Evangeline looked at him, a mixture of surprise and gratitude on her face.


    "Go on, go see her," Finn said. "I know you would have just snuck over hereter anyway, even if we went home."


    "I don''t mind you still having contact with the Fawkes family." He had done his research; he knew that Mrs. Fawkes had treated Evangeline well over the years. A five-year bond couldn''t be severed so cleanly.


    Evangeline was stunned that he had read her intentions so perfectly, and a wave of gratitude washed over her. He was right. That had been her n exactly. If he had objected, she would have found another time toe in secret.


    Reading her expression, Finn added, "But I have one condition: no getting back together with Soren." He didn''t care what games Soren yed to drive them apart. As long as he knew Evangeline''s heart was with him, he had nothing to fear.


    Evangeline nodded solemnly. "I won''t. It''spletely over between us." From Soren''s attitude the other day, she was sure he felt the same.


    Finn started to say something but then thought better of it.


    Evangeline, buoyed by the news of Mrs. Fawkes''s recovery, didn''t notice his hesitation. She quickly called the caregiver again to confirm that no one from the Fawkes family had arrived yet, then hurried upstairs.


    ***


    At the Fawkes estate, Soren leaned against the railing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, his eyes fixed on aputer screen nearby. The screen showed a live feed from his grandmother''s hospital room.


    Evangeline walked in and went straight to the bedside. She took Mrs. Fawkes''s hand in one of hers and used the other to gently tuck in the nket. A minuteter, she was changing the water for the flowers. Then, she picked up a fruit knife from the nearby bowl and began peeling a piece of fruit with practiced ease, cing it in Mrs. Fawkes''s hand.


    Everything she did was so natural, so familiar.


    Soren had never thought much of these gestures before, often finding them superfluous. But now, watching her, he felt an unfamiliar stirring within him. He thought of how cold and indifferent she had been to him when he was sick. He had once taken her care for granted, as if it were an innate part of her. But in recent times, that care had vanishedpletely, which could only mean one thing: she had


    withdrawn it deliberately.


    "Brother, are you changed yet? We should get going." Flora Fawkes''s impatient


    voice came from outside his door.


    Soren finally closed theptop and stepped out.


    Flora pouted, clearly displeased. "If I had known Grandma was going to wake up today, would have skipped ss and d stayed at the hospital tonight The first person she''ll want to see is me. She''ll be so sad if I''m


    not there. I''m her favorite."


    Then, her thoughts inevitably turned to Evangeline. "Grandma spoiled Evangeline, too," she huffed, "but Evangeline hasn''t even visited once since she got sick. Ungrateful witch. Grandma wasted all that love on her."


    Soren hadn''t intended to say anything, but as Flora continued to grumble, the image


    of Evangeline in the hospital room shed in his mind. On impulse, he said, "She''s been there."


    "Huh?" Flora didn''t understand.


    "Evangeline is at the hospital right now," Soren rified.


    ***