Fragile

Chapter 24 - Arguments & Zoo Day

Happy Wednesday!

~~~~

It had been a few months since Evelyn and Riggs moved in, and for the most part, it had been good. Better than good, actually. I loved having them here, waking up with Evelyn every morning, and hearing Riggs's little feet running through the house. It felt real—like a life I had wanted for so long but hadn't realized was possible.

But living together wasn't always easy.

Evelyn was used to doing things a certain way, and so was I. We had little disagreements here and there—over laundry, over how to organize the kitchen, over whether or not it was okay to leave dishes in the sink overnight (I said yes, she said absolutely not). But those were small things. They weren't the kind of fights that made you question everything.

This one was.

It started over something stupid—like most fights do.

Evelyn had been working insane hours at the hospital, constantly exhausted, constantly on edge. I got it. Residency was brutal, and she was giving everything she had to prove herself. But she was also stretching herself too thin, and I could see it happening before my eyes. She was coming home late, barely eating, and when she was here, she was distant.

And then there was Riggs.

I had been spending more time with him—picking him up from school when Evelyn was stuck at work, helping him with homework, tucking him in when she was too tired to do it herself. I didn't mind. I loved the kid. But it wasn't lost on me that Evelyn was missing moments with him. And it definitely wasn't lost on Riggs.

Tonight was the last straw.

It was late—past nine—and she was just getting home. Riggs had been asking about her all day, wondering if she'd make it back in time to read to him before bed. I had told him yes, trying to be hopeful, but by the time his bedtime rolled around, she still wasn't home. So I read to him instead, tucking him in and assuring him that she'd be there in the morning.

When Evelyn finally walked through the door, looking exhausted and barely acknowledging me before heading straight for the kitchen, I felt something inside me snap.

"You missed bedtime again," I said, crossing my arms as I leaned against the counter.

She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. It was a long day."

"It's always a long day."

She shot me a look, already irritated. "What do you want me to do, Leah? Quit my job?"

"No, but I want you to see what you're missing. Riggs was waiting for you. He was excited to see you."

Her jaw tightened. "I can't help it if work runs late. That's part of my job."

"I get that, but he doesn't. He just knows that his mom isn't here."

She scoffed, turning away from me as she opened the fridge. "I don't need you telling me how to parent my kid."

That stung.

"I'm not telling you how to parent him, I'm telling you that he misses you. That I miss you."

Evelyn slammed the fridge shut and turned to face me, her expression hard. "I'm doing my best, Leah. I don't need you making me feel like shit for it."

I threw my hands up. "I'm not trying to make you feel like shit! I just—" I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. "I just feel like you're pulling away. Like you're barely here."

She let out a bitter laugh. "You think I want to be working these hours? You think I enjoy coming home feeling like a zombie? I'm doing this for us. For Riggs. For our future."