the bottles of cabernet sauvignon. When he returned to the living room, he found Selena sitting in the middle of the couch. He handed her a glass and sat in a nearby chair.
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
After taking a sip, Selena glanced around. “Where’s your little boy?”
“He’s napping,” Evan said , and motioned toward Shaun’s room.
Selena nodded, opened her mouth, and closed it again, then took another sip of wine.
“He had a traumatic brain injury.” Selena looked at him, her eyes soft. “I usually tell people up front so they’re not wondering.”
“Oh, I wasn’t, I didn’t mean to press —”
He shook his head, then drained half his glass. “Not at all.”
“That’ s why he has trouble speaking?”
“Yes, along with a range of other developmental disabilities , like walking, fine motor skills, balance, that type of thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“How did it happen, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Evan sipped his wine. “We were in a car accident a little over four years ago, when he was three. We got hit by a truck in an intersection, complete accident, it was slippery and the other driver couldn’t stop. Shaun’s car seat shifted enough with the impact for his head to hit the window. He was in a coma for two weeks, and when he came out, he’d lost most of what he’d learned.”
Selena ’s free hand hovered over her mouth. “That’s terrible.”
He smiled. “We were lucky, and he’s making progress every day. Not much more I can ask for.”
“It must be so hard for you and your wife.”
Evan’s hand holding his glass halted midway to his mouth , and then continued. He finished the rest of his wine. Selena’s shoulders slumped and her eyes closed.
“My God, I’m so sorry. I’m having a lot of trouble getting my feet out of my mouth. I’ll just —” She stood and set her glass down.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to leave.”
“I’m sorry, I saw your wedding ring and assumed ...”
Evan glanced at his left hand. The tungsten-carbide band shone in the afternoon light. It was hard to miss.
“No, you’re fine, don’t worry about it.”
Selena sat on the couch as though the cushions held shattered glass. “Was it in the same crash?”
“No, two years later. Cancer.”
Selena only sighed in response. The house creaked around them with a gust of wind, and Evan looked out the window, the sound of the wind chimes no longer brilliant, but a flat, jangling chorus.
“How have you managed?” Selena asked, a look of incredulity on her face.
“Shaun’s the light of my life, I wouldn’t have made it without him. Good friends and one day at a time.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to pry, just my profession shining through , I guess.”
“What do you do?” Evan asked, than kful for the change of subject.
“I’m a psychologist.”
“Really? Only one in town?”
Selena laughed, a hearty sound that made Evan smile without realizing it. “Pretty sure, yes. Not too much call for one in Mill River, but I get by.”
“You grew up here?”
“No, Minneapolis. I moved about three years ago. I’ve got a little building over on Outlet Road that I practice out of.” Selena held up her ring hand and waggled her fingers. “Divorced once, no kids, and that pretty much sums up my life.”
Silence hung between them, and Evan struggled for a moment to keep the conversation flowing. It had been so long.
“What drew you this far up north?” he finally asked.
“I love nature. Loved it since I was a kid. My dad used to bring me up here fishing before he died. I never forgot it. That’s actually his canoe that I use now. I’ve got another, newer one that’s way easier to pilot , with paddles that don’t slip out.” She paused to smile at him. “But the older one has a few memories attached to it. I usually cruise around the lake when it’s calm enough, good way to detach yourself.”
“I bet. I’ ve never been canoeing
“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
After taking a sip, Selena glanced around. “Where’s your little boy?”
“He’s napping,” Evan said , and motioned toward Shaun’s room.
Selena nodded, opened her mouth, and closed it again, then took another sip of wine.
“He had a traumatic brain injury.” Selena looked at him, her eyes soft. “I usually tell people up front so they’re not wondering.”
“Oh, I wasn’t, I didn’t mean to press —”
He shook his head, then drained half his glass. “Not at all.”
“That’ s why he has trouble speaking?”
“Yes, along with a range of other developmental disabilities , like walking, fine motor skills, balance, that type of thing.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“How did it happen, if you don’t mind me asking?”
Evan sipped his wine. “We were in a car accident a little over four years ago, when he was three. We got hit by a truck in an intersection, complete accident, it was slippery and the other driver couldn’t stop. Shaun’s car seat shifted enough with the impact for his head to hit the window. He was in a coma for two weeks, and when he came out, he’d lost most of what he’d learned.”
Selena ’s free hand hovered over her mouth. “That’s terrible.”
He smiled. “We were lucky, and he’s making progress every day. Not much more I can ask for.”
“It must be so hard for you and your wife.”
Evan’s hand holding his glass halted midway to his mouth , and then continued. He finished the rest of his wine. Selena’s shoulders slumped and her eyes closed.
“My God, I’m so sorry. I’m having a lot of trouble getting my feet out of my mouth. I’ll just —” She stood and set her glass down.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to leave.”
“I’m sorry, I saw your wedding ring and assumed ...”
Evan glanced at his left hand. The tungsten-carbide band shone in the afternoon light. It was hard to miss.
“No, you’re fine, don’t worry about it.”
Selena sat on the couch as though the cushions held shattered glass. “Was it in the same crash?”
“No, two years later. Cancer.”
Selena only sighed in response. The house creaked around them with a gust of wind, and Evan looked out the window, the sound of the wind chimes no longer brilliant, but a flat, jangling chorus.
“How have you managed?” Selena asked, a look of incredulity on her face.
“Shaun’s the light of my life, I wouldn’t have made it without him. Good friends and one day at a time.”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to pry, just my profession shining through , I guess.”
“What do you do?” Evan asked, than kful for the change of subject.
“I’m a psychologist.”
“Really? Only one in town?”
Selena laughed, a hearty sound that made Evan smile without realizing it. “Pretty sure, yes. Not too much call for one in Mill River, but I get by.”
“You grew up here?”
“No, Minneapolis. I moved about three years ago. I’ve got a little building over on Outlet Road that I practice out of.” Selena held up her ring hand and waggled her fingers. “Divorced once, no kids, and that pretty much sums up my life.”
Silence hung between them, and Evan struggled for a moment to keep the conversation flowing. It had been so long.
“What drew you this far up north?” he finally asked.
“I love nature. Loved it since I was a kid. My dad used to bring me up here fishing before he died. I never forgot it. That’s actually his canoe that I use now. I’ve got another, newer one that’s way easier to pilot , with paddles that don’t slip out.” She paused to smile at him. “But the older one has a few memories attached to it. I usually cruise around the lake when it’s calm enough, good way to detach yourself.”
“I bet. I’ ve never been canoeing
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