THE RECORD SHOP ⋆ 𝗱𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗵𝗹

twelve

JANUARY 14, 1991. OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON.

EVIE LEANS PATIENTLY against her kitchen bench, waiting to hear Dave's voice pick up the phone so that she can wish him a happy birthday. She sadly has to work today until 3pm at the shop, fulfilling her required hours for the week set by her father. As soon as she finishes she is planning on going straight to Dave's where she will meet him and Kurt, give Dave his present and then the three of them will drive to the Hideaway to meet the rest of their friends.

"Morning Evie," his voice sounds clearly through the speaker, flooding her body with that familiar warm feeling he manages to give her.

"Happy birthday!" She tells him excitedly and she can almost hear him crack a smile, laughing as he does so.

"Thank you, I wish I could see you sooner," he says feigning sadness through the phone.

"I know me too, but I'm excited to see you this afternoon," she encourages.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you too, I've missed you," he tells her.

"I've missed you too. God, what has it been two days?" Evie laughs.

"Two long, painful days Evie," Dave jokes.

They both recognise that although it's only been a couple of days since they last saw each other, it somehow manages to feel like they've spent weeks apart. Evie slightly worries for when Nirvana will eventually head off on a tour and she'll have to spend prolonged periods of time without Dave, but she pushes the thought aside. That's a problem for future Evie, no use in worrying about it now.

"Okay," she sighs, "Well I have to be out the door right about now, but I just wanted to hear your voice and say happy birthday and to have a good day. I'll see you later," Evie offers him sadly. She doesn't want to have to say goodbye.

"Okay bye Eves, have a good shift. Thank you for calling," he tells her, using her nickname used by her close friends and family, which he has recently adopted.

"Of course. Bye Dave," she says, reluctantly hanging the phone on the hook.

It takes a lot of willpower for her not to say the words that have been playing on her mind and her mouth for the past week. The L word. Yeah, that one. After the conversation they had in Dave's bedroom on the day after Oliver's birthday, Evie finally felt comfortable about opening up to Dave. A few days ago, she leads into her past by telling him what Nick had said about the fact that 'Dave will never understand her like he does' and how although she doesn't believe it, him saying that bothered her.

Evie explained that she and Nick had a weird and intense relationship and clarified that it was mostly because he had been there to experience many of her struggles. Evie didn't reveal everything to Dave, but she informed him of her brush with death and hospital stays over the years. She was honest and vulnerable and Dave did not judge her for a second.

He held her tightly and expressed to her with utmost sincerity how sorry he was that she had to experience the things she went through. He made it clear how proud he is of her for pulling herself out of it. Like always, he said exactly what she wanted and needed to hear in that situation.

Dave opened up to Evie too about his childhood and about his parents' divorce and like he did for her, she sat listened.

In those moments that they had shared their emotions with each other, a new layer had been peeled back on their relationship. Most physical barriers between the two had long been discarded, and now the emotional barriers were breaking down too. This type of vulnerability is a special one. Exposing yourself completely both emotionally and physically is the highest form of connection human beings can share.