“What did she say? Diane asked Evie, handing her a hot coffee.
“It’s sort of hard to explain.” Evie took the coffee and sipped it scalding hot. It was just how she liked it, despite the numbing aftershock. “After I told her she’s my daughter, all she wanted to do was spend time with me.”
“That’s pretty lucky. Most people would freak out.”
“Oh, she did. It’s just that I managed to calm her down.”
Evie thought back to the sensations she’d felt when she let that secret out to Amelia. More than anything, it was a great weight lifted from her shoulders. The conversation that had followed—no matter how short, due to Amelia’s busy schedule—had been uplifting. The problem was, they didn’t get very far past telling her she was in danger.
“So,” Diane asked, dunking a small cookie into her coffee, “how was it left?”
“We exchanged numbers, and she’s going to call me.”
Diane smiled, her perfect pearly whites beaming. “Great. I’m really happy for you.”
Evie returned the smile and took another sip of her molten coffee, slipping off her shoes and crossing her legs. “How about you and Mason? What are you doing to take precautions with the whole Wendell thing?”
“Well…” Diane finished chewing, sucked the chocolate off her thumb, then sat back with a long exhale. “I’m struggling, to be honest.”
“Oh?”
“Mason and I have had some pretty big ups and downs. It’s something of a roller coaster. As much as I love the man, he just can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble. Now we’ve got little MJ to worry about, and all I keep thinking is that what happened to Amy might happen to him. I know it’s morbid, but it has to be considered.”
Evie nodded silently, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She had always really liked Diane, but sitting here talking about her brother made for an uneasy setting. As she dug deep into her own erratic mind on what she could say next, the phone buzzed in her pocket. Evie ripped it out and saw Amelia’s name on the screen. Her heart filled with joy.
“I’m so sorry, I have to take this.”
“Amelia?” Diane asked.
Evie nodded violently and rushed out of the room, taking the call immediately.