Bittersweet

EVIE

Sam stood beside me in my parents’ living room, as uneasy as could be. Tension emanated from his skin like heat as we stood side by side, staring at my parents, Saanvi, and Tim perched on the smoky gray sofas.

White string lights gleamed on each branch of the Douglas fir in front of the picture window, but I could only fixate on Saanvi’s wide eyes and lifted eyebrows as she glared at me. I could hear her words ricocheting around in my head like ping-pong balls.

~Spit it out, bitch!~

“Mom…Dad…” I exhaled, choosing to break the less explosive report first. “I lied about Sam’s last name. It isn’t Santiago. It’s Vázquez. And he’s my boss…”

Their expectant smiles faded; they seemed underwhelmed.

“Why would you lie about that?” my father asked.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged in shame. “I guess I just didn’t want you guys to think of me differently.”

“Honey, as long as you’re happy, we wouldn’t,” Mom said, half-smiling. “Besides, we like Sam. Whatever his last name may be.”

“As long as you’re happy.” Those words sparked something in me, and I thought again of that storefront I’d seen on Main Street. I wanted to be happy. A second life for Evangeline’s would make me so happy.

Was I a fool for wanting a baby, Sam, ~and~ to be a small business owner? Would I be taking on too much at once? I knew one thing: I’d regret it if I never tried to open a new shop. I’d regret it if I let such a perfect opportunity slip out of my fingers, just because I was scared.

I took a breath. I’d figure all this out soon. For now, there was a more urgent matter to discuss. “There’s also something else,” I said.

I glanced at Sam, who peered back at me. The broad tan lines across his forehead as he raised his brows and the smirk tugging at the corners of his lips calmed me, and I drew in another breath.

“Oh, come on already!” Saanvi huffed.

“I’m pregnant,” I blurted.

Mom erupted into a holler and held her palm toward Dad, who shook his head and pulled out his wallet. “Pay up, dear!” she ordered.

~Pay up? What the fuck?~

“Wait, you knew?” Saanvi snapped.

“Of course I knew, honey,” Mom said, accepting her twenty-dollar bill from my father with a smile. “The moment Evie left the kitchen when I put the sausage on the griddle. That same thing made me sick when I was pregnant with her.”

Honestly, I didn’t know what reaction I’d been expecting, but it surely wasn’t this one.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked.

“I knew you’d tell us when you were ready,” Eleanor said, smiling.

My parents rose from the couch, followed by Saanvi and Tim, to exchange hugs and handshakes with Sam, thankfully giving me a moment to rein in my tears.

I’d dreamed of this moment for so long: giving my family this positive news—this miracle. After so many tests and so many years of trying, it had really felt like the odds were against me.

“Congratulations, honey,” my mother said with welling eyes. “I know how badly you wanted this.”

“We all did,” I said, wiping at my eyes.

Saanvi grinned and couldn’t help but brag. “I knew.”

“I know, sweetie,” my mother said, scrunching her pale nose.

Saanvi truly was too smart for her own good, but my mother was the real queen of cleverness. I can’t believe she’d known for days and held it in without yielding a single hint.

“Do you guys wanna stay for dinner?” Mom asked.

“Can we rain check for tomorrow evening?” I asked. “There’s someplace I wanna take Sam tonight.” I’d thought I didn’t want to talk to him about Evangeline’s just yet, but with so many dreams coming true today, what was one more?

After a round of goodbyes, Sam readily drove me back to my apartment—but little did he know, the shop across the way was our true destination. We emerged from the car, and I couldn’t help but take in the sight of Main Street at Christmastime.

Snow fell from the night sky. Every once in a while, the patchy clouds would part to let the dazzling flecks of stars show. The town had decorated each bare maple tree lining the street with tiny warm white lights leading to the tall clock tower lit up in the distance.

Seattle never felt like this to me. It was too big a city; there was no one street where you could feel the magic flowing from the sidewalks like melting ice. I’d never realized how much I missed my hometown until this very moment.

Sam came forward to block my view of the distant clock steeple, his expression curious. “You all right?”

“I wanna show you something,” I said.

He narrowed his eyes. “Okay.”

I led him across the street to the charming little department store with the “For Sale” sign in its vast display window. Sam’s darkened reflection squinted back at me, his puzzled face diffusing over the glass.

“What do you think?” I asked, unable to peel my eyes from the store.

I cherished this feeling—standing here with my new love, imagining all the possibilities. Maybe I could extend my business this time, sell not only flowers but chocolates as well. After all, they went hand in hand.

Sam smirked. “Well, I imagined something a little different for a nursery, but…”

I grinned, twisting toward him. “I mean for Evangeline’s. After I get approved for a loan, I was thinking about hiring Charlie Carter to do some renovations for me.”

Sam pulled me into a muscular embrace, and I clutched the back of his jacket, hoping he wouldn’t be too unhappy at the idea of me leaving the firm so quickly.

“I think it’s great,” he said.

“But we wouldn’t see each other as much,” I said, furrowing my brows. “Are you okay with that?”

“Well, no, of course not. But if anyone can understand wanting to be their own boss, it’s me.”

I knew he’d be on board, but like he said, it still sucked a little bit. “This isn’t my official two weeks’ notice, but…I’m gonna miss you, Vázquez,” I muttered.

“I’m gonna miss you too, angel,” he whispered back.

I would, too. I wasn’t that excited to start at this job, but now, I would treasure the times I’d popped into his office just to say hello. Or accidentally excluded a page in one of his files, just so I could sneak back in and ogle him in his suit.

I’d miss all the filthy fantasies about him calling me into his office just to bend me over his desk and have his fill of my body.

Sam grinned. “So, I have a ~proposal~, if you will…”

I smirked. “I’m listening.”

“I’ll still be able to walk over here on my lunch break, but half an hour doesn’t compare to my daily dose of eight,” he said. “So, how would you feel about moving in with me?”

The air rushed from my lungs, trembling between my slightly parted lips like a sad excuse for a winter’s breeze.

“Sam, I—I just signed a year lease. I’d owe eleven months’ worth of rent.”

“I’ll pay it.”

“What? Sam…” I shook my head. “No. I can’t let you do tha—”

“I want to,” he said, cutting me off. “Falling to sleep with you every night and waking up with you every morning? It would be worth that and so much more.”

~Yes.~

Those three letters rested on the tip of my tongue, but I was frozen. I couldn’t even imagine living in Sam’s giant home, having him at my disposal every night.

Sam beamed at me as if he could tell exactly how tempting the notion was. He smiled and let out a pleading whisper. “Just say yes, Evie.”