to see that she was thirty minutes ahead of schedule. That mean that she'd definitely forgotten something, but she was too tired to remember. She opted instead to get her holiday phone call out of the way. She wouldn't have to worry about a surprise call from her mother if she called her first.
It was late enough that the family had probably already eaten and some of the more annoying family members where probably standing in line for some over price garbage. She opted for a video so that they could see that she was doing alright. The story of a student bringing a gun to school hadn't made national news, so Eva was able to tell Lisa in her own words. It had taken considerable effort from Eva to convince Lisa that she didn't need to fly out to check on her. Eva shuddered at the thought of a surprise visit and started to dial.
"Eva! What a surprise!" Lisa spoke excitedly to the daughter that normally never called her first.
"Happy Thanksgiving," Eva plastered on a smile. She watched as Lisa moved oddly. "So, I guess this is the newest Williamson."
Lisa stared down lovingly at her only grandchild. "Yes. This is Yessenia Elise. She may be a Vega by name, but she will always be a Williamson woman." Lisa fidgeted with her tablet so that she wouldn't have to hold it and the baby at the same time. When the camera was stabilized, she focused her attention back on Eva. "You have to come home soon to see her. You blink and she'll be walking and talking."
A genuine smile formed on Eva's face. She was still at odds with Layla, but she wouldn't hold that against an innocent child. Love from afar would have to suffice for now. The animosity between her a Layla was almost tangible, and she already felt bad for subjecting Lisa to their anger. "She's just so cute." Eva wouldn't promise to take a trip back to Maryland, so she avoided the topic altogether. "Is she a quiet baby?"
"Oh no. This girl has some lungs on her. She wears your sister out every night. It's definitely been a learning experience for her and Cristian, but they are starting to get the hang of it." Lisa smiled down at Yessenia. "You'll have to call back to talk to Layla. She is taking a much-needed nap."
Eva bit her tongue. If Layla wasn't around, it was a stroke of good luck. She wasn't particularly interested in talking with anyone else, but she knew to ask for appearances. "How is everyone else? Did a lot of family show up for today?"
"Everyone is doing well. Your Uncle Clay was here making his rounds and your cousin, Brenda, showed up with her new beau, Jahim. The flu has been really bad this year and with the baby in the house it was best not to risk a big get together. I think everything worked out for the best. I've been back and forth between here and Llanview since she's been home, and I'm just glad for a little break." Lisa watched as the baby started to drift off to sleep. She wanted to put the baby down for a nap, but she knew she wouldn't be able to get Eva back on the phone.
"I definitely know the feeling. I can't imagine cooking for a big extended family dinner. The little bit of cooking I did wore me out. It's about time for me to kick my feet up and take a nap." Eva observed Lisa and could tell that she too was tired. This would be a rare occasion that she would have a legitimate reason to keep the phone call short. "Looks like you are ready to put your feet up too. Want me to let you go?" Lisa tried not to yawn but couldn't help herself. "I'll take that as a yes."
"No, baby, don't worry about me. Layla should be up before too long and this little girl should be down for the next couple of hours. I want to hear about your plans for today. It's still pretty early there. You're not just going to be alone all day, are you?" Lisa looked longingly over at her cup of coffee. She needed a caffeine boost, but she wouldn't risk handling a scolding hot liquid while holding the baby.
"I'm just not up for a big social gathering." Eva shifted the pillows around on the sofa and kicked her feet up on the cushions. "That diner in town is hosting a Thanksgiving Day for singles, so I've got that available as an option. For now, I just want to keep a low profile until people are distracted enough to forget about that student." Eva felt good telling a creative truth. She didn't care about the opinions of others, but part of her turning over a new leaf meant finding ways to avoid confrontation. It really was best that she wasn't around a large crowd that would test her patience.
"I know we've talked about it, but how are you really? You haven't been having any nightmares or anything?" Evangeline had been lucky, again. Lisa was now constantly worried that every phone call would be someone delivering more bad news about Evangeline. She tried not to worry, but Eva was not Evangeline and rarely called. That only intensified Lisa's worries which caused her to reach out more than she knew Eva was comfortable with. It was a vicious cycle and there was no clear-cut answer that would keep both of them happy.
"I feel fine emotionally. This past Friday, I went back to work so the students could see that I was okay. There were a lot of questions, and there was a lot of anger. It's just frustrating because this never had to happen. The administration has some changes in the works, and I've got some stuff that may be helpful as well. I'm just focused on the positive for now."
Lisa smiled. Eva sounded a lot like Evangeline right now. "Any change that will keep students and faculty safe should be welcomed by all." Lisa could see the faraway look on Eva's face. She knew better than to push even though she wanted to provide comfort. Unfortunately, this also mean that Eva would probably not have much more to say. "Well, honey, I'll let you get on with your day. I'm so glad that I had a chance to talk to you. In case you don't speak to anyone else from the family, we all love you and miss you. I really hope that you can make it home for Christmas or the New Year."
"Yeah," Eva responded without much thought to what her plans actually would be. They both knew she wasn't coming. Lisa called it 'home', but it would never feel that way for Eva. "You enjoy that baby while she's there and don't eat too much."
"Take care of yourself, Evangeline. I love you." Lisa hung up first so that Eva wouldn't see her tears. The holidays were just another painful reminder that Evangeline was gone and might not ever come back.
Eva tossed her phone to the opposite end of the sofa. Even that short conversation had drained her energy. It took a great deal of restraint to grin and bear it when Lisa was on the phone with her but talking to Evangeline. Everything about their interactions just got more and more strained over time. The love that Lisa may have felt for her in the beginning seemed to fade over time. Eva was no substitute for the daughter she adored. Committed to staying in a good mood, Eva pushed away the thoughts of Lisa and everyone else who desperately wanted Evangeline back.
Eva sat up suddenly after being startled by the doorbell. She looked down at her watch and realized she'd fallen asleep. "Get it together, girl." Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Eva walked to the front door. "Nonconfrontational, nonaggressive, and friendly. You can do this." She gave herself one final pep talk before she pulled open the door. "Hey, come on in." She spoke to John who was looking up at the sky. She looked up too wondering if there was something interesting there. After noting there was nothing special, she stepped back and aside so that he could enter.
John took in her appearance as he stepped inside. Her hair was curly today pulled half into a ponytail. It was reminiscent of how she'd worn it at Nora and Daniel's wedding. Her burnt orange turtleneck sweater dress was form fitting and showed off her slender figure. It was a good thing that he didn't dress casually as he was inclined to. "You look a little tired." He noted the lines on her face that indicated that she had been lying down not too long ago. "You look good, just a little tired." John continued to take in her appearance and tried not to let his eyes linger in any one place too long.
Eva touched her face and frowned. "Hm, you caught me. I guess I fell asleep." She looked back at him over her shoulder. He was still standing near the door as if he was about to turn and leave.
"You sure about this? You would rather be alone and sleeping." John stuffed his hands down in his pockets. He didn't want to leave, but he wasn't sure she would be in the mood to entertain if she was tired.
"Oh no, McBain, you are not getting out of this that easy. You just worry about yourself." She wasn't about to let him run off when she'd spent hours in the kitchen over a hot stove. "I hope you brought your appetite."
John smiled weakly. When they were together, he and Evangeline ate out often. Work had always been a priority for both of them, so it was usually easiest to just grab something and go. If they did eat in, it was usually a freezer meal since neither of them was big on cooking. "Mhm." John would have to be polite no matter how things turned out. Her house smelled amazing and instantly put him in the holiday mood.
"Well, let's get you fed." Eva led him to her kitchen. "Happy Thanksgiving." She dramatically waved her arms and motioned at the food that was visible.
John smiled. He wasn't entirely convinced that she'd cooked all of this herself because everything looked amazing. "Wow, everything looks great. You did this all yourself?" He watched as she started to pull dishes that were warming out of the oven. For her sake, he hoped everything tasted delicious. It would be a terrible waste if she spent a lot of money on food that wasn't edible.
"All by my lonesome. I sort of cheated though. I have an electric smoker, so it really did all the hard work." Carefully, she arranged the dishes along the countertops until she'd retrieved everything. "So, we've got smoked turkey, smoked ham, and smoked chicken for the main course. I know not everyone loves turkey because it can get dry, but I assure you that is not the case here. For sides, we have roasted brussels sprouts, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, rolls, brown gravy, and dressing. Finally, for dessert, we have pumpkin pie, blueberry cobbler, and vanilla ice cream." Eva looked over the spread to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
"And you made all of this last night? No help from anyone?" John surveyed the feast. Everything except dessert was made in small dishes that only held a few servings, but it was still a lot of food.
Eva swallowed her annoyed reply. "Well I did buy the ice cream, so I guess I did have a little help. It probably looks like a lot of work, but it really wasn't that bad. Cooking the meats took the longest, but, like I said, that wasn't really challenging. Electric smokers is like cooking for dummies. You have to work a little bit to mess it up."
"I'm stunned. Almost everything for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner." John smiled over at her. She wasn't quite Evangeline, but she was just as impressive.
"Almost everything?" Eva frowned.
"Looks like you forgot the cranberry sauce." John shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't something that he ate, but he remembered it being a holiday favorite for his family.
"I knew I forgot something!" Eva put her hand to her forehead and sighed. "I totally forgot. I know the pharmacy is open for a while today. I can run out and see if they have any."
"Don't rush out on my account. I hate the stuff." He regretted saying anything. She was visibly upset that she forgot.
"Are you just saying that to make me feel better." She half-heartedly looked through her cabinets. She didn't eat the stuff either. Unless she'd purchased some and forgot, she wasn't going to find what she was looking for.
"I'm really not. If I don't ask for seconds, then you know I only ate the first bit to make you feel better." John was happy to see a smile on her face again.
"Will you light the candles in the dining room and pour the wine? I will fix our plates for us." Eva was already planning logistics before he responded. "Dining room is through the doorway on the left."
John nodded and set off to his tasks. The dining room was seasonally decorated and the table was set for two. It was obvious that she'd spent a lot of time getting this ready. He felt a little guilty that she was doing so much for him when all he'd done was made a phone call. He tried to push away those thoughts as he uncorked the wine. As he was lighting the candles, she appeared briefly to set some things on the Lazy Susan and then she was gone again.
"There's actually a Bluetooth speaker hidden in the centerpiece." This time she spoke when she returned. She set down a few more platters and then dug around in the centerpiece. "If you can figure out how to pair your phone, I'll let you pick the music." She smiled and then was off again.
John sat down near the doorway and figured out how to connect his phone pretty quickly. He'd heard a couple different performances from Eva at the bar, but he wasn't sure that was her personal taste. Deciding to keep it pretty neutral, he settled on instrumental piano jazz. Just as he was getting up to help, Eva appeared with their plates.
"Here we go." She set his plate down in front of him and then walked around the table to the opposite side. The wings had been removed from the table so the setting was much more intimate. She had done it more for convenience than anything. It would be easier for them to serve themselves form the smaller table.
John waited for her to settle in. "Do you want to say grace?" John unfolded his napkin and placed it in his lap.
"Me? No. Don't let me stop you if that's your thing." Eva hadn't pegged John as a religious man, but he'd been full of surprises.
John stared at her open mouth for a moment. Instead of questioning her about it, he bowed his head and silently said a prayer to himself. When he looked up, Eva was staring at him patiently. "Thank you for all of this. You really didn't have to, but I'm glad you did."
"It was my pleasure. I haven't had a reason to go all out before, so thanks to you too." Eva sipped her wine and waited for him to dig in. He opted to watch her instead. It only took a moment for her to catch on. "Do you really think I went through all of this trouble just to poison you? My gosh, John. It's food. You eat it." She took a bite and chewed it slowly. All the prep work that went in to making the meal had mostly taken her appetite. She tasted along the way, so she'd already had a little to eat.
"I trust you." John looked down warily at his plate. Everything looked fine, but he couldn't get the story of little Cookie out of his head. He decided he was just going to have to take a leap of faith. He cut into the turkey and scooped up some dressing to go with it. He unintentionally let out a sound of audible pleasure at his first bite. "This is kind of amazing."
"And you were worried." Eva smiled brightly. "For the record, the do not call me Cookie." She made some considerable efforts to set herself apart from Evangeline. Learning how to cook well had been the first thing she accomplished.
John only nodded in response. He hadn't enjoyed a home cooked holiday dinner like this in years. It instantly took him back to happier memories from when he was a child. Unlike all the times before, the memory put a smile on his face. Instead of lamenting over love lost, he could remember the love of his family and the happy times they shared together. For the first time in a long time, he felt at peace.
John continued to eat in blissful silence before realizing he was very rudely ignoring his host. When he looked up from his plate, he saw Eva staring blankly at the wall. 'It figures,' he thought to himself. The one moment where he was happy and at peace would be the same moment that left her in quiet introspection. "You okay?" John put his fork down and forced himself to focus on her. It wasn't as if the food was going anywhere.
Eva blinked surprised that he'd caught he lost in thought. She didn't have a lie at the ready to cover her silence. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking that maybe I'm ready to switch to something a little better." She tapped the wine glass. The taste of the wine was bitter in her mouth at the thought of her latest interaction with Jill. She'd done a lot of damage there and wasn't quite sure how to fix it.
"The wine is actually pretty good." John wasn't much of a wine drinker, but this paired well with dinner in his opinion. "Though, I would love a cold beer. I'll be right back."
Eva watched him rush off. It was strange that he knew his way around so well and that she wasn't bothered by it. Lisa had stopped in for a surprise visit, and Eva was stressed the whole time. The idea of others wandering around in her home was extremely unsettling to her. She ended up nearly waiting on Lisa hand and foot just so that she wouldn't be able to snoop around.
"Well, something is clearly on your mind." John had returned with their drinks, set hers in front of her, and returned to his seat all without her noticing.
The beer in front of her was a clear indication that she was again letting her mind wander. "Just thinking about work. It's not always so easy to just disconnect." She sipped her beer and smiled at him. Clearly he wasn't buying her story.
"With everything that's happened, I know you're not the only one. Jill has been out of sorts for a while. Tries to put on a good game face, but I know there's more going on there. Probably will just take some time to feel safe again." John looked down at his plate longingly, but then quickly focused again on Eva.
"You are probably more than right. It's just going to be one of those things that takes some time." Eva agreed hoping to change the subject. Feeling bad for hurting Jill's feelings was one thing, but she knew the truth that not many did.
"Only, the way I figure it. Jill only has something to be worried about if she's somehow involved in all of this." John looked at Eva quizzically. He hadn't questioned Jill about her troubles. He figured she would come clean eventually. "You look surprised. I wasn't a detective for no reason."
"John, I don't," Eva paused when he cut her off.
"Don't give me that confidentiality thing. This is us here. Two friends talking." He spoke between bites. The food was just too good to ignore. He expected Eva to fill him in, but she remained silent. "You can trust me."
Eva looked at him warily as she sipped her wine and thought of the best choice of words. John and Jill were friends. She didn't feel right bad mouthing her. If she wasn't careful, she would only make things worse by spreading gossip. A heavy sigh passed her lips. The decision to talk about what happened at the school wasn't coming from a place of anger or reprisal, so she would again put her faith in John. "It was her lack of involvement that's the issue." John only nodded. He was right about being a very good listener. "When I said that the kid smelled horribly, I wasn't exaggerating. I encountered him at the end of the day after a few students had put him in the trash and dumped garbage over him."
John looked at her confused. That was an important detail that she'd left out before. John had put the pieces together pretty quickly. The whole thing took place after school while plenty of staff and students were still around. There was no way that no one saw anything.
"Another student saw what was going on and told the nearest teacher…Jill." Eva felt like a tattletale.
John sat back in stunned silence. To think it was one thing. To have it confirmed was another. "There's got to be a protocol for that type of thing."
"Yeah. If you think you'd be putting your life or another student's life in danger, you call security and let them handle it. Otherwise, you go and try to resolve the issue on your own. I'm not sure if Jill was with other students or what." Eva didn't know what kept Jill away, so she wouldn't attribute any malice to her.
John noted how Eva wasn't quick to assign blame. Jill had griped on and on about Eva being heartless, but she really had no clue. "I get the feeling that excuse isn't going to fly. Sounds like the type of thing that you make time for." John focused again on his meal and started eating.
"Yeah." Eva's one-word response clued John in that there was still more that she hadn't said. "Jill was also his homeroom teacher. He showed up to school filthy. It's hard to imagine that she didn't notice. Kids are cruel about that kind of thing. Someone would have said something to him or about him."
"So, what does all of this mean for Jill?" John didn't want to say that she was in the wrong line of work, but he was definitely thinking it.
"Jill has tenure. She probably doesn't have anything to worry about. She'll probably have to go through some special training individually, but that's about it. They'll call it a learning opportunity. Then we'll have some training for all of the teachers and few assemblies with the students to ensure them that we care. It wasn't just Jill who ignored him. He was in a half-dozen other classes and none of those teachers spoke up either. Everyone chose to ignore him because they didn't want it to become their problem." Eva was frustrated that meaningful change wouldn't come about. "We don't have money for a dedicated counselor, but we're getting another security officer and metal detectors."
"That's not what the guidance counselors are there for?" It had been a long time since he'd been a student. Back in his youth, they were just another form of disciplinarian.
"It's just a catch all title. They are usually not licensed counselors. They do get some special training, but they focus on academic counseling more than anything else. They are needed, but we also need more dedicated professionals to help the students with the more serious issues." Eva had so many ideas to improve things, but she wasn't naïve. Money was a very scarce resource. Without a significant cash infusion, there wasn't an effective way to make the appropriate changes. "They give us teachers a two-day seminar and expect us to be experts on top of everything else. It's easy to get burned out."
John nodded that he understood. He remembered hearing Marcie go on and on about her students. Even for the good teachers it was hard to catch everything. John made a mental note to check in with Jill now that he knew the whole truth.
Eva observed John for a moment and shook her head. "You look ready to whip out your cape and tights. Doesn't that ever get old?"
John immediately took offense. "You didn't mind when I whipped it out for you," he snapped back. He threw his fork down in frustration. "I should have known this was too good to be true. Someone gets close, so you play nice just long enough for them to let their guard down. Then you go in for the kill. Doesn't that ever get old?" John wasn't going to keep doing this with her.
"Wait, wait, wait." Eva had only intended it to be a harmless joke, but she'd clearly hit a nerve. His reaction was not one she anticipated at all. "That was a stupid thing to say, joke or otherwise. I appreciate what you did. You know I do."
John paused to see if her near apology was going to turn into an actual apology. He folded his arms across his chest and fixed her with a serious look. "Or maybe you've just figured out how to keep people just close enough for you to use them."
Eva was almost at a loss for words. "I'm sorry, John. I didn't mean for that to come off as harshly as it sounded. I'm trying to be a better person, only it's not as easy as I thought it would be." Eva could tell from his body language that he was ready to go. She'd already failed with Jill. If she couldn't smooth things over with John, she'd seriously have to start reconsidering her methods.
"Fine, give me three examples." John saw what looked like sincerity in her eyes, but she was so hard to read. He wouldn't let her of with a simple apology.
Eva's mouth hung open awkwardly. She hadn't actually done much, yet. She had faced some hard truths and made some personal commitments. Time would be the only real proof. She saw John waiting impatiently. If she couldn't be honest now, he would leave. Before she'd easily built up a wall to keep others out, but somehow John had slipped through the cracks. The man that she was getting to know was a far cry from the one Lisa and Layla had described. When he was near, she felt relaxed. He was a confidant that she wanted to rely; a person that she wanted to know more about. The thought of him leaving now felt permanent and frightening.