Chapter 15 - The Dance
Daniel did not become Evelyn's new romance that night.
That would have been too easy.
Too fast.
Instead, they became friends.
Real friends.
They drank coffee.
Argued about books.
Took Sophie to museums.
Sometimes Daniel disappeared for weeks on business and Evelyn barely noticed.
Then one evening, almost two years after the gala, he asked her to dinner.
“Is this a date?”
“I hope so.”
Evelyn smiled.
“Then ask properly.”
Daniel straightened theatrically.
“Evelyn Fairchild, would you have dinner with me Friday?”
“Yes.”
Their relationship grew slowly.
There were no secrets.
No rescuing.
No pretending.
When Evelyn felt afraid, she said so.
When Daniel disagreed, he said so.
And when Blake learned about them, he was quiet for a long time.
Then he told Sophie, “Daniel seems like a good guy.”
“You're not mad?”
Blake smiled.
“No.”
“Sad?”
Children had a brutal gift for accuracy.
“A little.”
Sophie hugged him.
“That's okay.”
Blake laughed.
“Yeah. It is.”
That night, he went home alone.
He opened a box containing photographs from his marriage.
He found one from the first year.
Evelyn wearing jeans.
No diamonds.
No Fairchild.
Just Evelyn.
She was laughing.
Blake touched the photograph.
“I did love you,” he whispered.
Then, after a long silence:
“I just didn't know how.”
May you like
He put the photograph back.
And closed the box.
