We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
And time's forever frozen still

-Photograph, Ed Sheeran

42| Evelyn

Evelyn was being steered towards her house. She had no idea what was happening. She didn't know why she needed to be distracted. Rita was not telling her anything. She only said Evelyn would see. Evelyn had no idea what was waiting for her.

Evelyn reached her house. She pressed the calling bell. Rita was right behind her. None opened the door.

Evelyn pressed the calling bell again. Being annoyed, she got her keys. She opened the front door, opened the screen door and as she opened the last door, something loud blast out in front of her face. Evelyn jumped in shock.

"Surprise!" Evelyn heard a chorus. She opened her eyes.

Everyone was standing in a circle. Jack was standing by the door, holding the blasted out part of a balloon which he had probably blasted in her face. Beside him, stood Noah, Diana, Abigail, the kids, Ethan and Dad.

"Guys, what are you.." Evelyn shook her head.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to dear Evelyn.."

"Oh my god," Evelyn let out a sound that sounded somewhere in the middle of a sob and a laugh. "You guys are.."

"Awesome! And we know it," said Jack. Noah smacked on his head.

Raine come running to Evelyn. "Happy Birthday, Ice Queen!"

"Awe, thank you," Evelyn said as she picked her up. She looked behind her and spotted Rita and then back at everyone.

"So that's what was happening behind my back, huh? I should've known as soon as Rita said she saw her crush." Evelyn announced.

"You have a crush?" Jack asked. "I thought.." He was about to say something. Then he looked over at Ethan and Evelyn's father and trailed off. "Never mind."

"You guys won't believe what I had to go through because of this." Rita shook her head. "I gave a guy my number."

"Congrats!" Diana, Abigail and Jack said in unison. Noah smacked Jack again.

"You guys are horrible. Who needs enemies when I have you!" Rita complained.

"You won't believe what I did," Evelyn said with a twinkle in her eyes. "I pushed her down on that guy."

"You did what?!" Dad and Ethan said in a unison this time. Evelyn had completely forgotten they were also present in the room.

"Hi Dad, Hi Ethan," She said sheepishly.

"Please tell us, what you did next," James said who was listening intently to her story.

"Oh, hey, hi boys!" Evelyn said.

The calling bell rang right the second. "I will get the door," Said dad.

"No, I will," Ethan said. "You stay here and listen what your daughter did to her friend."

Ethan walked off. Dad gave Evelyn a look. Evelyn smiled sheepishly. He left the room as well.

"Now, would you please tell us?" Diana said.

"Nobody is telling nobody anything," Rita announced.

"How about I show you instead of telling," Evelyn said. "I have a picture."

"You what!!" Rita screamed.

• • •

Every single one of her friends had seen the picture and was laughing on Rita. She was red in anger or flushing. Either way, Evelyn was being chased down by her. Evelyn got to her room and tried to open her door. Which won't open. She kicked on it and finally it did.

There were at least 30 balloons inside. She smiled and turned on the light. Then she saw the trails of the photos on her walls. These wasn't here before.

In the first photo, Evelyn was in her mother's arms. It was probably taken right after she was born. She was really small. Her mom was looking at her with a smile on her face. Tears made its way to Evelyn's eyes, before she realized anything.

Then next picture was when Evelyn was maybe one or two. It was her birthday. She was on her father's lap. Evelyn's mom was sitting beside him. All of them was smiling at the camera.

The next one was Evelyn with her dad, the background looked like a stage. Her dad was holding her in his arms. He had a guitar strap on him. The guitar was hanging on his back.

The tears was flowing freely by now. The next picture was Evelyn playing with her doll, sitting on her mother's lap.

The next photo was familiar. She had seen it before. It was Evelyn on her first day at school. She stood alone smiling at the camera. A slight ache seated on Evelyn's heart.

The next photo was taken the same day. But now she was accompanied by two kids. The one one left was Cecily and the other was Gus. The three of them was smiling really big. It was maybe taken by Cecily's father.

The next one was Evelyn beside a snowman. Gus was hiding behind it. Cecily was standing by Evelyn. Right after the photo was taken by Gus's mom, he pushed the snowman from behind and it's head fell off on him. Cecily and Evelyn had beaten Gus that day, with snowballs of course.

Evelyn was skating with Gus in another photo. Gus was trying to do tricks. Cecily took the photo.

The last one with them was before Evelyn left New York. It was taken in the airport. The three of them huddled together.

Evelyn wiped her eyes. All those memories with them came flooding back, filling Evelyn with a sweet aching feeling. Her heart was full.

The next photo was in Ohio. Evelyn took the selfie with all her friends from there. It was taken on the goodbye party they threw for Evelyn. There were at least 20 people in that single photo.

The next photo was taken by Abigail. It was a candid. Evelyn was screaming at Jack for stealing her lunch. She looked absolutely horrible. Evelyn chuckled at it.

Another was a selfie taken by Evelyn herself with Rita in a coffee shop. That day Evelyn made a best friend.

There was also a few candids of Evelyn, in one she was reading something while Noah was sticking his tongue out at the camera, probably taken by Diana.

The last one was the most beautiful one. Evelyn stood in front of it and covered her mouth, letting out a small sob. This one was taken yesterday.

Evelyn and Mason standing together smiling at each other, not even minding the camera. Evelyn was smiling up at him, he was smiling down at her. The rest didn't matter. This candid was taken by her dad.

Evelyn stood there with all the emotions rolling inside her. Every single photo there had a story, a very beautiful one. It was a journey through everything good that had happened with Evelyn. Every memory from those photo filled a place in Evelyn's heart.It was beautiful.

Evelyn looked at her window, waiting for something. She heard her dad, "It was his idea."

Evelyn turned and faced her father. He was smiling.

"How did he even find all of this?" Evelyn asked wiping away the tears, happy tears.

Her dad walked towards the first photo and gestured to it. "I had a knack for photography early days. It was taken by me. It was taken the day you were born, our little sunshine."

Evelyn stood beside her dad. He closed an arm around her shoulder. "The next one was your first birthday. We couldn't do much about it. But your mom and I tried our best. We invited some of our friends. It was taken by David maybe."

As he gestured to the next photo, " This one was taken by your mom. She came by to watch my concert with you. I had a small band you know. I used to sing with them. But your mom would never come to my concert. This was the first time she did. The guys were absolutely excited to see you."

Dad was smiling. "This was taken by me, a candid. Your mom didn't know I was taking your photo. This was taken right before I left for a tour."

He let out a sigh. In the next photo Evelyn was standing alone. None of them was here. They were gone. Evelyn was left alone. She sighed heavily before filling in Dad, "It was taken on my first day at school, maybe by my nanny."

Evelyn walked her dad all through the next photos, telling him the stories behind them.

"The last one is taken by you, I am with Mason. It was our first date." Evelyn smiled.

Evelyn leaned on her dad. He said, "I should've been there with every step you took. But I wasn't. You have done it all alone. You have turned into a strong girl."

Evelyn cried. "I know I am not the best dad ever. It was all my fault. If I stayed here and fought for my family, maybe we would have been together yet. But I fled away like a coward. I left you when you were three and when I came back you were thirteen."

"You were all grown up and you managed everything so well. I wondered what should be my role here. So even if I was there, I wasn't." His eyes roamed over the photo in Ohio.

Dad sighed heavily. "By that time, I had lost everything, every will to go on. But you told me I was living like a shell of a man. I knew I have to face my fears. I can live like this my whole life. So I saw a therapist."

All of this was news to Evelyn. " I started taking therapy. One day my therapist asked me about you. It was all embarrassing that I couldn't tell her a single thing about you while you are my daughter." Her father sighed.

"Anyways, leave that. Today is your birthday. I might not been there with you in every birthday, I can not fill that up. But I am here today. And Evelyn, stop crying."

Evelyn hugged her dad. He hugged back. "Your father is a very bad father, Eve. And he says sorry."

"It's okay." Evelyn mumbled in him.

Evelyn pulled back. Her dad was looking at Mason's and her photo. "He really did hard work to arrange all of this."

Evelyn smiled. She wondered how Mason had got his hands on all these photos. The Ohio one was maybe in her facebook but others weren't.

"I am not good at this but one advice I can give you, Evelyn." Her father said, "The people who had been there for you through your best might be your friends. But the one who's been with you through your worst are the real people. Hold onto them. You need those people. Be with them the same way, they had been there for you."

His eyes roamed over all the pictures stopping on the last one.

"He should be here by now," Dad murmured looking at the window. Evelyn also glanced that way.

"Was he supposed to come through the window?" Evelyn asked looking at her dad.

"How am I supposed to know?" Dad asked back.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "You all know everything. Who knows how long y'all been planning for this."

Dad shrugged and started for the door. After he left, Evelyn stuck her head out through the window. The ladder was set right there. But there was none around. Where was Mason?

The calling bell rang. Evelyn heart jumped in her throat. She turned and almost ran to downstairs. Abigail was standing by the door. Mady was getting in with a big box in her hand. The boys helped her set it on the table.

"There she is!" Mady said spotting Evelyn. "Happy Birthday dear!"

"Thank you," Evelyn said as Mady hugged her gave her pecks on her cheek." Did you make me another cake?" She asked cheekily.

Mady smiled. "You will see."

The day was getting better with every single thing. The cake was big. Mady had brought candles with her. The foods were all there. Everything was ready. Only one person was missing.

"Your lover boy is still not here," Jack said pouting. "How long we gonna wait for him? Let's just cut the cake. I am starving."

Evelyn was waiting. She knew he would be here soon. God knows what he was upto. She heard a screech of tires on the street. The whole world become silent. Her heart went thud thud and the calling bell rang.

"Go, get your lover boy," Rita pushed her towards the door. Evelyn didn't mind. With the beating heart she opened the door.

First she saw a massive box that was shoved towards her. She took it and looked in the front.

Bryan Stellar was smiling really big. Behind him stood Mallory looking at the ground.

"Happy Birthday Evelyn!" Bryan said smiling.

Evelyn gaped at them. She turned over her shoulder and asked, "Is this part of the surprise?"

"Who invited him?" Said Jack with an angry face. Evelyn looked back at Bryan.

"Didn't Mason tell you? We solved everything." Bryan said. " He invited me himself."

"What do you mean?" Evelyn asked wiggling her eyebrows.

Bryan turned into statue. After a few seconds, he asked, "Mason is not here. Is he?"

"No," Evelyn said being breathless. She didn't like the look in Bryan's eyes.

"I should've known," Bryan said running a hand through his hair. Behind him, Mallory covered her mouth with her hand. She shook her head.

Bryan called right away. "Mason is not picking up his phone either."

Jack was standing by Evelyn, "I don't understand what's happening."

Bryan looked at Mallory. Then he turned to Jack. Noah had come along as well.

"I need you guys to come with me right now," Bryan said.

Jack and Noah looked at each other then at Bryan. Evelyn stood holding her breathe.

Taking in a deep breathe, Bryan said, "Mason might be in trouble."

• • •