John stood outside blowing into his hands trying to warm them up. The cold November weather was still preferable to being indoors. Evangeline decided that they would be spending Thanksgiving with her family. There were worse things that he could imagine, but there were far better things as well.
Layla and Cristian had driven down separately to join the holiday celebration. They were a full-on couple now. Their new relationship status had allowed Evangeline and John to keep their relationship under wraps.
Once Evangeline and John had dealt with all the major issues, they connected on a much deeper level. As cheesy as it was, they knew they were soulmates. John was pleasantly surprised when Evangeline was open to marriage talk.
Since they'd never gone away for pleasure before, John and James accompanied Evangeline to San Francisco when she had a meeting with a client. She was originally expected to be there for just the day, but they extended the trip through the weekend as a family vacation.
While they were there, John joked about them eloping since marriage certificates were issued same day and there was no waiting period afterward to have a ceremony. Evangeline countered him with a serious offer of her own. They would marry in a private ceremony and tell their families when the moment was right. Just like that they were married on a cool September afternoon.
Two months had now passed, and they were both giddy with excitement and madly in love. This holiday season they planned on telling their families. John and Evangeline told Eve and Michael before they headed off to see Evangeline's family in Maryland. Eve cried tears of joy at her son's happiness. She always knew Michael would be okay, but it was a treat to know that John had found someone wonderful. Michael was just happy that his brother had finally gotten it right. They would spend Christmas with her and Michael this year and celebrate then.
Evangeline's family was a tough crowd, so they would be told in person. That's how they ended up here. Lisa had planned a small family gathering, but, when word got out that the Williamson daughters would both be returning home with boyfriends who weren't black, the small gathering had ballooned into a mini family reunion. People wanted front row seats to what they considered to be a shameful showing from the most envious Williamsons.
John had stay silent for most of the night, but he'd listened as people declared Evangeline's and Layla's choice in men to be punishment for the parents' hubris. He didn't understand why they tolerated such rudeness. Lisa and Robert did what they thought was best for their daughters, and now they were both successful independent women. Jealously was clearly the motivation for all the gossip.
Evangeline had just smiled patiently throughout it all. She told John that this would be the last time she'd subject their family to the envious parts of the family. If she'd known the gathering wasn't going to be small and intimate, they wouldn't have attended at all.
John told her he would hold her to her word, and he meant it. Now that James was in the picture, he wouldn't just sit idly by. He too would speak his mind, consequences be damned. He didn't play their games, and that only added fuel to the rumors. Evangeline and John would wait to share their happy news until after the extended family left.
"Hot enough for you in there?" Clay spoke from behind John. He had been trying to get some alone time with John, but the presence of the extra family made that difficult. When he noticed John step outside, he decided now was his chance to talk to him man to man.
"Something like that." John sipped a glass of unsweetened tea. He wished it was beer instead. He decided to stay sober in case Evangeline changed her mind about staying the night. John looked over at Clay. He was overprotective of Evangeline and Layla in his brother's stead. He acted tough, but it was just puffery to John. Neither woman was inexperienced in life, so they didn't need protection from the heartbreak or any of the other pitfalls of life.
"Anything I can do for you?" John chose to be direct. He was enjoying his alone time and he needed to deal with Clay quickly to get back to the solitude.
"I like that you're a straight shooter," he pulled an unlit cigar from inside his coat pocket and considered lighting it. "If you're going to be a straight shooter than I'll be one too." Clay tucked the unlit cigar back into his pocket. "You are not the man Lisa or my brother intended for Evangeline to end up with. The last time you were here I told you about the expectations that Evangeline had for herself, and you were good enough to remind me that Evangeline didn't need a man to take her anywhere in life. I agreed, but then you had to go and get her pregnant. You stole away some of her opportunities and now she's chained to Llanview for the sake of her child. She might be with you now, but she's not going to put up with anymore drama from you. I won't let that happen." Clay eyed John seriously.
John smirked. He wasn't surprised at Clay's outburst. He heard whispers throughout dinner about his relationship with Evangeline, but no one had been outright rude; at least not while he was around. "I respect you because of your relationship with Evangeline, but you are way out of line," John paused as he interrupted.
"Now you wait a minute. I promised my brother that I would look out for his daughters and that's exactly what I've done. I know the whole story, so let's cut the bull. You strung my niece along with another woman, and damn near left her to die at the hands of some crazy killer. She had to lie and shamefully hide her pregnancy because you didn't have your life together. Evangeline deserves better than you. For the life of me, I can't understand what she sees in you." Clay stepped in close to John. He wasn't shouting, but he didn't want his voice to carry and their conversation to be overheard.
"Evangeline and I have reconciled. Not some forgive and forget. I know that I hurt her, and I'm the one who has to live with, and so does she. Our relationship does not hinge on your approval or anyone else's. That's something that all of you seem to have forgotten. You don't know the whole story, so spare me the dramatics. Evangeline is a big girl, and she doesn't need you screening her romantic partners." The cold wind that flew between them wasn't enough to cool their heads. John had quickly reached his boiling point.
"I'm just looking out for her," Clay pointed an angry finger at John warily. He expected some pushback from John, but not like this. His boldness was irritating.
"That's just a broken record that you want to keep playing. You can't be watching out for her when you don't even know what you're watching out for. Do you even know your niece, or are you still bent on pushing her parents' will onto her?" If John had to hear another story about overly ambitious little Evangeline, he would snap for real. She wasn't just a little girl dreaming about a life she wanted. She was a fully-grown woman who was living the life she wanted. Her family had convinced themselves that she wanted more from life.
"I know my niece as well as I know my own children!" Clay was tired of John's resistance. All of Evangeline's other men had always been polite enough to ingratiate themselves to the family. Even if it was an act, Clay took it as a sign of respect. "She dreamed of being the president or a supreme court justice, not some cop's girlfriend. She dreamed of taking on the world, and, damnit, I'm going to make sure she does it."
"So, you don't know her at all then." John sipped his tea and set the glass down on the porch railing. "Being with me and having our child is not going to stop Evangeline from living her life exactly the way she wants to. Evangeline ended up in Llanview for a reason; one which you're too stubborn to understand. Lucky for me, that brought us together. Life ain't some fairytale, so there were some bumps along the way. We're together now, and that's not going to change no matter what you or anyone else says. Evangeline's dreams are mine and mine are hers. I'm not going to let you or anyone else guilt her into living a life other than the one she chooses."
"You're acting like Evangeline has given up on those dreams, but I see you as a minor detour. It's not too late for her to get back on the right career track. Those dreams that you're so disgusted by are not just her dreams, but also the dreams of her family and friends. She won't give up that life for you. I won't allow it."
John snatched up his glass and finished his tea with one last gulp. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his coat. He'd entertained Clay for long enough, and he'd mostly been on his better behavior. The time was as good as any. "It's not up to you, and it never was. If you still think I'm wrong, you can ask Mrs. McBain about it." John brushed past him before letting him respond. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he needed to give Evangeline a heads up.
He found Evangeline inside sitting with her mother and Layla in the living room. Lisa was looking through old photo albums and both Evangeline and Layla looked tense. He couldn't imagine that she'd told her mother already, but he didn't understand the strained atmosphere. He listened in for a few moments and understood. Lisa was going on and on about Evangeline at a school function and how she'd won a writing contest about becoming the first female African American president. Her family was really pushing her toward that dream.
"Hey you." Evangeline finally noticed him and walked over to him. She kissed him gently on the cheek. "Where'd you slip off to? I was looking for you." Evangeline wanted to share the news to the family now that the setting was more intimate. She didn't need John for courage, but she wanted him there.
"I'm here now." John slipped his arm around her and pulled her in for a deeper kiss. "Hope I didn't miss anything."
"Nothing at all. Just mom bragging about her favorite daughter and reliving her favorite moments from Van's childhood." Layla was tired of listening to the same stories about her perfect sister year in and year out. She was experiencing her own success, but it wasn't what her family wanted for her. They brushed off her success as just another little bit of whimsy in her life. For the first time, she found a career she could be successful in, and she was actually putting her degree to good use. Without her mother's validation, she had a hard time being content.
"Don't start, Layla." Lisa snapped the book shut and set it on the coffee table. She hoped that she could change Evangeline's mind about staying in Llanview with a recap of her past.
Clay walked in huffing and pointing his finger angrily. It took him a few moments, but John's words had finally sunk in. "You married this clown."
"Um, what? Vange?" Layla looked to her sister for an explanation. They were closer now than they'd ever been before, but Evangeline still wasn't comfortable sharing the more important details of her life with Layla. It was probably because Layla had such a big mouth.
"John!" Exasperated, Evangeline looked over at him.
John simply shrugged and walked over to a chair and sat down. He could feel Lisa's and Clay's outrage and it upset him. The only person that was even slightly excited by the news was Layla. Evangeline had expected her to be upset that she wasn't invited, but she would be happy for her sister.
That they chose to hide their marriage for as long as they did was cause for people to be upset, but this was their happiness and they would share it in the manner they chose. They were in love and there was no reason to be ashamed about the way they chose to express their love for each other.
"Cookie, is this true? You and John are married now?" Lisa started to feel faint. She didn't feel like she really knew her daughter at all anymore.
Evangeline smiled widely and looked over at John. She could slap him for the way he delivered the news, but she knew her uncle had probably said something that pushed John to his limit. "Mom, Uncle Clay, Layla," Evangeline walked over to John and took his hand. "John and I are married. Back in September when we were away in San Francisco, we had a private ceremony. Neither of us was interested in a big, showy ceremony, but we will be having a party to celebrate our nuptials with our loved ones at the first of the year." Evangeline slipped her left hand down into her pocked and looked between her mother and uncle. They weren't pleased.
"I don't see a ring," Clay snapped quickly, but quickly had to back down. Evangeline pulled her hand from her pocket. The unmistakable gleam of precious stones caught Clay's eye. He sighed for having spoken too soon.
"Congratulations, girl." An excited Layla rushed over to her. The new carefree Evangeline was easier for her to relate to compared to the uptight, perfect sister whose shadow she used to live in. "This ring is absolutely gorgeous." She marveled at the ring and was impressed at John's good taste. "Guess it's official now. Welcome to the family, John."
John returned her enthusiasm with a genuine smile. Layla was direct like the rest of the family, but she had a kind heart. She hated John when she first came to town in defense of her sister. After putting that aside, she actually got to know him, and they were friendly now. She didn't try to dissect their relationship to make sure he was good enough for her sister, since she knew that wasn't her place.
"Excuse me," Lisa covered her mouth and rushed out of the room.
"I never expected this from you, Evangeline." Clay shook his head as he headed off to find Lisa.
"And Vange, welcome to my world." Layla kissed her on the cheek and pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to go find Cris and tell him the good news."
When Layla was out of sight, Evangeline sat down in Johns lap and rested her head against this chest.
"Hey," John stroked the top of her head to get her attention.
"What!" Evangeline didn't lift her head and spoke into his chest.
"I'm sorry, okay. I know you wanted your mom to hear it from you." He kissed her head and rubbed her back.
"No, it's on me. I should have told mom sooner. We shouldn't have waited." Evangeline felt a headache building as she thought about having to talk to her mother later. They'd only waited because Evangeline wanted to bask in wedding bliss without the negativity of her family. She hated that, again, her joyous occasion was a source of shame for her family. Her mother had at least been fiercely protective of her during the pregnancy. A secret marriage was just too much for her.
"Don't worry about it too much, you know. Maybe it takes some people a little time to warm up to the idea, but that's their problem and not ours. Don't you go apologizing for us choosing to do things in our own way. We've got a lot to celebrate, remember?" John snaked his arm around her side and rubbed her abdomen lovingly. "This time around we'll do it right. You'll have my full support and that of your closest friends and family. That's all we need."
Evangeline smile and put her hands over his. She knew she was more than just lucky. She was blessed. Evangeline sat up in his lap and touched her forehead to his. "This time around, I'm hoping for a little girl."
"Even if this isn't a girl, we've got five more tries right." John winked at her and hugged her to his chest. This new baby was a souvenir from the honeymoon, and both John and Evangeline had been excited.
"Yeah, we'll see." Evangeline wasn't opposed to having a lot of children, but she wouldn't decided on a set number. For now, they would get through this pregnancy before worry about the next. "I'm just going to let mom sleep on our good news. Let's go up to bed. I want to see my baby."
John allowed Evangeline to lead him up to her childhood bedroom. They put James to sleep earlier than normal. All the attention from the family had worn him out. That meant he'd be up extra early as well, but they were okay with that.
"He just keeps getting so big, John." Evangeline stroked his head gently. He was now sleeping through the night, so she didn't want to disturb him.
"I know. He's pretty amazing." John smiled at the sight of his firstborn. James was a talking and crawling machine. Dada was his first word and it was to Evangeline's chagrin. John just beamed like a proud father. It took a few weeks, but he said mama as his next word. Just last week, he started pulling himself up and standing on his own. He was so active, and it made John nervous. He was constantly checking to make sure the baby safeguards were in place.
"It won't be too long before we're starting again." Evangeline knew she was in for a challenge because she'd have two babies under two to raise. She was more excited than she was afraid. Every moment of motherhood had been a joy. She loved John and wanted as many children with him as her body could handle.
"We've just to got make sure we savor every minute then." John hugged her from behind. "Come on. Let's get you in to bed. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Evangeline had expected to find her mother up and in the kitchen making breakfast when she came down with James. Instead, she came downstairs to an empty kitchen and her mother's car was gone. She fed James a bottle and some cereal before John took him for a walk around the neighborhood. She expected her mother to be back by the time they got back, and they could all to go breakfast as a family before she and John had to head back to Llanview.
After years of making fun of her mother for drinking decaffeinated coffee, Evangeline finally found an appreciation for the stuff. She missed caffeine and alcohol, so anything that was slightly like the real thing was a treat for her. Evangeline sat at the breakfast table catching up on the local news and didn't notice her mother's arrival.
"Cookie, I forgot to pick up your favorite blend. I wasn't sure if you were drinking coffee since you're still nursing." Lisa walked in carrying a couple of grocery bags.
"No, mom, this is fine." Evangeline hopped up to help her. She wondered how her mother would take the news of her second pregnancy if she reacted so poorly to her marriage announcement.
"I hated to get out in that crowd, but I had an errand to run." She'd actually been down at the church praying. In times of turmoil, she always found peace and guidance there.
"Were the crowds really bad? We were thinking of going out to get breakfast." Evangeline started to put away the few things her mother purchased. Evangeline knew she was out clearing her head. They still had tons of leftovers, so there hadn't been any reason for her to go out grocery shopping.
"If we wait a little while, I think people will be heading back home to enjoy the dinner they missed out on yesterday." Lisa started to fix herself a cup of coffee and wondered where the rest of the crowd was. "Where is everyone?"
"I think Layla and Cris are still in bed. John went for a walk and took James with him." Evangeline pulled out the creamer and milk for her mother.
"He should not have that baby out in the cold for no reason. Poor thing is going to catch a cold." Lisa sat down at the table and Evangeline joined her.
"It's part of their routine. John never keeps him out too long." Evangeline was encouraged by her mother's positive attitude. "Mom, we need to talk."
Lisa mustered a patient smile. She knew she needed to change her attitude, or she would push Evangeline away. "You are right about that. You've started living this secret life, and I don't know what or how I'm supposed to feel about it. I know that man hurt you, but now you have a child together. I wanted you to forgive him for James's sake, but I didn't think you would take him back into your bed. I didn't expect you to just give up on everything you've worked for."
"Mom, I appreciate the advice you gave me about John. You helped me to forgive him and move past my anger. You gave me clarity about what I really wanted and what I was really feeling." Evangeline hoped that her admission didn't disappoint her mother. She played a big role in their reconciliation, and she didn't even know it.
"What do you really want, Cookie, because I just don't know anymore. I keep pushing because that's what I thought you needed. I thought I was helping you, baby."
"That's my fault too." Evangeline reached out and touched Lisa's hand. "You and daddy sacrificed so much to give me and Layla this amazing life. For the longest time, I just wanted to make you guys happy, so that you wouldn't feel like it was all for nothing. I never really had my own dreams, so I was happy chasing yours. Being with Dennis and knowing that all of those dreams could really come true was a real eye opener for me. I didn't want that life, and I wanted to pursue my own dreams."
"Why didn't you tell me? When you ended things with Dennis, I knew something was going on, but you didn't want to talk about it. I didn't know you were so unhappy." Lisa scolded her for choosing to suffer in silence.
"Because, I didn't know what I wanted. I just knew what I didn't want. When I met John, it all started to become clear, but I was afraid and neither one of us was ready. I was just as responsible for the breakup as he was. When I found out I was pregnant, I really knew what I wanted. I wanted to be with John, but he had issues that I couldn't resolve for him. I wanted to be with him, but I wasn't going to wait around for him to have a moment of clarity. I was ready to move on with my life."
"Well something has obviously changed. You're not just together now. You're married." Lisa pushed Evangeline to tell her more. Before, John couldn't say words as simple as 'I love you.' Lisa needed to know that her daughter hadn't settled for a man who was emotionally crippled.
"John changed. On his own." Evangeline couldn't help but smile. She was proud of him facing his demons. "He wanted what I wanted, but he knew he had to fix himself first. We dealt with all the old issues. The other woman. Not being able to say love. His dead fiancée. There was a lot, but he didn't do it for me. He did it for himself."
"But why not tell your family that your relationship had improved? Why not tell us you were married until after the fact?" Lisa was more upset that she was continually left out of the loop.
"I love you guys, mom, but this had nothing to do with you. Any of you." That was partially the truth. If not for the family drama, they might have had a small ceremony for family only. "I'm happy to share the good news about my life, but I'm really not that close enough with most of the family to feel like it was necessary."
"Then why not tell me, your uncle, or your sister. Do you not consider yourself close with us either?" The pain that Lisa felt was real. She had a strained relationship with Layla that she was steadily improving. She didn't want to gain progress with one daughter and lose it with another.
"We didn't tell anyone until yesterday. I know you feel like it's personal, but it's not. We had a bad breakup, and it was easier for us to be together without everyone else adding their opinions. We made it work because we love each other. That was something we needed to do on our own"
"So, this is what you want then? You're completely happy with your life the way it is, so I shouldn't keep pushing you towards those old dreams." Lisa wasn't happy, but she understood. She would help Clay understand too. The rest of the family wasn't important.
"Mom, I've got so much on my plate right now. Yes, I'm happy, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop dreaming big. For now, I'm adjusting to my new life. John and I both are going to have to work hard to make sure we're still satisfied at work and that our children won't suffer. We love our careers, but our family comes first." Evangeline had intentionally dropped a clue about the second baby.
"You've got some plans in the works, though. You did say children." Lisa had been a mother for far too long to miss such an important detail.
"More children are definitely in our future, but it's also our reality." Evangeline was smiling again. She still had another seven months, but she was excited to meet her new baby. Watching her children learn and grow was one of the things that she was looking forward to the most. "We're having another baby."
"Honey, please tell me this is not why you married so quickly and secretly." The joy that Lisa was feeling was eclipsed by what she thought was carelessness.
"No, mom." Evangeline sighed. Her mother had come a long way, but there was still more work to be done. "We did it 'right' this time. Marriage and then baby. I'm due in June."
Lisa knew the family would definitely be gossiping over this latest news. Then she looked at Evangeline and saw something that she hadn't seen in a very long time. She was happy, and not just putting on smile for the crowd. Maybe it wasn't what she and Robert planned, but Evangeline was successful. She'd done it on her own terms, and that was the most important thing. "I know I overreacted before, but I'm happy for you, Evangeline. I'm glad that John is the man that you want him to be. He's a great father. I know you two will have a wonderful life together. Just please don't forget that I want to be a part of that life too."
"I won't forget, mommy. I promise." Evangeline reached across the table as much as she could and pulled her mother into a hug. "Thank you for all your love and support."
"Mama," James called out to Evangeline as soon as she was in eyesight.
Evangeline turned to see John and her son waiting in the doorway. John was holding him as best as he could, but James was struggling to get to Evangeline. "There's my big boy." Evangeline wiped away the tears that threatened to fall and walked over to them.
"We would have stayed out longer, but he was missing you." John passed him off to Evangeline but pulled her into a hug so he was holding them both close. "I was missing you too. Everything okay?" He kissed her forehead and glanced over at Lisa. They were in a loving embrace when he interrupted, but that didn't mean things were okay.
"Better than okay. I was just telling mom about her new grandchild. And, I was telling her about our happily ever after." She kissed her son and then John.
"Happily ever after? I like the sound of that." John saw Lisa smiling like proud mother over Evangeline's shoulder. Things really were going to be okay.