Those early years in North Bay were some of my greatest. I’d gotten a taste of the real world while I was in college. I was able to experience all the things I felt I couldn’t when I was trapped under Mom’s thumb, but it had also made me realize that North Bay was where I was destined to live. I loved the scenery and the people. A big part of that peace came from Evan. Our life together felt easy.
Things became complicated after Evan’s father died. The two men had had a problematic relationship. Evan admitted to always feeling like he’d simply followed the path laid out for him instead of forging his own way. After his father passed, he was juggling grief with his newfound lack of purpose.
I was there for him, of course. We’d been together over five years at that point, although neither of us had dealt with anything as traumatic as losing a parent. The Shack had just started turning a profit, and I’d been dabbling with the idea of purchasing a home. Evan assumed ownership of the boat touring business, a career that never fulfilled him.
After a few weeks, we went to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants overlooking the bay. I hadn’t yet opened my menu when Evan dove into the topic on his mind.
“What would you say if I told you I wanted to go back to school?”
“School?” It wasn’t a bad idea, per se. Just random. We were both just shy of thirty and had been managing our respective careers for some time. “To do what?”
“I’m thinking about applying to law schools.” He looked down, his mouth twitching in the right corner, a sure sign he was nervous. He forced a laugh. “Does that sound crazy?”
It actually made perfect sense. Evan was an intellectual. If anything, running a rental company for obnoxious tourists seemed out of character. I’d seen the way his face lit up over the years hearing Carmen talk about her work. There were more than a few double dates where Carmen and Evan would get lost in their own conversation.
“I think it’s a great idea,” I said, truthfully.
“You think? I mean, most people starting law school are almost a decade my junior. I want you to tell me if I’m being too bold.”
“It’s never too late to start a career. Besides, you’re sharp. Smart outweighs youth, especially in a court room.”
“It’s a big commitment. It’ll be almost a year before I can start. Another few years of schooling after that.” He cleared his throat. “Would you be willing to wait that long?”
“I don’t know what else I’d be doing,” I said, with a smile.
I meant it when I gave Evan my support. I knew he needed to build a life for himself that wasn’t rooted in his father’s shadow, and now was his time to do it. As the months passed, he studied and studied. He aced his exams. Before long, he was applying to regional law schools.
In the meantime, I’d been hunting for houses. Condos, rather, and I’d finally narrowed it down to three different options. Each had their own amenities, plus they all came with the quintessential North Bay view. One day after work, I came home to present the potential options to Evan. As I spread out the printouts and pictures, I couldn’t ignore the queasy look on his face.
“Home ownership is scarier than it seems,” I told him, trying to alleviate his stress. “When you consider the amount of money we throw away each year on rent, it really makes sense to buy.”
“The condos are great,” he said, picking up a picture, then letting it drift back down to the table. “That’s not what bothers me.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’ve been trying to find the right time to tell you this.” Evan never kept anything from me, and I could see the stress corrupting his features. “I’ve been accepted to law school.”
“That’s great,” I said, hugging him. His acceptance didn’t come as a surprise. Thankfully, there were at least three options within a few hours’ drive. “What’s the lucky school?”
“Sanderson.”
“Sanderson?” I asked, like I hadn’t heard him right. A pocket of air seemed stuck in my throat. “But that’s out west.”
“I know.”
“What about the schools around here? The ones where you could drive to campus during the week and be back here for the weekend.”
“I’m still waiting to hear back from those.” He stared at me, like he was waiting for the rest to sink in. Now I knew why he looked sick.
“But you want Sanderson?”
“Honestly, it’s always been my first choice. The schools around here would be nice, but I guess there’d be a part of me that would feel like I’m settling.”
We’d discussed long distance relationships in the past. We both agreed they didn’t work; we wouldn’t even want to try. But those conversations had been ages ago. I never knew his moving so far away was still an option. I thought we were more committed than that.
“Settling for the school? Or settling for me?”
“I definitely am not settling for you,” he said, holding my hands. “I want you to move with me.”
“Move with you? To another state?”
“It could be our fun little adventure.”
“But what about the restaurant? My family?”
My mind immediately pictured my mother. The earlier version, the woman who barely trusted me to go to the local cinema without her supervision. I was an adult now, of course. But still, moving that far away would crush her.
Evan looked down. He knew what my answer would be before he even suggested it, but he continued to try. “It’s not like we won’t visit. Your mom and Des can handle the restaurant on their own. They did it before.”
But whenever people make these types of decisions, those promises tend to fall apart. Plans change. Things happen. I couldn’t move away from a business I’d worked so hard to revamp. Besides, I didn’t want to live anywhere else. North
