Chapter Thirteen
Evie
I look at my watch. It’s eight o’clock. I am itching to get home so that I could see Colton.
“I’ll go get Carter ready for bed,” Jake signs to me and his mother.
“Go ahead. I’ll hang out with Evie for a while,” Veronica says and signs at the same time. I love seeing Veronica, Jake’s mom, and I love hanging out with her, but I have a very hot and very distinguished governor waiting on me. The thought makes me press my thighs together to stop the ache building between my legs at the idea of Colton merely touching me.
“I should get going,” I say, standing up from the chair in Jake’s kitchen.
Jake is holding Carter in his arms even though my son was too big to be carried that way. Still, I love that he has such an adoring and affectionate father in Jake. With Carter in his arms, Jake can’t sign, but he is cutting me a glare. He puts our son down and signs to him to go to his room to get ready for a shower. Carter runs off. “You seeing him tonight?” Jake signs. I notice Veronica eyeing us carefully, trying to figure out what was going on as she still works on her glass of wine from dinner.
“Who is ‘him?’” she asks, looking directly at me. She takes another sip of her wine.
“Colton Mathis, the governor,” I say.
Veronica’s wine glass slipped out of her hand smashing to the table and falling to the floor breaking into small shards of glass. She has a stupefied look on her face for a moment before she snaps out of it and begins reacting to the mess she made.
“Shoot. Look what I’ve done,” she chides herself then reaches down for the broken glass.
“Veronica, wait…” I hope my voice sounds loud. She pauses and looks up to me, a blank look on her face. “Let me get a broom and dustpan. You shouldn’t pick it up with your hands. I don’t want you to get cut.”
She nods silently, still standing in the mess like she is an ice sculpture. Her behavior is bizarre. I know I am just some regular person and the governor is, well, the governor, but that wasn’t the reaction I was expecting. I thought more along the lines of Wow! Evie, you lucky girl. I go to get the dustpan and broom from the cupboard while Jake signs he is going to check on Carter. Apparently, my assumption was off base. Her reaction just fed into my insecurities. I am a deaf woman dating the governor. Why would he want me over so many other beautiful women in the long run? I tamp down my negative thoughts. Veronica snaps out of her daze and holds the dustpan while I sweep the shards of broken glass. We dump everything into a plastic bag, and I take it to the garbage bin. If I had been excited only moments ago, now I was questioning everything.
I return to the kitchen with a wet rag to wipe up the remnants of the wine from the broken glass. When I lift my head, I take in Veronica’s frown.
“Oh, sweet girl. I’m sorry for my reaction. I don’t want you to think what you’re thinking. I can see your pain in the depths of your blue eyes. It’s always there and I know I’ve said this to you before, but you are an amazing woman. You’re a great mother, and any man should be honored to have you,” she says sincerely, her hands signing all the words held more impact for me. She smiles softly. “You know deep down I always wished you and Jake would finally get your acts together and make Carter a home. I know I don’t say it explicitly, but a mother and grandmother could wish,” she says, and a lone tear begins to stray down her left cheek. I don’t know what to feel at this point. Deep down I know these are her wishes.
“I know, and I hate that you feel disappointed,” I say, and she stops me from continuing.
“No, sweet girl. I’m not disappointed. You and my son have done a great job raising Carter. I’m proud of you both. I’m so sorry if my reaction caused you to doubt yourself because you should have no doubts.”
“How could I not have doubts?” I ask. What I wanted to say was that my mother didn’t want a deaf child because it was too difficult. Why would someone like Colton want me long term?
“I know what happened with your mom still hurts, but I hope it hasn’t defined you. I’ve always prayed for that. Look at all you’ve accomplished. You’re special, Evie, there is no doubt about that.”
“Thank you.” I lean in and hug Veronica.
When I pull away, the lone tear has turned to several.
“Ignore me, I’ve had too much wine with dinner, and I am too emotional,” she waves me off.
“I’m going to give Carter a kiss goodbye,” I say, walking toward the back of Jake’s apartment.
I see steam billowing from the shower, so I just stand in the doorway hoping to project my voice as much as possible. “Have a good night, honey!” I can’t hear a reply, but then I see Carter’s small hand wave outside the curtain. I walk by Carter’s room where I watch Jake getting his bed ready for sleep since there are a ton of toys poured over top. I tap his shoulder and sign for him to have a good night. He doesn’t seem in an overly friendly mood so I place a peck on his cheek too and tell him I would see him at school tomorrow.
“Have a good night,” I say to Veronica who is in the kitchen clearing off the table.
She lifts her head and says, “You too.” I can’t get over the solemn look on her face when she says it. And with those last words, I leave the apartment even though an unsettled feeling has come upon me.