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Artemis Hunter tries not to think about him as she makes her way through her childhood home, guided by her children who claim to know the layout more than she does to the garden. Her entire family are out there, she knows that. She knows it because she can hear them, almost, as she sidesteps her parents' pet cat, Bertie, while her children bend down to pat affectionately at his head. The Hunter Family Barbecue is a tradition that spans nearly twenty years, now; and this year, it's Eleanor and Patrick's turn to host their family, and their children's childhood friends, who would never pass up on an opportunity for free food, even if they are all adults with their own families now.
Artemis flashes a smile at her daughter, Ellie, as she turns to beam up at her over her shoulder, and then she's stepping outside, into the fresh air and blinding sunlight.
She doesn't see him, see Chris, but she knows he's here—Sarah had spotted him a little while ago, but she didn't get the chance to talk to him, distracted by her own child before she could think to approach the man they once knew like the backs of their hands.
She does, however, see her friends—gathered by the old oak tree that posed as the backdrop for many of their memories, teenagers out late and drinking, pretending that Artemis' parents didn't know and weren't keeping a watchful eye on them from the kitchen window. She nudges Harrison, who walks beside her as he always has, in the side, and together they move towards the group.
"Where's Liam?" Caleb asks before Artemis can greet her friends, his question posed to Sean, who ruffles the five-year-old's hair and points him in the direction of his ten-year-old son.
Caleb runs off without saying goodbye, and Ellie is hot on his heels, refusing to let her brother escape her for even a second.
"Tell me, Artemis." Tom turns his gaze to her, dark eyes twinkling with mischief. "How did we get to your own family barbecue before you did?"
"There was a paint disaster." She shudders at the memory of the mess that nearly sparked a heart attack. "Ellie got into the paints, and thought it would be a good idea to paint me a picture... on her face."
"Nice," Sean snorts, and then throws an arm across Artemis' shoulders, "I don't miss the mess."
"Shut up." Artemis elbows him. "You're just jealous that our kids are still little babies and yours is a whole ten years old." She wraps her arms around Sean's waist, laughing as he pretends to sob into his hand.
"I don't remember Sean being this emotional."
They turn together, Artemis, Sean, and Harrison. Chris is standing there, hands tucked into the pockets of his jeans and a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He's joined by Apollo and, surprisingly, Sebastian Stan, who offers a friendly smile to Artemis before her gaze falls back to Chris.
"He cries a lot nowadays," Tom tells him with a sigh, "He's super emotional. His kid turns ten and suddenly, he's crying more than Liam does."
"Holy shit, Liam's ten?" Chris' eyes are wide, and he looks to Sean for confirmation. "Has it really been ten years?"
It has, she wants to say, but the words die on her throat. Ten years since she last saw Chris Evans in person, an accidental meeting at a coffee shop that was cut short before they could even think to repair their relationship. Back when she was with Harrison and he was with someone else, an actress who deserved his love more than she did. She curls her hand tighter around the fabric of Sean's shirt, and he thankfully doesn't draw any attention to it.
"Don't say it like that," Sarah groans from behind Artemis, "It makes me feel old."
"I'm sorry," Chris laughs. "If it makes you feel any better, you haven't aged a day."
"I've aged twelve years in the last two," she tells him, "Parenthood is not easy."
"He wouldn't know," Sebastian says, clapping Chris on the back. "The only people that call him Daddy are weird teenagers on the internet."
Chris shudders and shrugs away from Sebastian, his face scrunched up in disgust. "Don't ever say that again. I'll kill you." He turns back to the group, back to Artemis, and he smiles. "Do you all have kids now, then? Harrison only talked about his when we met."
"Everyone but Tommy," Elle says, "But he is engaged, so we'll get there soon, probably."
"I can't believe Tom's leaving me to get married," Sean sighs, "I'm a little bit heartbroken."
"Don't act like you're all alone in the Land of the Unmarried, Sean," Sarah snorts, "Harry and Emi are right there with you."
"You guys aren't married?" Chris frowns, "I thought you guys were, like, forever or something."
"Hey, we're still forever," Harrison cuts in, "Just not... romantically, I guess? It worked out for a while, but then it didn't. She's still one of the most important women in my life, you know?"
"Partially because Sarah would disown her own blood just to keep me in her life," Artemis says, matter-of-fact, and smiles innocently at Chris. "I'm just that important to her."
"I like her," Sebastian tells Chris, and it's only then that Artemis realises that her brother had slunk away at some point during their conversation. She sees him now, laughing with their younger sisters about something that's probably at the expense of their father's new, and very ugly, shirt. "I don't know which one you are."
She laughs and holds out a hand for him to shake, letting go of Sean in the process. "I'm Artemis," she tells him, "I'm Apollo's twin sister."
"I'm sorry that you had to deal with that." Sebastain sends a glare in her brother's direction. "He's the Devil."
"You're right," Artemis sighs, following his glare. Apollo has now migrated towards the children, easily fitting in amongst them as they play some sort of pirate game. "He's the worst."
Later, as the barbecue begins to die down, Artemis finds herself sitting at a table with her friends, Chris, and Sebastian. They migrated here a little while after the table was left vacated by her Aunt Judy, who shakes her head at them now from where she stands at the food table, clearly berating her husband for not saving their table from them.
Chris is laughing. He's laughing, and he looks so happy like this, one hand on his chest and his head tilted back. It reminds Artemis that this is the same Chris, the same man she loved and hurt and lost. And he is here, with her, sitting in the backyard of her childhood home, and laughing with her friends.
She missed him, she realises this now. She missed him more than she thought she did, because Chris Evans was once such a big part of her life, and losing him meant losing a part of herself that she never thought she would get back. But he's here, and he's happy, and Artemis thinks that maybe something could be salvaged from their past.
