All Grown Up

Evie

I couldn’t shake the heavy feeling on my heart and mind. I missed Xander. Each day he stayed away served as confirmation our relationship was not what I thought it was.

He had his own life. He was making plans and moving on. His plans did not include me. I did believe he felt something for me, but it wasn’t enough to bring him back to me.

“You look like you haven’t been sleeping,” my father said.

I looked across the table and offered a small and what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’ve been working a lot.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason for your lack of sleep. If anything, you would sleep like a baby after a long day at work.”

“I have a lot on my mind,” I said with a sigh.

He sipped his tea. I could never understand how he could drink hot tea on a hot day. “Do you want to tell me what happened? You’ve been so busy—or maybe you’ve been avoiding me—you never told me if you found Xander.”

“I found him,” I said. My mind flashed back to the moment I found him at the funeral. Then