I gave Eva a beer and I sat down. She immediately took my picture.

I put my hand up again.

.

"You really don't like getting your picture taken do you?"

.

I shook my head.

"I guess too many years of a complete lack of confidence, had a lot to do with it."

I sipped my beer.

"Never really been that comfortable with the way I looked."

.

Evangeline put down the camera.

"I don't know why not."

She sipped her beer.

"I mean, you are ...

well, not all that bad looking."

.

I raised my beer.

"Thank you for boosting my sagging ego, even more."

.

Evangeline laughed.

"I was only joking. I hardly even recognized you, without the shaggy beard and the curly hair."

.

I laughed.

"I got rid of that, when I came back home. I want to forget about that part of my life and that look just kept reminding me."

.

She stared for a moment or so and then nodded.

"I like the new look."

.

I knew I was blushing again.

.

She pointed at my face.

"Especially the multi-colored red blush."

.

I stood up.

"Okay. I am leaving."

.

She grabbed my arm, laughing.

"You are a sensitive one, Will Templeton."

.

I sat back down.

"A little," I sighed.

.

There was an awkward moment of silence.

.

"So," I mumbled, finally.

"How are things between you and your husband going?"

.

Evangeline took a deep breath.

"Ex-husband."

.

I turned to her.

"I am sorry. I thought you guys had reconciled?"

.

She put down her beer and took a pack of cigarettes from her breast pocket.

"You mind?"

.

I shook my head, taking out my own cigarettes.

"As long as you don't mind."

.

We both lit cigarettes.

.

Eva took a deep breath.

"We gave it a try, but it didn't last too long."

.

"I'm sorry. The last I heard was that you guys moved out west."

.

Evangeline nodded, blowing out smoke rings.

"We did. We thought a new start would help us get over what broke us up in the first place."

.

"I'm sorry."

.

She laughed.

"Don't be. I should have known better. I guess I was just looking for the things that we had in the beginning, but there is an old saying."

She drew heavily on the cigarette.

"You can't go back."

.

I was silent.

.

Evangeline looked at me, smiling.

"You're not even going to ask?"

.

"Not my business."

.

Evangeline laughed.

"Well, now I have to tell you."

She took another puff.

"We got married way to young, anyway. We were highschool sweethearts. He was really the only man I had ever been with.

Everything seemed to be perfect, but things turned sour. He wanted children..."

.

"And you didn't?" I interjected.

.

Eva shook her head. "Quite the opposite. I wanted to, but I couldn't. We tried for two years, but I couldn't conceive."

.

"And he felt deprived?"

.

She gave me a strange look. "That is exactly what he said to me."

.

I felt bad. "I'm sorry."

.

"Don't be. It opened my eyes to a whole side of him that I never knew. I suggested adoption, but he said he would never raise someone's bastard child."

.

"That's a little harsh," I said, quickly.

"Many couples adopt."

.

She blew smoke rings out and looked at me. "That was the beginning of the end. He changed and I couldn't take it anymore, so I moved out and he filed for divorce."

.

"So what happened, when you went to St. John's?"

.

She took a deep breath.

"When I saw him, all the old feelings came back. We talked in the hallway, while waiting for our case to be heard and by the time we got called, we had decided to give it another try."

.

"But?"

.

She shook her head while drinking her beer. "You know what the but is, Will.

Everything was great at the beginning and we even decided to try for children again.

That was a mistake."

.

"May I ask why?"

.

"He flipped when he saw the first results of the very first pregnancy test I took. I knew it was going to be negative and I begged him not to push me to take one, but the ass insisted.

As soon as he saw the result, he flipped."

.

"I'm so sorry."

.

She put her hand on my arm.

"Don't be. It was all the reminder I needed. I left the next day and took off to Europe. I had some money put aside from the job in Twillingate, so I took a train tour through most of Europe.

I took a ton of photographs and started an online photo chatroom. It was a hit and before I knew it, I had thousands of people virtually travelling with me.

It was amazing."

.

"So what brought you to my little corner of the world?"

.

"I got an email from my lawyer. I filed for divorce before I left and he informed me that the divorce was final.

So, I packed up and came back. But the beauty of it all was that I had dozens of requests for companies and even government, wanting me to set up web sites and do photo shoots.

The little web site I did for the Oceanside, quite impressed many people."

.

I was still a little puzzled.

"I am sure that your return did not include a trip to our little village. Maynard's Rock is not exactly on may vacation websites."

.

Evangeline agreed.

"You are true that, Will. I never even heard of it, before today."

.

I turned my chair to face her.

"Now I am interested. What would ever push you to coming here?"

.

She looked puzzled.

"I don't know. Honestly.

I was on my way to Port-aux-Basque, to catch the ferry. I was going to Nova Scotia and something drew me here."

.

I laughed slightly.

"This is a little out of the way, from the Port-aux-Basque ferry."

.

She nodded, laughing slightly.

"I know. I have a photo shoot in Halifax in a couple days, but I just felt I had to come here.

And I am so glad I did."

.

I blushed again.

"So am I. It is so nice to see you again."

.

She gave me a look that was confusing to me.

.

"Did I say something wrong?"

.

She shook her head.

"It's ok." She looked at her watch. "I should be going."

.

"Of course."

.

"Look Will. You are a sweetheart ..."

.

I stood up. "Hey. Its okay. You don't have to explain anything to me."

.

She stood, picking up her camera, putting it over her shoulder.

"I know, but ..."

.

"Hey," I offered. "No buts. You seem to be happy and that is all that is important."

.

She nodded.

"I am Will."

.

I offered her my hand.

"Have a safe trip," I said, my heart sinking by the second.

.

She simply looked at me and took the camera off her shoulder.

"Do you have another beer?"

.

I must have turned ten shades of red, but I managed to stammer out, "I think I can find one somewhere."

I went inside to get us another beer.

When I returned she was standing at the end of the veranda taking pictures.

I thought she was the sexiest, most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

.

"I have your beer."

.

She sat down. She was silent for a second but then she said, "I like you, Will. I felt a connection between us from the first time that we met."

.

I sat there blushing.

"But...."

.

She lit another cigarette.

"Will, I have just started doing something that I really love. People love my photographs. I am going to Halifax to help with a new tourism booklet. They want me to do the photos. Then I come back to St. John's to do three more assignments for the Herald and the Newfoundland government. I am going to be busy for the next three months or so."

.

I put up my hand. "Eva. I am happy for you.

Really. You don't have to explain anything to me."

.

"Then why do I feel that I have to?"

.

I shook my head. "I kinda know what you are going through."

.

"Really?"

.

I nodded.

"I have just started playing music professionally for the first time in my life. Myself and my friends Jessie and Bobby Traverse, started a band a while back and we are doing pretty good. We even have a couple Cds."

.

She smiled, the most beautiful smile, letting out a long sigh, as she did.

"I would love to hear your music."

.

"Give me a sec."

I went inside and got copies of the two CDs . I gave them to her.

.

"Thank you. I will listen to them on the way to the ferry."

She looked at her watch again.

"I am sorry Will, but I really have to go."

She put the CDs in her purse and took her camera.

.

I didn't know what to say. "I wish you didn't have to go."

.

She stared at me for what seemed like an eternity. She then kissed me quickly on the lips.

She hurried to her car. She started the car and then the window went down.

"It really was wonderful seeing you again, Will."

.

I nodded.

"You too. And if you ever get drawn this far off the beaten path, be sure to drop by."

.

She smiled a sad smile and drove off.

.

"Are you okay, Daddy?"

.

I nodded without turning.

"Daddy just wants to be alone for a few minutes, sweetie."

.

I walked to the edge of the garden and stared out over the ocean.