Hold on to Hope

He shoved his glasses up his nose.

Hospital.

She frowned at the mention of that gross, icky, creepy place.

Frankie’s worst memory was when she had to go see him in the hospital. It was scary and there were so many wires and tubes and machines and everyone was cryin’ all the time.

Frankie had been the one who was crying the most.

She thought it was even worse than when her old mean mommy had left her in the smoke.

But the good news was Evan got out of there really quick after she brought him the froggy with all her hearts, and he said it was his favorite thing in the world, and she made sure to remind him to bring it everywhere with him because she wanted to make sure he had it really fast if he needed it.

“We aren’t even supposed to be up this high,” he told her. “Your dad’s gonna get mad all over again.”

“Then how in the heck are we gonna get to our favorite rock? Maybe we can bring it down the hill so we can play on it all day.”

Evan laughed like she was crazy. “Um . . . that thing weighs like a million pounds. No way are we getting it down there.”

“We can roll it,” she suggested.

He laughed. “You’re crazy. No way.”

She pouted. “Then I guess we better stay up here forever. Besides, this is where our weddin’ was. It’s our special place, remember? I think we should just live here.”

Evan giggled a shy sound, and his cheeks were turning all pink. THAT WAS FAKE.

“Nu-uh, no way. My mama said it was real. Didn’t you see my dress?”

“Yeah, I saw it, and you wore it yesterday, too.” He was teasing her.

She huffed. “My mama said as long as I believe in something hard enough, I can make it mine or make it real or make it come to be. And I want the wedding to be real.”

He laughed lighter. OKAY. FINE. WE’LL CALL IT REAL. WE’LL JUST HAVE TO MAKE IT FOR REAL, REAL, LIKE MY MOM AND DAD, WHEN WE GET BIG.

CAN WE HAVE FIFTEEN KIDS?

Evan curled his nose. FIFTEEN? THAT SOUNDS LIKE TOO MANY. I DON’T THINK YOUR DAD WOULD WANT TO BUILD A HOUSE THAT BIG. HOW ABOUT SEVEN?

She nodded. PROMISE?

PROMISE.

“Good. Because you aren’t ever allowed to leave me.”

Evan scrunched up his nose. “Where would I go without you, Frankie Leigh? If I go somewhere, then you have to come, too.”

She looked over the blue lake that got mixed up with the blue sky, the mountains lookin’ blue in the middle. This was her favorite place in the whole wide world as long as Evan was right there beside her.

She reached out and took his hand, loved the way it felt when he weaved their fingers together. “You’re not ever allowed to die, okay?”

Evan laughed, sound raking on his throat. “I’m not gonna die. I’ve got all your hearts and the smartest, best doctor for a daddy. He said I’m good as new. I think I might be able to live forever.”

She snuggled down against their rock. “You better. You got a heart of stone now. It can’t get broken.”

If it did, he still had all of her hearts.

And her mama told her love was always enough, and she prayed over those hearts every day that they were good enough to hold him together so he never had to get that line on his chest opened up again.

She squeezed his hand. “I love you the best, my froggy boy. You are my favorite.”

Evan lifted his hands. I LOVE YOU THE MOST, UNICORN GIRL. MY FAVORITE FOREVER.

THEN WE STAY TOGETHER FOREVER. DEAL?

He reached out and shook her hand. “Deal.”

Sixteen

Evan

I glanced up at the jade-colored awning hanging over the storefront in front of us.

My mom’s logo was printed on it like a beacon for the droves of people who flocked here each morning so they could make it through their days.

A Drop of Hope.

Had spent so much of my life within these walls that it felt like a second home.

A calling.

Or maybe it was the fact that Frankie had become such an intrinsic part of it.

My eyes darted around, making sure that prick from the other day was nowhere to be found.

Couldn’t help it that I was constantly on edge.

Unease riding high.

I huffed out a sigh of relief when nothing seemed amiss.

Everett had plastered his face to the window of the cafe, kid going nuts with excitement, doing this little jig that looked like he was doing knee highs, flaunting that ridiculous grin with that scrunched up nose and eyebrows shooting toward the sky.

My chest tightened. Was starting to get worried that he affected me too much.

Protectiveness swelled. A silent promise that I would do absolutely anything to keep him safe.

“Oh, you want to go in there, do you?” I asked him.