The next day….
"Aunt Beth? I sort of made plans to study with someone," Evie told her, as she got in the Tahoe after school.
"Oh yeah? Do I know her?"
"Well, no, he's sort of new at school."
"I see. So where are these plans going to take place?"
"At our house."
"And when?"
"That blue car behind us is him."
Elizabeth looked in the rear view. Sure enough. There was a young man driving behind them.
"You got a boyfriend?" Julian asked.
"No, Julian. He's new and he's having trouble in History."
"Well, sweetie, I guess I'd have preferred that you give me a bit more warning, I mean, the living room is a mess but...let's just hope he doesn't mind toys everywhere."
"He has a little sister. I'm sure he will understand."
"Alright then. Homework at the dining room table."
"Oh, well, can we maybe study in my room?"
"I'd rather you didn't."
"But all the kids...we won't be able to concentrate."
"Evie, no boys in your room. We don't know him. You don't even know him." Elizabeth looked back at everyone else. "Alright, everyone. Homework in your rooms today. Evie has a guest coming over and they need to concentrate."
A few moments later, they pulled into the driveway and Kevin pulled in behind them. Evie's heart sped up and her tummy did a weird flip-flop.
She got out and smiled as he walked up to her side. "Hey."
"Hey yourself," he responded with a grin.
Elizabeth walked up too and stood beside Evie, with Cam on her hip. "Kevin, this is my Aunt Beth. Aunt Beth, Kevin Warner."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said politely with a nod.
"You too, Kevin. Where did you move from?"
"Everett, Washington, ma'am. My dad was in the Navy. That's what I'm going to do too. Well, the Air Force."
Evie instantly became proud of him. She barely knew him, but to go into the Air Force and know that's what he wanted to do at such a young age…wow.
Although when she thought about it, she knew she wanted to be a photographer. More specifically she wanted to have her own studio.
"Evie?"
She looked at him. "Huh?"
"You coming? Your Aunt Beth said we can study at the table."
"Right. Yes."
His fingers brushed hers for a moment as they walked into the house. She was so anxious to have a boyfriend. All her school friends had one, even Al had a boy who liked her back. She herself was fifteen and never held hands with a boy or ever kissed one.
As they studied, she tried so hard to concentrate, after all the point was to help him with Mr. Hickam's class, but he kept talking to her and that involved looking into his eyes and she swore she could drown in them.
"So?"
She had been daydreaming again. "What? I'm sorry."
"I said we are having a bonfire Saturday…I asked if you wanted to come."
"Oh. Um, I have to ask because I'll need a ride."
"Okay."
"I would like to, Kevin." Then she remembered that Christmas was coming up fast. Like Sunday. So Saturday was Christmas Eve and she knew their family had planned to go to midnight services.
"Like to, what?" Julian said, walking in the room.
"Nothing," she told him, wishing he would just go away. He wasn't supposed to be in the room bothering them.
"So what are you guys studying?" he asked, stealing a cookie from the plate on the table.
"History," Kevin offered.
So much for daydreaming. It was time to study history.
Later, after dinner, Evie went right to Uncle Nathan and asked him about going to the party. She knew Aunt Beth would need to talk to him anyway.
"What's on your mind, Eve?" he asked, the same way he always did, even though she wasn't a patient anymore.
"Kevin…he invited me to a bonfire at their house Saturday."
"That's Christmas Eve."
"I know."
"We are going to services that night."
"I know that too. I really would like to go, Uncle Nathan."
He nodded and thought about it. He knew from talking to Beth how much Evie wanted a boyfriend. She told him that Evie needed to make friends and needed to get past her shyness. This might be the ticket to get that done.
On the other hand, this was their first Christmas as a family and services were non-negotiable.
"Maybe I could go to the bonfire and then you could pick me up on the way to services?"
"You won't be dressed up, Eve."
"Please, Uncle Nathan. This means a lot to me."
"I can see that, hon. Let me talk to Beth and we will get back to you."
"Okay." She sighed and left the room, heading to her room. As the oldest, she was able to have her own bedroom but she really didn't mind sharing it with Kendra when she wanted to bunk with her.
Right now, she wanted the alone time. She pulled out her memories journal and started writing. At first when Aunt Beth had bought the journals, Evie wrote to her mom. Like she was still with her. She told her about all her feelings about everything. Then she wrote about her mom, all the memories she had of her so when she read the journal years from now, she would be able to remember details.
Now, she just wrote. She wrote how the afternoon had gone with Kevin and how badly she wanted to go to the bonfire. She wrote how much she wanted to be Kevin's friend and maybe his girlfriend. She wrote about the pride she felt when he talked about the Air Force.
She looked up when someone knocked a while later. "Come in."
Elizabeth and Nathan walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Hi, sweets."
"Hey."
She closed her journal and put it aside.
"Uncle Nathan told me about the bonfire," she told her.
"Yeah."
"We think its alright that you go. We will take you and then come pick you up around nine so that we can go to the service."
"Nine? That's so early."
"Sweetie, there are a lot of kids to get ready. Nine is the latest we can pick you up and still have time for everything."
She nodded. "Okay. Thank you."
She gave both of them a hug. "Sweetie, I know you really like Kevin. Just go slow."
"What do you mean?"
Nathan kissed the top of her head and left the room, leaving that talk to Elizabeth.
"I mean, you are fifteen and he is your first boyfriend."
"He's just my friend, Aunt Beth."
"But you want him to be your boyfriend, right?"
"Yes, but I don't understand. You let Allie go out with Topher."
"You went along and this is just going to be you and Kevin."
"No, there will be a lot of people there. We won't be alone."
"There's the potential for being alone…"
"Aunt Beth, we won't. I promise."
"Okay. I trust you, Evie."
"Thank you."
The next morning,
Rick and Cheryl Stewart rented a car the minute they touched down at Detroit Metro Airport and drove to the address Becki had given them in Lansing. Becki had intentionally not given them the address to Nathan and Elizabeth's. She wanted to be there when they met Campbell and that was happening the next day.
Today, she needed to catch up with them. Before she knew it, they were ringing her doorbell. She reached up to make sure her scarf was centered and walked to the door.
Her eyes filled with tears as soon as she opened the door. Her parents walked in and just held her and loved her. Why had she waited so long to see them?
"Blueberry," her dad whispered, kissing both of her cheeks. "My sweet blueberry. I've missed you."
"I've missed you too, Daddy. I'm so sorry about everything."
"Hush now," he told her, drying her tears. "We are here now and we aren't leaving until we make sure you and our grandson are safe and healthy."
She nodded. Cheryl agreed and removed her coat, hanging it in the closet. "Do you mind if I freshen up before we go see Campbell? It's been a long trip."
"We are going to see him tomorrow," Becki told her mother. "Today, I was hoping we could catch up. Your room is down the hall, first door on the right. Bathroom is third on the right."
Cheryl and Rick were exhausted and took a nap after bringing their bags in from the car. Becki was just as exhausted, but from the treatment she had from the day before.
Once they were all settled and had eaten breakfast, they asked about her treatments.
"I have four more months of chemo and radiation," she told them.
"Oh, my dear," Cheryl whispered, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "I wish we would have known."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for many things."
"Blueberry, you were always stubborn and independent, just like me," her Dad said with a chuckle. "It didn't surprise me at all when you refused to move with us. I missed you though. Very much."
"I wanted to call over the years. When I had Campbell...I wanted you to know that you had a grandson."
"Becki, let's not dwell on the past anymore," Cheryl told her. "What's done is done. What's important is that you beat this cancer and that you and Campbell are safe and healthy."
Nathan and Elizabeth's house
Everyone slept in because school was out for Christmas break. This gave Elizabeth and Nathan a bit of time to enjoy each other before he had to get to work.
She watched him tie his tie in the mirror as she relaxed under the covers. "I like that tie, love," she told him.
"I like what you're wearing too." She blushed.
"This sheet? Yeah. It's nice."
He sighed as he pulled his suit jacket up and over his shoulders.
She wrapped her robe around herself and walked up to him. "What's wrong?"
"Nerves, I guess."
"Well, you only have to work one day and then you're off for Christmas, right?"
"Yeah."
He put his hands on her hips and pulled her close, getting lost in her lips for a moment.
"You're going to be late, hon."
"Why did I want to go back so soon again?"
"My guess is you're bored."
"Maybe a little. I do miss my patients."
She kissed him softly. "See you tonight, love."
"Alright."
She watched him make the rounds and kiss everyone's forehead before actually leaving. She loved that about him. He cared so very much for everyone.
What she didn't realize was he was having second thoughts about working. He didn't want to go back full time. He loved being with Cam and her while everyone else was at school. He loves having the freedom to go for a run in the mornings or stay in bed a bit longer.
He honestly could work just part time and they'd be fine financially but the responsibilities that came with being a father/uncle of six...well, he would just need to do it. No matter how much he wanted to be home.
He hit the garage door button and backed his truck out into the snow.
"Let's do this," he muttered. "One day."