“Where are we?” I asked.
“My house,” he said, and then killed the engine.
“Yours?” I wasn’t expecting that. “But the houseboat …?”
“I prefer to stay there.” He opened his door and got out of the car. “Come on.”
I took a deep breath and followed him, not at all sure what to expect but certain of only one thing. If I tried to guess, I would undoubtedly be wrong.
The front door had a keypad lock and he punched in the code and then stepped inside. I followed, then looked around in silent awe at the beautiful interior. I’d grown up in a fabulous home, and the condo I now lived in was stunning. But the interior of Evan’s home was an absolutely perfect mix of beauty and comfort. It reflected money and taste along with an ultimate sense of home. It felt cozy and inviting. And that just made it more odd to me that he didn’t want to actually live there full-time.
“It’s me,” he called, his volume surprising me. “Who’s home?”
A moment later, a large woman in black drawstring pants and a scrub-style top came in from an adjoining room with a dishtowel in her hands. “Mr. Evan! Why didn’t you call? I would have held dinner for you.”
“Don’t worry, Ava. I’ll fix us something later.” He indicated me. “This is Angelina Raine. She’ll be staying the night.”
Before I could react to that news, Ava took my hand and was clutching it warmly. “How wonderful! We’ve heard so much about you.”
I glanced at Evan in surprise. “Thank you. I appreciate you putting up with us on such short notice.”
She waved the words away, and I thought she was going to say something else, but the pounding of feet on the floor above us caught all of our attention. The pounding was followed by a woman’s voice calling, “Evan! Evan!”
Ivy, I assumed, but there was something odd about the voice that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
And then there she was hurrying down the stairs with the same excitement as a child expecting presents. Her hair was long and unkempt, and it was hanging in such a way as to cover her face. She wore a pink sweatshirt with a giant purple heart on it and Converse tennis shoes. She skidded to a stop in front of us and pushed her hair back out of her face—and when she did, I had to force myself not to gasp.
The woman’s face was so scarred that it was almost unrecognizable as female. She had only half of her nose, her eyebrows were completely missing, and her mouth was twisted now in a strange contortion of a smile. That contortion, however, was filled with so much joy at the sight of Evan that it seemed to light her up from the inside, and made tears sting my eyes. After stopping for just a second, she launched herself into his arms crying, “I missed you! What did you bring me? What did you bring me?”
“Something very cool,” he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his wallet, opened it, and took out a two dollar bill. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, handing it to her?
She studied it intently. “Money.”
He laughed. “Well, yeah. But how much?”
Her scarred eyes widened just a little. “Two! Wow! I’ve never seen that before! Is it real? Will it buy Twizzlers?”
“It is and it will.”
“Thank you!” She threw her arms around his neck. “I love you! I miss you!”
“I love you and miss you, too. And guess what else I brought you?” he asked as she released her grip. He nodded toward me. “A new friend.”
She turned to me and smiled wide, revealing remarkably perfect teeth. “Hi! You’re pretty!”
I had to laugh. “Thank you,” I said. “So are you,” I added, and was rewarded with her vibrant smile. “And I love Twizzlers, too.”
“Really? Wow! How old are you?” she asked.
“Almost twenty-four,” I said.
“No kidding?” she asked, as if that was the most amazing thing in the world. “I’m twenty! That’s a two and a zero because it’s two groups of ten, right Evan?”
“Absolutely perfect. This is Angelina,” he added, indicating me. “Lina, I’d like to introduce you to my sister. This is Melissa Ivy Black.”
nineteen
We spent the next few hours in the backyard with Ivy alternating between tossing a Frisbee, playing in a sandbox, and answering knock-knock jokes. I didn’t ask Evan any more questions—I wouldn’t have known where to start. And I knew now that he’d tell me in his own way in his own time.
“Ivy!” Ava called from the kitchen. “Time for your medicine and bed.”
“Can I watch SpongeBob?” she asked Evan.
“If Ava says so,” he answered, standing. “Come on, we’ll walk you in.” He took her hand, and when she reached out her other one for me, I took it, as well. It was as scarred as the rest of her, and I had the horrible feeling that if we peeled off that layer of clothes, her whole body would be scar tissue. The thought made me unbelievably sad.
Ivy, however, was as happy and bouncy as a child. “Will you be here tomorrow?” she asked me.
I glanced at Evan.
“We’ll be here for breakfast,” he said. “Then I have to get back to work.”
“You work too much,” she said.
He laughed. “I’m trying to fix that. As soon as I do, I’ll have more time to spend with you.”
“Yay!” She clapped her hands and then ran ahead into the kitchen after Ava.
“She’s wonderful,” I said when she was gone.