Not Today | ✔️

Chapter Seventeen.

"Deep rooted connections
When I look into your eyes
I can see there's something blooming
Bubbling up inside..."

✧✧✧

"What are we doing here?"

Evelyn looked around the park Tristan had taken her to. It was autumn, so the breeze was slightly bitter, but it wasn't overly cold. It was also only 5 PM, but it was already dark outside, somehow.

Tristan let out a small sigh. "Well, you said there's a lot you don't know about me, and you're right, so I figured, instead of just telling you, I could... show you, as well."

"By taking me to a park?" Evelyn asked. Her tone wasn't rude or judgmental, it was just curious and slightly confused.

"This is the park my mom used to take me to as a kid. The funny thing was, she'd always take me after it was dark," Tristan said, recalling the memory fondly.

"Really?"

Tristan nodded. "She'd always make sure I stayed in her sight and kept a jacket on, of course, but it was her favorite thing to take me at night, because we'd look up at the stars while swinging."

Evelyn glanced at Tristan and sent him a small smile, before she began to walk the distance to the swings, her hair lifting with the breeze.

It wasn't very long before Tristan caught up with her, grabbing Evelyn's hand, gently, and looking up at her, as if to make sure it was okay, then interlacing their fingers when she gave a small nod of her head. He pulled her forward with him.

Tristan dropped Evelyn's hand, gesturing to the swings, both of them taking a seat on their respective swings.

"We used to count the stars, when she'd take me. It was absolutely impossible, you always got distracted or miscounted or lost track, but we always did it," he said, his lip quirking upward slightly, as he tilted his head up towards the sky, looking at the stars.

"She died when I was ten."

Evelyn's heart stopped at those words. Evelyn barely remembered ever seeing Tristan's mom, except for twice, both very briefly, and she'd never actually met her, nor had she truly known she passed away. She couldn't imagine the pain of something like that at such a young age. Evelyn wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't sure what to say, or if saying something was even the best choice, so she remained silent, waiting for Tristan to continue, which he did.

"It was hard, it is hard. I still miss her, but..." he sighed. "It's cheesy, but sometimes I still come here at night and look up at the stars, and, I'd like to think that, in the way I'm looking up at them, maybe, just maybe, she's looking down on me."

"Not maybe, Tristan. I'm sure she is," Evelyn said with a soft smile.

Tristan moved his gaze from the sky to Evelyn.

"You know, you kind of remind me of her in the sense that you're kind, but you don't take shit from people. Especially not me. I wish..." he paused. "I wish you could've met her."

"In a way, I have," Evelyn said quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I've met you. And in every part of you, there's a part of her. She's the blood in your veins. As long as you're alive, so is she," Evelyn said simply.

"Thank you," he said, his voice sounding slightly rough as he looked into Evelyn's eyes.

"For what you said. You're the only person who's ever focused on the ways she's still here instead of the ways she's gone. Thank you."