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From Chaos to What?  Chaos is a ladder

Chapter 8

Two (2) days later Evangeline is at the Llanview Airport waiting to board her flight to San Francisco.  Contrary to what he said Evangeline did not hear from John as to whether he managed to get the same flight or hotel arrangements.  She is a bit disappointed but she tries not to show it.  As she starts to board the plane she takes one last look around the terminal but she doesn’t see him.  Resigned to traveling alone she sullenly make her way to her seat.  When traveling on long flights such as this Evangeline books first class.  She thinks that even if John managed to get on the same flight that they would be separated anyway with her in first class and John in coach.  

She settles into her seat and patiently waits for the other passengers to board the plane.  When the line of boarding passengers dwindles she concludes that John did not make the flight.  She looks out of the window tying to clear her head and heart of the disappointment that she feels.  

“Is this seat taken?”

Evangeline looks up into the smiling face of one John McBain.

“You look a little sad there young lady.  Why the glum face if I may ask?”

Fighting it but losing Evangeline smiles too and not to be outdone she quips,

“Me with a glum face, certainly you are mistaken.  Everything is fine.”

John concedes defeat and knows that in that moment that there is hope after all that this will be an eventful trip.

During the week in San Francisco, Evangeline realizes that John is sincere in his efforts to have a relationship with her and John understands that he has to give Evangeline time to trust him again and be comfortable with them being together.  While in San Francisco they are able to have conversations without interruptions, no telephone calls, no one walking in his office and no one just stepping up to them while they are talking.  

Evangeline’s meetings progress very well and that adds to her good mood and John benefits from that.  She is more relaxed and eagerly engages John in conversation and is totally involved in planning their daily excursions.  They stay at the same hotel but on different floors. While Evangeline meets with her clients John manages to connect with a couple of his former FBI colleagues who still work for the Bureau but are now based in the San Francisco office.  He and Evangeline visit all of the regular tourist spots and find other places and events.  One night they attend a jazz concert in a park that was recommended by the hotel’s concierge.  Although they still have a long way to go before they are truly a couple, they know now that this is a start to something good.

It is now several weeks since their return from their enjoyable trip to San Francisco and work and family obligations keep them both busy. Not wanting to derail the progress that they have made they both make a concerted effort to carve out time from their busy schedules to talk.  They decide to have some ‘interruption free’ time at least once a week. They know that if either of them stay in their office or leave on their phone that someone will either call or walk in.  Their apartments are no better so they find a place where they can meet that’s easily accessible for both of them and it works perfectly for them.  Sometimes they bring dinner and talk and eat while other times they just talk.  One thing that John finds quite endearing is Evangeline sharing with him how frightened she was when she was blind.  He always thought of her as this strong woman and to know that she too has fears makes him see how wrong he was to put her up on that impossible pedestal that made him think that she was too good for him.  She is human too.  Evangeline sees now that John has solved his father’s murder he’s a lot more open sharing his feelings.  She understands him a little better now.  Maybe this time around they will get things right.