Evangiline

Chapter Twentythree-Stay

Charles drove me back to my house after lunch, well after we were kicked out.

For the short ride there we talked about my mom and how the town was while he was off wherever. I told him that it was actually fine, which was a lie. The crime and homelessness rates had skyrocketed since the new gun law had been passed, allowing ownership easier.

Neither of us mentioned the last day that we saw each other and all the pain that it brought with it. The memory of him leaving struck a sharp pain in my chest. I swore that I could still feel him crying against me. Wuss.
I realized that my mom had only seen Charles a few times since I met him at the Tylid mansion- only a few that I know of. A few times after he left she had asked about him. I simply said "he left" and slumped off to my room or ignore her. I never told her about the proposal and even threatened Rosy's life a few times when she wanted to come clean about that day. My mom was busy a lot that year because of reflections and the drought, plus she left a lot sporadically for what I now know were her doctor appointments. She had to tour the entire state with Tylid so she was rarely ever home. She wasn't there to talk to about Charles or the new poems I'd written. She wasn't their to yell and scream at, to curse at for even giving birth to me, or to hug and tell that I was sorry.
    
     "My mom is home" I said as the car rolled up the gravel driveway. I heard her yelling through the walls before I even got out.
    
     The car came to a smooth stop and we both unbuckled.

   "Great." His tone was not sarcastic, he seemed happy. "I haven't seen her in forever."

  "Don't tell me y'all just going to talk about politics. Because if so you can leave." I said only half kidding.

    "No..." He chuckled. "I just want to recap and chat a little."

    I nodded then felt for my cane on the floor of his car. I held it out in front of me and walked alongside him. I felt weird walking up those marble steps with him again. My mom would be surprised and so Rosy.

    I took a deep breath before I entered and then stepped in with Charles behind me.

"Mom!" I yelled towards the living room where I figured she would be. Her yelling stopped.

     "Yes baby?" She yelled back. I heard her light footsteps as she came towards me. The rhythmic tapping stopped cold. "Oh... Hello... Mr. Heiden. What are you..."

   "I-" Charles started.

    "He was in town and I had to talk to him again." I interrupted him. "He wanted to see you."

     My mom walked up to us at the door. She put one hand on my shoulder and the other on his I assumed. "How nice to see you again. Let's sit. In the den."

    She walked in front of me and led us to the living room.

"Rosy get Mr.Heiden some sweet tea."

    "Thank you" Charles said as we sat down side by side.

    "I was just reading an email from your father," she said to Charles as she sat down across from us. "He is going to be in town soon for a seminar. Evangiline, he invited us."

   That was her way of telling me that I had to go and that she expected Charles to too. I groaned.

      "I'm only going to be here for a few more hours." He said, trying to get out of the situation that my mother drug him into.

It was awkward being in the same room that was the last place I saw him in.

    "Why leave so soon? You haven't been here in a while" my mother said, her voice hoarse.

      I tried to swallow the growing lump in my throat but it wouldn't go down. I was mad at both of them.

     "I am just passing through-"

      "Where to?" My mom was a senator so she had to ask questions.

But he said he came back for me...

     "Um... I... New Orleans. The city needs me." He said nervously.

    I knew that all they would talk about was politics. I started to stand up, then he gently pulled my arm down. He whispered "stay". That was all he had to say.

     "So...will you go with us?" My mom asked in her most polite tone.

   I felt Charles hesitate. "Yes."

                    ..................

  I stood up so abruptly that I heard both my mom and Charles gasp. They were both quiet and the whole room froze with tension so touch you could cut it with a knife.

  "Evangi-"

"What's wr-"

They both stopped blabbing when I yelled as loudly as I could. "Both of you shut up! Shut up! It's my turn to speak."

  "Go ahead."

I turned to where Charles's voice came from. "You... I actually thought I liked you. Kind of. Then... Then you freaking leave me here alone with this shit," I waved to where my mom was sobbing, "because I didn't want to marry you after just a few months. Then I find out that you and literally everyone else knew that my mom had cancer before I did. You hid the from me!"

My voice was getting raw now. I struggled to speak without my words sounding gargled. "And you, mom," I turned to where she was, "I don't know how long you've even had cancer or what kind! You've been dying right in front of me and I never even saw it! Both of you betrayed me and it really fucking hurts."

  I felt myself getting overwhelmed to the point where my asthma was starting to act up. So I breathed in my nose and out my mouth for ten seconds. It barely helped.

No one else spoke.
 
"So what I'm going to do is something the old Evangiline would never do; I am going to forgive you. But only if both of you start being completely honest with me. If not, then do not expect me to be honest with you. Understand? "

"Yes." they both said at the same time.

"Good. Now lets leave."