Page 47 of Chalk It Up

Based on the program that Ms. Wilma brought, Addie is next. She strides onto the stage with a beaming smile and so much confidence. She has worked so hard for this and I’m glad she’s not nervous. Or at least not showing it on the outside. She gets up to her mic in the middle of the stage and finds me and Ms. Wilma smiling up at her and shooting her a couple of thumbs up.

Addie nods and smiles back at us and then turns to look at the back stage and smiles again. I assume she’s looking at Evie for reassurance and if that doesn’t swell my heart to bursting, I don’t know what will. Addie smiles, takes a deep breath and readies herself to speak when she does a quick scan of the room and her gaze snags in the direction I hoped it wouldn’t. I know the moment she sees her mom. She deflates entirely. Her smile is gone, her shoulder shrug, and my poor daughter is frozen.

I want to rage on Larissa. How insanely selfish of her to come here. She never even calls Adeline and then tries to show up at her Christmas program to support her? I know she must be using this as some kind of edge to gain custody and that enrages me even more. Everything she does has everything to do with her selfishness and nothing to do with Addie. I try to get Addie’s attention back on me, but it doesn’t work.

She finally breaks the spell after what feels like an eternity and it must’ve felt longer for her. She turns to the same direction backstage where she looked before and you can see everything in her swing like a pendulum again. She gives a slight smile backstage, takes another deep breath, and starts reciting her part flawlessly and with the biggest smile on her face.

She finishes up her lines and I give her a standing ovation and whistle as loudly as I can between my fingers. Pride doesn’t come close to how blown out of the water I am by Addie. She did that. And to know that Evie helped make that happen, helped my daughter believe in herself rather than deflate her, solidifies every plan I already had for the three of us.

Madness descends on the school property when the program is over. Emotions are high both from the general Christmas spirit and from how incredibly everyone did. I’ve been to a few programs now the older Addie has gotten and this one has outshone them all. I’m in no rush to head out mostly because there’s no way to rush out of here so I hang out by the stage with Ms. Wilma and wait for Addie or Evie to come out.

Addie finds us first and almost tackles me to the ground with her hug. “Did you see me, daddy? I didn’t mess up one time!” It seems like she may have forgotten that she saw her mom. Or maybe she’s unsure of what she saw, that she was just caught up in everything that was happening, so I definitely don’t bring it up to her.

“You did amazing, my girl. I’m so proud of you.” I spin her around before setting her dizzily back on the floor. “You were absolutely outstanding.”

“I really was, wasn’t I?” She’s too cute. “Have you seen Ms. Jake? I didn’t see her backstage. I wanted to tell her thank you for helping me.” I look around the room and I spot her before Addie does which is a good thing because it looks like she’s about to lay out my ex-wife. Ms. Wilma catches my line of sight and acts immediately.

“You know what, dear, she might be outside greeting the other parents. Why don’t we go see if we can find her.” An absolute gem this woman is.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“I’ll catch up with you in just a second. I have someone I need to talk to.” Mercifully, Addie takes my simple explanation and heads toward the doors with Ms. Wilma while I march over to where my ex-wife and hopefully future wife are trying to not yell in front of children.

“What’s going on, baby?” I wrap my around Evie’s waist and bring her in close. She doesn’t need protecting, but there’s no way Larissa is going to see anything other than a united front.

“This wench sold my cottage.” She’s trying hard to hold back tears.

“Relax, homewrecker. It was never yours to begin with.”

“First off, Larissa. She’s not the homewrecker. You are. If anything, Evie is working hard to repair damage in our home that you caused. You won’t speak to her like that. Secondly,” I turn my attention to Evie holding both of her biceps while she folds in on herself. “I’m sorry your house was sold, but we have options.” Larissa scoffs besides us.

“August, I got an email this morning that my rental agreement was terminated and that I would have to leave within thirty days. This woman is insane.” She waves her hand in Larissa’s direction.

“Did you read the entire email?” She wipes away some stray tears before responding to me.

“What? Why? What I read was pretty clear.” I wipe a couple of more tears that are wetting the apples of her cheeks, not caring in the slightest that Larissa is watching this happen. I’m definitely being too physical with Evie in public and at the school no less, but everyone’s attention is in the direction of the door.

“I’m going to guess that your email said something about you having to leave within thirty days if you don’t agree to the terms of your new rental agreement with a new rental company.”

“How would you know about any of that?” That was Larissa this time and I reluctantly put slight distance back between Evie and I and face Larissa for what I’m hoping will be one of the last times.

“Because that cottage doesn’t belong to you anymore. It’s mine.”

chapter 32

Evie

That cottage doesn’t belong to you anymore. It’s mine. I can’t reconcile the words in my mind with the reality I know. I feel like I’m stuck in a tornado of my problems and when I think I’ve moved into the eye, I’m whipped right back into the thick of it. There’s no way that August bought my house. That would actually be insane. And not to mention Larissa would never sell to him. Unless it were some insane amount of money, which I also wouldn’t put past August to do. But still, I think Larissa has way too much pride to sell to him even if he offered his entire investment portfolio.

“In what delusional world do you think that cottage is yours?”

“In the delusional world where it is mine and Evie can continue living there if she would like.” Would I like it? Honestly, I’ve been playing around with the idea in my head that I might really want to live with August and Adeline one day. But there’s no way I could be disappointed when August somehow swooped in and saved the day. I can handle my problems on my own, but there’s something unbridling about not having to.

“You’re crazy, August. I don’t know how you have any idea that the cottage was sold, but never in any lifetime would I sell it to you. I sold it to some shell corporation. One of their potential plans being to level it and build a small stretch of tiny luxury cabins.” Is she really so vengeful that she wanted my house, with all my memories, and care, and love absolutely turned to dust? It must be exhausting being her. I can’t imagine carrying all of that bitterness everywhere I go.

“Three Pines LLC, right?” Larissa says nothing and reveals nothing on her face. “Right, I’m Three Pines LLC and you sold your cottage to me.” Larissa is seething. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so angry. It’s then that someone does notice us and Lorraine decides to take up residence next us.

“What’s wrong?” Lorraine’s question obviously is aimed toward Larissa.