"I think I'm falling in love with you."
I stare at him, not believing the words that just came out of his mouth. My mouth is dry, my feet swollen and achy, and I’m shaking. No, my hand is shaking...vibrating. I realize my phone is ringing in my purse but I don't know what to do. I’m frozen; I don't want to ruin this moment. I want Evans to keep talking...I want him to explain what he just said, but he only smiles. "It's okay. Go ahead and answer your phone."
Without taking my eyes off of him, I reach for my purse and answer. "Hello?"
"Ciara! Thank god you answered!"
I frown, pulling my phone away so I can see the caller ID—unknown. I also check the time; it's almost midnight. What is going on? "Mom? What happened? Where are you calling me from?"
"Honey, we're fine. We're here in New York, at the airport."
A chill creeps down my spine and the color drains from my face. "What?" I don't mean to yell, but I do. This can't be happening.
"We wanted to surprise you! We miss you and since you couldn't come to us, we thought we'd come to you. We were supposed to land much earlier, but there was a delay. Thank God you're awake!"
"But what about Dad?"
"He's doing so much better, honey, but he didn't come. He’s staying with your uncle while we're here, but we can talk later. Can you come get us? I can't wait to see you!"
"Yeah, of course," I mutter. She tells me where she and my sister will be waiting, I tell her I'll get there as soon as I can, then hang up. I cover my face with my hands. "This can't be happening," I whisper. Why couldn't I just enjoy what Evans told me? Not that I hate my mom for coming—I miss her terribly—but this is seriously the worst time.
"This can't be happening." I look at my stomach. How am I supposed to hide it? It is obviously visible under the dress, so it's not really an option. What am I going to tell her? Oh God, why is this happening now?
This is the worst timing…ever.
I don't realize I’m pacing until Evans grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop.
"Ciara, what is happening?" he asks.
"My mom—she's here." I say, looking up at him. "I'm supposed to pick her up at the airport."
He frowns. "You didn't know she was coming?"
"No. I—she doesn't know, Evans What am I going to tell her?"
He takes a deep breath. "Listen, let's go pick them up, okay? We'll figure it out. Come on," he says, reaching for my hand. I follow, looking around for Flora. With everything Evans told me, I’d completely forgotten that I was at her wedding.
Evans leads me to his car, and we don't say anything as he drives. My mind is working at maximum speed as I try to figure out what I'm going to tell my mom. I still have Evan's jacket—it’s big on me, so I button it to cover myself up more. I don't want my baby belly to be the first thing my mom sees; I want to explain first. I could tell her I got pregnant by my ex-boyfriend or something, but I know she's going to want to keep the baby even if I don't, so I can't tell her that. What the hell am I going to tell her?
The truth. I don't have another choice.
My hands start to sweat as Evans gets closer to the terminal. My heart is pounding against my chest and there's a knot in my throat, my eyes burning with unshed tears.Evans parallel parks next to the sidewalk. I look out the window—there are people walking around with their suitcases, others getting in a cab, others using the public phone...
"Ciara."
I turn to look at Evans. He looks worried. I must look horrible, but I can't help it. I'm insanely nervous and scared. I don't know what I'm going to do.
"You need to calm down," he says softly. “Breathe. Please.”
I nod, taking a few deep breaths. "My mom—"
"It's going to be okay," he interrupts. "Just calm down and trust me, okay?"
I nod again, knowing this isn't good for the baby. He reaches out and places his hands on each of my cheeks. I gaze into his blue eyes and think he's going to kiss me on the lips but instead, he places a kiss to my forehead. He stays like that for a moment and I close my eyes, already feeling much calmer. Suddenly, I’m back in the garden.
I think I'm falling in love with you.
Evans pulls away. "Let's go find them," he says, getting out of the car.
I sit there, unable to move, still feeling his longing kiss. He opens the door and offers me his hand. Once I'm outside, I look around, suddenly feeling really tired. My eyes can barely focus, and I feel like I'm going to faint. Evans places a hand on my lower back, practically reading my mind. I spot my mom and sister when we walk closer to the public phones—they are standing right next to one.