Closing Books

by Grace, Trisha

  Dan had gone on into the living room, picking up magazines and some pieces of clothing off the table. He held them in his hand, looked around for a moment, and eventually chucked them onto a corner of the couch. “I know. We had a funeral for Mandy Shannon, I thought Evelyn Jordan deserves a birthday.”

  Evelyn took a few steps and dropped the bear. She stood and considered the possibility of hauling it all the way into her room without dragging along the other stuff that was scattered around. “And why is there a need for such a huge toy?”

  He looked around the house and grinned. “I was afraid you might lose it if it wasn’t large enough to be covered by,” he scanned the living and said, “stuff.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him, and he laughed.

  “I’m kidding, I don’t mind the mess—not that it’s messy at all.” Stepping forward, he pushed her damp hair behind her ear and took her hand. “You said you didn’t own any toys, so I wanted to get you one that’s…special?” He lifted her chin and kissed her softly on the lips. “You hate it?”

  She smiled and returned his kiss. “No, I love it. Just need to find a way to get it into my room.”

  “You can ask me to help.”

  “Why can’t you just carry it in for me?”

  “Because I think it’s good practice for you to ask for help.”

  She wanted to retort, but after the stunt she created last night, she deserved it. Nodding, she cleared her throat dramatically and asked in the sweetest voice she could conjure, “Dan, would you please help me put this lovely present into my room?”

  “Anything for you.” He winked and picked up the bear easily.

  While Evelyn got ready, Dan moved around the house, picking up the pieces of clothing flung all over the floor and dining chair, and placed them on the couch. Then he arranged her magazines, placing them neatly on a corner of the table.

  “So, you haven’t told me where we’re going.”

  Though she only left him alone for less than fifteen minutes, her living room looked drastically cleaner than it was before, almost like how it looked after Kate had been over. She stood, distracted by the lack of clutter on her floor.

  “Just thought I’d help you pack things up a little. Had nothing to do,” Dan said.

  Evelyn was used to Kate cleaning up her stuff; it didn’t matter much to her. She knew that many people who live messily always claimed to know exactly where their things were. Evelyn never bothered to lie about that; she never knew where her things were.

  She knew, roughly, that she’d probably thrown something into a particular corner, but other than that, she was usually clueless. Whenever she was desperate to find something, she would simply call Kate and pray that Kate had packed it away neatly.

  “I didn’t do much. Just picked up your clothes and gathered your magazines.”

  Evelyn smiled and shrugged. “I don’t mind. I guess it’s easier to find my clothes when they’re in a heap as compared to all over my house. So, where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.” The corner of Dan’s lips turned up, almost into a smirk.

  “You know, this whole secrecy thing let me learn something about myself—I. Do. Not. Like. Surprises.”

  “You’ll love this one.”

  She shook her head; his arrogance was annoying her, but she couldn’t help thinking it was somewhat alluring.

  Taking his arrogance as a challenge, she started her quest of prying some information out of him. Throughout the whole drive, she tried asking him different questions in various ways. She tried goading, coaxing, and pleading with him, but none of it worked.

  Having run out of creative ways to question Dan, she gave up and watched the passing scenery while her mind continued to muse over the possibilities of where they were heading.

  When Dan finally pulled the car to a stop, she looked out at the park and wondered what they were doing there. She turned to ask him, but he’d already closed the door behind him and was moving toward hers.

  Once she stepped out, she glanced around and spotted Marianne waving at them.

  Sitting in the shade of the tree, everyone except Joseph was there. A large mat was spread out with all sorts of food that must have been prepared by Marianne. “A picnic?”

  Dan grinned and, with his arm behind her back, led her toward the group.

  “Happy birthday!” Marianne smiled, pulling out a small cake from a chilled lunch bag. “I’m sorry, I didn’t have much time to make it look better. Your boy there didn’t bother telling me until after he sent you home last night.”

  “I wasn’t asking you to bake one. I was asking you and Kate to pick one.” Turning to look at Evelyn, Dan said, “I had to go buy your present.”

  “Why would I pick one, when I can make one?”

  Evelyn looked down at the cake. It already looked like a store-bought cake. “I’m not trying to be polite, but it looks beautiful as it is. Thank you.”

  “Oh, come sit down. Kate said these are your favorite dishes. Try them!”

  “Thank you, Marianne, for preparing all of these.”

  “Oh, my dear, Dan planned it. I just did what I do every day—cook! And you should know I love cooking.”

  She sat on the mat while Ryan said, “Try the cake first.”

  “Because Marianne says he can’t have any until you take the first bite,” Kate added.

  Evelyn laughed softly. “Aren’t you afraid you’ll get fat from all that eating? I mean, you can’t work out in your condition, and you’re opening a gym.”

  “This boy still has his dumb bells in his room. And don’t listen to him complain about having difficulties moving around; he’s always moving around on his own. Can’t sit still.”

  “Joe working?” Dan asked.

  Tyler nodded as he ran his fingers down Kate’s hair.

  Evelyn looked around. She’d never imagined herself having a picnic with such a large group of people. She’d never thought she would fit into such a scene, sitting idly under the clear blue sky, being among the smiling faces and the laughter that filled the atmosphere.

  She leaned onto Dan and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Brushing her hair behind her ear, Dan hooked his arm around Evelyn’s shoulder and pulled her closer toward him. “You’re welcome.”

  They sat around eating and chatting the whole morning, until Kate had to go meet a client. Tyler then drove Kate to work while Mr. Sawyer sent Marianne and Ryan home.

  Evelyn and Dan lazed around in the park, chatting about nothing in particular. She laid her head on Dan’s lap, watching the clouds drift along with the warm summer breeze. She listened to the children’s laughter and the mothers’ chatters. Even though it wasn’t really her birthday, so far, it had been the best she ever had.

  Kate always bought her something nice, but Evelyn was adamant that there be no celebrations. She hated her birthdays; they reminded her of a time where she was naive enough to believe in birthday wishes, only to be disappointed.

  Now, it didn’t seem to matter what she’d believed.

  It didn’t matter that her birthday wishes never came true, it didn’t matter that the only birthday cakes she’d ever seen was through the windows of a bakery.

  All those memories hurt, and though she could still remember them, it didn’t seem that important anymore.

  They stayed until they were hungry then headed for lunch, which was another affair that lasted hours. By the time they stepped out of the restaurant, Evelyn thought they’d be heading back to the mansion to wait for the others to return for dinner.

  “Tired?” Dan asked.

  Evelyn shook her head; she hadn’t done anything except eat and chat. There certainly wasn’t any reason for her to be tired, but she was feeling rather lazy. The slow-paced day made her want to laze the rest of the day away.

  “Good. I’ve got something else planned.”

  “And what’s that?” She should have guessed that he wouldn’t tell her anything.

  As exp
ected, he shrugged and grinned. “You’ll love it.”

  With last night and that morning’s experience, she knew nothing would get him to tell her what he was up to. Dutifully, she strolled alongside Dan toward his car.

  Periodically, as they chatted in the car, she would glance out at the scenery and try guessing where they were heading. Soon, they were out of the city area, and she didn’t recognize the streets they were on. If Dan weren’t the one driving, she’d probably be freaking out right now.

  Instead, she turned to him and continued to list all sorts of ridiculous ideas. At first, she was simply trying to goad Dan into telling her what he was up to, but after a while, they were having so much fun with it that she just continued.

  Not long after, she noticed the tiny glow of lights in the middle of the horizon. She leaned forward and squinted, wondering what it was. She could feel Dan’s eyes on her, so she was certain that whatever she was looking at was their destination.

  She continued staring at the lights, and as they got nearer, she could see the tip of a Ferris wheel. The round metal structure emerged further, and more lights lit up at its base.

  “Fun fair! You’re taking me to a fun fair!” She turned to look at Dan for confirmation, but she immediately cleared her throat and forced her wide grin into a small smile when she saw the indulgent grin on Dan’s face.

  She hadn’t meant to get all excited, but she couldn’t help it; she’d never been to a fun fair before.

  She used to watch on television how kids played at amusement parks and fairs, but she never had the chance. She never even allowed herself to dream of going to a fun fair. Surviving the day itself was tough enough.

  When she grew older, fun fairs and amusement parks became reminders of a childhood she never had and of the nightmares she wished to forget.

  Getting out of the car, she leaned against the door and watched the myriad of lights and the blue and white awnings that stretched across the different stores. Loud music blared from the speakers placed randomly across the fair, and like the park, it was teeming with children, parents, and couples.

  “Ready?” Dan asked, turning her attention back to him.

  “Definitely.”

  Dan took her hand and led her into the crowd. Pulling her toward a store, he asked, “Anything you like?” His chin gesturing at the soft toys hung up against the wall.

  Evelyn shook her head. “One huge bear is enough.”

  “Then there isn’t any fun. Pick something.”

  She bit her lips and stared at the toys on the wall, hesitating.

  “Humor me.”

  Sighing softly, she pointed to the purple Care Bear, a much smaller version of what he bought.

  “All right, our aim is to earn 75 tickets today.”

  “Is that difficult?”

  “That depends.”

  “On?”

  Dan pulled her close. “I’m pretty good at everything here, so…”

  “I learn fast.”

  “Okay, then let’s do it this way. 75 is the number we need. Let’s see who can get more tickets. Loser has to prepare dinner for the other.”

  “I like pizzas. You sure you know how to make them?”

  “I like your confidence. Make sure you don’t turn nasty when you lose.”

  They kicked off their competition with each having three chances to bring down the tower of cans. Evelyn managed to hit two off while Dan got all three in one strike. They continued going from store to store, playing every game, then stuffing whatever tickets they received into their back pockets.

  After the first few rounds, Evelyn was losing terribly. So, whenever it was Dan’s turn, she’d try her best to distract him.

  At first, she was just talking nonsense next to his ears, trying to make him laugh. When that didn’t work, she resorted to pushing his hand away from whatever they were aiming at.

  Dan laughed at her antics. Instead of keeping her at arm’s length so that she couldn’t disturb him, he wrapped his arm over her and pulled her in front of him. Most of the time, Evelyn would stop her antics and watch him play while she leaned against his chest. But whenever he was doing too well, Evelyn would start her distractions again.

  Her strategy worked, and Dan was beginning to lose.

  Taking a break from the games, Dan bought them some popcorn and cotton candy, and they strolled around the fair. When they neared the merry-go-round, Dan pulled her toward it.

  Once Evelyn noticed where they were heading, she started pulling back, refusing to move any farther. “Come on, Dan, that’s too childish for us. It’s embarrassing.”

  “I’ll be with you.”

  “Doesn’t make a difference.”

  Her refusal didn’t have much effect on Dan’s decision. His hand tightened around hers and he continued striding toward the horses dancing in circles.

  The only other adults on the rides where parents accompanying their children. They got quite a few stares as they stepped up among the horses and the children.

  “Dan, seriously.”

  “Humor me,” Dan said, and pulled out his phone. He stood next to her and leaned in. “Smile!”

  She did as she was told. A blinding flash went off and she had to close her eyes for a few moments to get her vision back. She glanced around and turned back to Dan with a small frown. “Everyone is staring.”

  “They’re just checking out what a great couple we make.” He grinned and, without any warning, grabbed Evelyn around her waist, lifting her up onto one of the horses.

  Evelyn gasped and grabbed Dan’s hand, worried that she’d fall. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “We’ve been walking. Rest for a while.”

  She turned to look around, but Dan gently held her chin and turned her face toward him.

  “Don’t worry about everyone else. No one knows who you are. Just have fun, all right?”

  She pursed her lips and cast another glance around, then nodded. Dan did bring her here to have fun.

  She stretched out her hand, palm up, and gestured for Dan’s phone. She took plenty of pictures, and when the ride finally ended, they got off the ride while scanning through the pictures.

  “Rested?”

  “How many more tickets do we need?”

  They each made a quick count of the tickets they had. They needed another twenty tickets, with Evelyn losing to Dan by three tickets.

  “Let’s go, and stop cheating,” he said.

  She laughed and hooked her arm around Dan’s, leaning against his arm. “The point is to have fun, right? I have fun when I do that.”

  For the rest of the games, instead of competing with each other, Dan always kept Evelyn close to him, helping or watching her play the games. Eventually, they got the tickets they wanted and headed to redeem the soft toy.

  By the time Dan and Evelyn headed over to the Ferris wheel, the main crowd of families had dwindled down as the younger ones were sent home to bed.

  Dan held Evelyn’s hand and smiled at her.

  Throughout the day, he had to fight the temptation to lean in and kiss her. Whenever she was close, he could smell the sweet and refreshing scent of green apple from her hair. It took all of his discipline to stop himself from turning her around and kissing her.

  He had utterly forgotten about the competition they were having.

  He hated it when each game ended; that meant he had to let go of her, and he didn’t want to.

  Now that he finally had her in his arms, he found it difficult to let go.

  Stepping by one of the carriages, he stretched out his hand and helped her up before getting into it. “Ever been on one of these?”

  Evelyn shook her head while her eyes scanned the surroundings. She watched every movement of the Ferris wheel, looking around as it slowly inched up. “You? How many women have you brought up here?”

  Dan grinned at her question. “Two. Plenty of times with the first. First time with the second,” he said, gazing right at Evelyn.
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br />   He waited for Evelyn to turn toward him, but she didn’t, appearing to be thinking of a reaction.

  “Joanne was a sucker for these things. Usually my parents would accompany her, but those times when I had to take her, I’d be forced to take this stupid ride with her.” His grin broadened as he saw the corner of her lips turning up.

  “Why? You could have just said no; you’re the older brother.”

  “She knew my parents would kill me if she went home being anything less than completely entertained.”

  “If it’s so boring for you, then why did you bring me to this now?”

  “It isn’t boring now. I’ve been waiting all day for this,” he said as the Ferris wheel came to a halt while they were right at the top.

  He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer as he leaned in, whispering, “I’ve been waiting all day to kiss you.” Then he closed the distance and kissed her gently. Slipping his hand into her hair, he moved her closer against his chest and deepened his kiss.

  Her hands grazed across his chest, moving toward his neck. She looped them around his neck, keeping him in place.

  “Mmm…” she moaned as he broke the kiss.

  “Did you have fun today?” he asked, his nose still touching hers. He wanted to let her enjoy the lights from above, but it was difficult to pry himself away from her.

  “Yeah,” she answered, her voice as deep as his.

  He sighed softly. “The view is extremely beautiful up here. You can see the city lights and—”

  “Just one more minute,” she said, her hands tugging against his neck.

  Dan couldn’t say no to that. He grinned and found her lips, returning to their kiss.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Evelyn grinned as she looked at the text on her phone. She wished last night could go on forever, wished she could freeze the moment on the Ferris wheel.

  “You look happy.”

  “I am.”

  “So? Tell me.”

  Evelyn laughed and told Kate everything they did, pointing to the soft toy sitting on the edge of her table. “No one had ever done anything like that for me. Just because of what I said…he…”