Page 73 of Back to Square One

Rowan glanced at Evie, who was snoring softly against her hip. Well, she typed, Evie broke her wrist today, so I’m at her place, helping out.

The dots bounced before a wide-eyed emoji showed up, followed by Oh no! Is she okay?

Rowan nodded as she typed back. Cast. Painkillers. But yes.

And how are you? came Stevie’s next question, and she knew it wasn’t the simple surface question one might think. Proving her point, another text came right after. Are you okay?

She sighed quietly as she thought about the day, and she wanted to be honest with Stevie because Stevie was her voice of reason. She didn’t call me. Claire did. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known. She wet her lips, thinking about her next words. We had a discussion about that.

It took a while for Stevie to answer. And how was that?

She made herself stop and really think about it…not just how it went, but how she felt about it all. I think it went well, but we have more to discuss. I don’t think she understands that I want to be here. She’s afraid of becoming a burden and trapping me.

The gray dots bounced, then stopped. Bounced again. Stopped again. Stevie was clearly having trouble finding the right words, but they finally came. I think we’re all afraid of that.

Her first reaction was anger. Because fuck these people. These were her friends and they just expected her to abandon the woman she loved because she was sick? How cruel were they? But then she took a breath and made herself look at the situation from an angle not her own. Stevie loved her and wanted what was best for her, and she knew that. If being with Evie was the thing that was best for her, Stevie would be all in. She just had to make sure. She was Rowan’s best friend, and she wanted to make sure her best friend was okay. She took a deep breath and typed.

I know. But I love her, Stevie. I love her. And she loves me. She does and she knows it. She’s just afraid. I’m helping her with that.

A long time seemed to go by before Stevie’s response came. You’re a really good person, Ro. You know that?

Rowan shook her head with a smile. I just love her. You’d do the same for Sara.

100% came back instantly. A few more moments went by before Stevie’s next text. You know what? I think some of us need to start stepping up the way you have. Evie did a good job of shutting us out, but we let her. That’s on us.

Rowan blinked in surprise.

Sara and I will pop by tomorrow, see what you need.

They finished texting and said good night, and Rowan set the phone aside with a smile on her face. For the first time, she remembered Evie’s big reveal at the lake house, how Rowan wasn’t the only person who hadn’t known about Evie’s diagnosis. Nobody had. She’d kept it from all her friends—well, except for Claire—as well as from Rowan. She thought about that and shook her head slowly, sadly. Had she intended to spend the rest of her days alone? The MS eating away at her nerve endings, the loneliness eating away at her heart? Rowan’s eyes welled up just thinking about that kind of existence, and she swallowed down a lump as she gazed at Evie’s sleeping face. She looked peaceful now, thanks to the combination of meds and exhaustion, but Rowan knew there was always a shadow of worry on Evie’s face now that rarely disappeared. And it made sense. She’d been dealt a very difficult hand, and there was no getting around it. It simply was, and she had to figure out how to live with it. Forever.

“I love you,” Rowan whispered into the quiet room. She reached down and gently moved a lock of hair that had fallen across Evie’s forehead. “I love you, and so do your friends, and you are not going to face this alone. You’re not. I’m here, and I’m staying here.”

Evie didn’t stir, unsurprisingly, but something in Rowan felt lighter, more solid, more certain. She hunkered down a bit into the bed and returned her attention to the TV.

As predicted, it was the husband.

Epilogue

One year later

“Thank you guys so much,” Rowan said as she handed a wad of cash to the head mover. “Much appreciated.”

The man was a giant hulk of muscle—she’d watched him carry a dresser all on his own—and he gave Rowan a nod. “Take care.” He grabbed up the last two moving blankets from the floor and headed out to the truck. Rowan stood in the doorway of her new home and watched as the moving truck pulled away and headed down her new street.

In the corner of the living room sat Kevin’s carrier. Next to it sat Evie. She glanced up at Rowan with a tired smile. “He stopped yowling. Finally.”

“The only time he’s ever in that is when we go to the vet, so he was probably thinking that’s where we were headed.” She squatted down to look at her cat through the door. “It’s okay, buddy. I’ll let you out in a minute, all right?” She stuck her fingers in and gave him a quick stroke.

“Okay, I think we’re good in here.” Rowan’s mom peeked her head out from around the counter area of the kitchen. “Wanna come take a look?”

Rowan held a hand down to Evie and helped her to her feet. In the kitchen, they both stopped in their tracks. Boxes were flattened and in a pile on the floor by the back door. The cupboard doors stood open, but the shelves were filled with dishes.

“Mom, did you unpack the entire kitchen?” Rowan blinked at her.

“Well.” Her mom shrugged. “The kitchen is the place you need most, and I know you girls have a lot of unpacking to do, so I thought it would help if this room was already done.”

Evie said nothing, simply stepped into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Rowan’s mother, who hugged her back while smiling over her shoulder at Rowan. “Thank you,” Evie said quietly.