Chapter 139: Tell Her

Ethan returned to the living room after ending the call with the police. Evelyn and Nora were still sitting on the couch, their attention fixed on the television. He walked over and settled beside them, stretching his arm along the backrest.

"What’s this movie about?" He asked, glancing at the screen.

Evelyn turned toward him with a small smile. "A girl who discovers that she’s a princess from another kingdom. Nora chose it."

"Really?" Ethan looked at his daughter. "So, you like princesses now?"

Nora shifted in her seat, giving him an unimpressed look. "Daddy, it’s a mermaid movie. She’s not a princess from another kingdom. She’s a mermaid who can become human."

"Ah, my mistake." Ethan nodded solemnly. "I can see that I’m the only person here who doesn’t understand the complicated affairs of mermaids."

Evelyn covered her mouth to hide a laugh while Nora rolled her eyes. "You’re just pretending not to understand."

"Maybe." He leaned back against the couch. "Or maybe you’re the one who needs to explain things better."

"Daddy!"

Ethan chuckled as Nora turned back to the television, muttering something under her breath. Evelyn shook her head, and for a while, the three of them watched the movie together. Every now and then, Nora would comment on something happening on the screen, and Ethan would deliberately misunderstand her explanation just to hear her complain.

However, the excitement didn’t last long. Nora had eaten breakfast, spent the morning watching television, and had only recently woken up. Before long, her comments became less frequent. Her head slowly tilted toward Evelyn’s arm, and her eyelids drooped as she struggled to keep watching.

Evelyn glanced down at her daughter and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face. "Someone seems to be getting sleepy."

"I’m not sleepy," Nora mumbled, barely opening her eyes.

"Of course you’re not," Ethan replied, his lips curling into a smile. "You’re simply closing your eyes to appreciate the movie better."

Nora lifted her head and shot him a weak glare, but it didn’t last. A few minutes later, her head sank against Evelyn’s arm again, and her breathing settled into a steady rhythm.

Evelyn adjusted the cushion behind Nora’s head, making sure she was comfortable before reaching for the remote and lowering the volume. Ethan watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind Nora’s ear, then shifted slightly to give the sleeping girl more room.

"She must have been tired," Evelyn whispered.

"Or the mermaids weren’t interesting enough," Ethan replied quietly.

Evelyn glanced at him, her lips twitching. "You just can’t resist teasing her, can you?"

"Not when she makes it so easy."

She shook her head, though the faint smile remained on her face. Ethan let the movie continue for a little longer before turning toward her.

"Evelyn, there’s something I need to tell you."

His change in tone made her look at him properly. "What is it?"

"The police called earlier." He glanced briefly at Nora before continuing. "The court proceedings involving Cassie have been scheduled for Wednesday morning. They said Nora and I might be needed to testify, so we’ll all have to go."

Evelyn’s fingers stopped moving against the edge of the cushion.

For a moment, she said nothing. Her eyes remained on Ethan, but her gaze gradually shifted toward Nora. The little girl was still asleep, one hand curled beneath her cheek, completely unaware of the conversation taking place beside her.

"Wednesday?" Evelyn repeated, her voice quieter than before.

Ethan nodded. "Wednesday morning."

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. She lowered her eyes to her hands, pressing her fingertips together until her knuckles paled.

She had tried not to think about Cassie over the past few days. Whenever the memory surfaced, she would turn her attention to something else, whether it was helping at the shop, spending time with Nora, or simply talking with Ethan. It had been easier to pretend that the matter was being handled somewhere beyond the walls of their home.

Now, she couldn’t push it aside anymore.

Cassie had been the person she trusted with her worries. The woman she had laughed with, shared personal matters with, and defended whenever others questioned her intentions. Evelyn had considered her one of the closest friends she had ever had.

Yet Cassie had deliberately put Nora in danger.

Evelyn’s fingers curled into her palms. She drew a slow breath, but it caught halfway, forcing her to try again.

"All this time..." She murmured, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I really thought she was my friend."

Ethan remained silent, allowing her to gather her thoughts.

"I trusted her with so many things." Evelyn swallowed, then shook her head faintly. "Whenever something happened, I would tell her. I even defended her when you warned me to be careful around her."

Her fingers tightened around the cushion.

"But she was never really my friend, was she?" She asked, finally lifting her eyes toward him. "She was only pretending."

Ethan didn’t rush to answer. He reached over and placed his hand over hers, gently easing her fingers away from the cushion.

"Some people are good at pretending to care," He said. "That doesn’t mean you were wrong to want a friend. It means she didn’t deserve the trust you gave her."

Evelyn stared at their joined hands. Her thumb moved slowly over his knuckles before she looked toward Nora again.

"Does Nora really have to go?" She asked. "She’s only nine, Ethan. I don’t want her to be frightened or have to remember everything that happened again."

Ethan followed her gaze. Nora shifted in her sleep, drawing her knees closer to her body, and he pulled the edge of the cushion beneath her head into place.

"We’ll be there with her." He assured Evelyn. "She won’t have to face any of it alone. If she’s asked to testify, we’ll make sure she’s prepared for what to expect. And if the court doesn’t need her, she won’t have to say anything."

Evelyn pressed her lips together, then gave a small nod. Her hand remained beneath his, and after a brief hesitation, she leaned toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Ethan’s eyebrows lifted slightly at the sudden embrace, but he soon slipped an arm around her shoulders. He patted her back slowly, resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"It’s going to be fine," He murmured.

Evelyn held on to him for a little longer before nodding against his chest. Ethan continued rubbing her back until her grip loosened. When she finally pulled away, he brushed his thumb over her cheek and gave her a reassuring smile.

"We’ll handle it together," He said.

She nodded again, then glanced at Nora. "Let’s not wake her. She looks comfortable."

"Agreed. Besides, if we wake her now, she’ll probably demand lunch."

Evelyn let out a quiet laugh, and Ethan’s smile widened.

He reached for the remote and turned the volume down another notch. For the next few minutes, they remained on the couch, watching the movie while Nora slept between them.