"I am too, Aunt Claire. Long time no see."
"You've grown up so much over there. You must be a beautiful young woman now."
"Everything's… fine here. I'm teaching at the university now."
"You're a teacher? I always knew you'd do well, Eve." The voice on the other end sounded relieved, followed by a couple of hoarse coughs. The woman seemed unwell.
"Aunt Claire, have you caught a cold? Did he hurt you?" Evelyn's voice carried a trace of urgency. After all, among the people she cared about, Aunt Claire was the only one connected to her by blood.
"No, no. Your uncle treats me very well. You don't need to send us money anymore. You're still young, and there will be plenty of expenses ahead."
"But… alright. Take care of your health. If there's any trouble there, I'll do everything I can."
"Hehe…" The woman gave a weak little laugh. "Eve is still as thoughtful as ever. Will you come visit this year? Your aunt misses you."
"Visit? You mean Maple Ridge?"
"Mmm…" The other side answered seriously.
Evelyn couldn't help feeling a little stunned. For so many years no one had ever mentioned her going back. In over ten years there had barely been any calls from there. Aunt Claire clearly understood her best—why bring it up so suddenly…
She had a bad feeling, but she also knew that aside from Laura and Noah, Aunt Claire was the only person in the world who would never harm her. And… she missed her too.
"I'll check for train tickets in the next couple of days. I'll try to make it."
"Really?" The woman's tone brightened with joy. "Bring Nate along too. Let your aunt see him."
"Okay. I'll ask him."
"Good, good. Your aunt will hang up now. Take care over there."
"I will. You take care too."
After hanging up, Evelyn looked down at the lively, noisy town below. Compared to Loane it already felt dated, yet it was still far more modern than Maple Ridge.
That place name had haunted her like a nightmare for many years. The curses, slander, and hatred from those people had once been etched into her memory, impossible to erase. Countless times they had jolted her awake from dreams. It was the boy's repeated calls of "sister" that had given her the courage to face it. She had to become strong for him.
Now she was no longer afraid. As long as he was there, nothing could frighten her anymore.
There were train tickets available for tomorrow to the neighboring state. Before booking, she had to ask the little guy's wishes first.
Evelyn returned to the dining table. Noah was still lying there on his stomach, staring blankly at her, as if waiting for her to finish the call so they could play around again.
"Who was that? So secretive, not even letting me know."
"Can't your sister have a little privacy? Does Nate have to control everything your sister does?"
"You control everything I do…"
Evelyn smiled lightly, the corners of her lips curving, her eyes filled with his image. "Then your sister will tell you: from now on you have to go along with everything your sister says, okay?"
Noah immediately shook his head, crossing his arms in refusal. "No way. Forget I asked."
"But actually, whether your sister says it or not, Nate, you can only go along with your sister anyway, right?"
It was something both of them knew deep down, but having it laid out so plainly still stirred a rebellious streak in Noah. For the things Evelyn wasn't too strict about, he still wanted to try reclaiming some choice.
"Right?"
"Or not?"
Noah suddenly stood up with unusual resolve. "Not right! Tonight I'm locking my door to sleep. Don't even think about forcing your way in again."
"Then your sister will slip something into your dinner. Don't come begging me later."
"Hey! You… you wouldn't actually do that, right?"
"Who knows." Evelyn picked up her water glass and took a sip. The curve at the corner of her eye softened, then she suddenly turned serious. "Alright, alright. Let's talk business first. Do you want to go visit with your sister tomorrow? A small village in a neighboring state."
"That's… your hometown, Eve?"
"It counts as your sister's biological mother's hometown. The call just now was from your sister's aunt."
Noah hadn't expected this. From childhood to now, Evelyn had almost never talked to him about her biological parents' side. When he was little he hadn't known she was adopted. Later when he grew up and understood, he had deliberately avoided the topic.
Twenty years of care and companionship had made Evelyn no different from a real sister to him. The fact that she was the family's adopted daughter had been subconsciously forgotten and overlooked.
Even after the night fell, he would sometimes feel a sense of taboo that shouldn't exist between them.
"Have you thought it through? Does Nate want to go?" Evelyn pushed the half-full glass of warm water toward him, setting it in front of Noah. "Your sister will listen to you. If you don't want to, your sister won't go either."
Noah picked up the half glass of water and looked down at the clear, transparent liquid inside. He hesitated. "They haven't come to see you in over ten years, not even a phone call. Eve, do you trust them?"
"There's a reason for that. The situation is special. If Nate goes, your sister can tell you everything. It's fine if you don't want to. We'll spend the rest of the holiday happily, and your sister will take you to some nearby sights. Your sister will pretend she never asked today."
Noah wanted to choose the second option. Their peaceful, stable life now had no need to take any risks. But this was Evelyn's past. When you loved someone, how could you not want to know everything about her?
He looked up, blinking at Evelyn across the table with her serious expression. That black fitted sweater really suited her, accentuating her slender yet full figure and contrasting beautifully with her porcelain-fair skin. She looked gentle and alluring.
"I'll go. We'll go together." He said it firmly.
"Good. Then your sister will book the tickets." Seeing the payment-success notification on her phone screen, Evelyn stood up. "Train leaves early tomorrow morning. Your sister will go pack a few things. Nate, get ready too."
"Got it."
Evelyn actually had almost nothing to bring. The few items under her bed had been stored too long and rotted; she had thrown them out long ago.
There had once been a stuffed bear on the bed, her favorite doll as a little girl. She used to wash and sun it carefully, but it had still lost its shape and faded.
The only things left were a curled, yellowed old photo and a bag of expired flower seeds. The seeds had gone bad and dried up; they probably wouldn't grow into bright, beautiful flowers anymore.
She remembered there was a beautiful field of wildflowers behind the village. Every warm spring the whole hillside would bloom with vibrant wildflowers. When she got back, she would bury all the seeds there.
And that photo was the only one she had of her biological parents. It had been taken when the little girl had just turned one. She was being held gently in the woman's arms, the man standing beside them, tall and handsome.
Unfortunately one corner of the photo was stained black, and the man's face was almost impossible to make out.