Chapter 12 - Laura Learned What Evan Needed
Laura had praised Evan for being mature after Michael died.
She now wondered whether she had praised the wrong thing.
Evan cooked when she worked late.
He avoided asking for expensive shoes.
He watched grocery totals.
He worried about utility bills.
Laura thought she had raised a responsible child.
Partly, she had.
But Evan had also learned that being good meant needing less.
That hurt.
One night she sat beside him.
“You can ask me for things.”
“I know.”
“No. I mean you’re allowed to want things even if I can’t always buy
them.”
Evan shrugged.
“The bike was stupid.”
“It wasn’t.”
“It’s just a bike.”
“You stared at it for a year.”
He smiled.
“It was cool.”
Laura nodded.
“You working for it was good. Giving every paycheck away because you
thought an adult’s survival was your responsibility was not.”
“I wanted to help Uncle Daniel.”
“I know.”
“Would you have helped him?”
Laura answered honestly.
“I don’t know what I would’ve done six months ago.”
Evan looked surprised.
“But I wish you had given me the chance.”
That was the real wound.
May you like
Not the money.
The secrecy.
