"We often miss opportunity because it's dressed in overalls and looks like work."

— Thomas A. Edison

/ / e v e l y n / /

"Eve?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you aware that it's almost noon?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Are you going into work today?"

I shake my head against my pillow and groan, "Mm-mm."

"Why not?" Joe asks, forcing me to sit up.

I wipe the drool off the side of my face with the back of my hand and yawn. It takes me a minute to realize where I am...back in my bedroom and I'm more than exhausted. I didn't get home until four o'clock this morning. Joe wouldn't answer the phone, meaning I had to walk home from the mental institute. Anything could've happened and Joe wouldn't answer his damn phone. I swear he turns it off on purpose.

I point to my face, "Joe, if you haven't noticed, I'm exhausted. I need my sleep. Go away. Leave me alone."

"Did you call into work?" he asks and I groan before throwing myself back against my pillow. "Do you want me to call for you?" I shake my head and sit up. My hair sticks to the side of my face and it takes me a minute to remove it.

"Can you hand me my cell phone?" I ask and rub my face. "I'll give Niall a call and tell him that I won't be going in today."

"Niall?" Joe asks as he walks over to my dresser where my phone is.

"Dr. Horan," I correct myself.

"Who's that?" He hands me the phone and plops down on the bed beside me. I go into my contacts and press my finger against Niall's name.

I look at Joe and lean over to kiss him on the forehead, "Someone who works with me." The phone rings four times before he decides to pick up. At least he can answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey," I say. "It's Dr. Foster."

"Evelyn?"

"Yeah."

"Where are you?" he asks. "Dr. Sanchez was looking for you this morning and I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be with Louis right about now."

I run a hand down my face and smile, "I don't think I can come into work today."

"Why is that?" he questions. "You're not ill, are you?"

"I'm not sick." I reassure him. "I just didn't get home until four o'clock this morning and I'm extremely tired. Can I just take the day off? I'll be at work tomorrow and I'll even be early." I stop talking and yawn. Joe kisses me on the cheek before getting off of the bed and leaving the room.

Niall sighs, "I'll tell Dr. Sanchez you're sick."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, but you better be here tomorrow."

"I will."

"All right," he murmurs. "Bye."

"Goodbye," I say and hang up the phone. I toss my phone on the other side of the bed and I suddenly hear panting. I tilt my head to the side and groan, "Joe, come get your dog!" As if on cue, Blue jumps on the bed and lays down. He rolls over onto his back and looks at me with his tongue sticking out. As cute as he is, I just don't like dogs.

Joe hurries into the room and when he sees Blue, he places his hands on his hips, "Now, what are you doing in here?" Blue rolls back onto his stomach and wags his tail as Joe gets closer to the bed. He picks up his dog and looks at me. "We're going out today."

"You and the dog? While I get some sleep?"

"No," he shakes his head. "The two of us. We're going out today."

"What?" I ask and he smiles. "No, we're not. I want to sleep all day. Do you not understand I had to walk here because someone would not, under any circumstances, pick up their phone?" Joe's arm tightens around his dog and I close my eyes.

"We're still going out today," he says.

"Joe!" I open my eyes but he's already out of the room.

If we do go anywhere, he won't pay for anything. It'll be me because if he can't even help with the bills, he can't afford to spend any money out today. A groan escapes my lips as I get out of bed. One hand sits on top of my head while the other is shoved in one of the pockets on my pajama shorts. If it's almost noon, that means I'm late for my medication. I was supposed to take my pill hours ago.

My purse is sitting on top of my dresser and I grab it, searching for my pill bottle. I find it and take the top off of it. I pop one pill into my mouth and put the bottle back into my purse. I walk into my bathroom and turn on the light before turning on the sink water. I swallow the pill and place both hands on the sink as I let out a sigh.

I'm beginning to feel bad for not going to work today. I was supposed to change Louis' bandages. There's always tomorrow, right? I lean forward and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is all over the place and I still have on my makeup from yesterday. As soon as I got in earlier this morning, I changed into my pajamas and went straight to bed. I didn't bother to take my makeup off or even take a shower to clean my body.

I back up until my body presses against the wall and my arms wrap around me. I wonder how Louis is. When I left, he was still unconscious. A few nurses had managed to get him in his bed and they strapped him down. His forehead was covered with sweat and I thought it was from him laughing so much. Why was he even laughing? I hadn't said anything funny and I'm pretty sure he didn't think of anything funny.

Wrinkles form on my forehead as I think harder about what happened last night. Louis kept yelling at me even though I barely said anything to him at all. I noticed how he rarely looked at me. He mostly looked at the walls, his bed, and the ceiling. What could have been more important than my questioning? I thought he wanted me to stay with him. 

There's a knock on the bathroom door and it opens. Joe stands in the doorway, "Are you getting ready?"

I stand up straight and nod, "Yeah."

"Are you all right?" he asks, taking a step into the bathroom. "You look a little shaken up." He stops and smiles, "You didn't see a ghost, did you?"

"No, I didn't see a ghost. I'm just tired." 

"Okay," he murmurs, taking a step back. "We leave in about an hour. Is that going to be enough time for you to get ready?"

"I just need to shower," I tell him and he nods before exiting the bathroom.

"And I'm taking Blue out for a walk!" he yells.

Oh, my dear sweet baby Jesus in a wicker basket.

Thank God.

"Grab his leash!" I lean back against the wall and cover my face with my hands.

To be honest, I really don't feel like going anywhere today. My body's worn out and I feel like I ran a marathon...and failed. Joe seems really excited about going out today and I don't want to disappoint him. It's very rare we even go out together. If we're going to make our relationship work, we have to go out more and spend more time with each other. We have to bond.

I step out of the bathroom and go to my closet to get my clothes for the day. Grabbing a pair of shorts, a shirt, underwear, and a bra, I hold them close and bite my bottom lip. Where's Joe planning on taking me? Last time we went out, he took me out for lunch and we went for a walk down the pier. He may not have the money most of the time, but he's amazing at picking out places for us to go. He's a somewhat romantic. I walk back toward the bathroom and sit my clothes down on the counter.

Letting the shower water run for a bit, I allow my pajamas to fall to the floor and I stare down at my bare feet. The blue nail polish has already chipped off and I'm too lazy to repaint my toenails. Sighing, I pull the shower curtain back and get in. The warm water splashes my body and I turn around in a full circle, letting my entire body soak.

I grab the bar of soap and hold it in my hands as I step forward, allowing the water to splash me in the face. I can feel my hair getting wet, but I don't mind. It'll dry due to the massive heat outside. I rub my hands on the soap and watch as my hands begin to turn white. I sit the soap down on the side of the shower and begin to wash myself. From the bathroom, I can hear Joe yelling for Blue to run faster. I hope Joe grabbed the leash because if Blue decides to run off again, he's a goner this time. I won't help look for him. I'm not getting scared by anything else. It's just not happening.

I finish washing myself and I turn the shower water off. Wrapping my towel around my body, I exit the bathroom and exit my bedroom, as well. I still have the fishy taste of the pill in the back of my mouth and I need to drink something that will help get rid of it. I approach the kitchen and open the refrigerator, grabbing a cold bottle of water.

"You know, you're technically naked in the kitchen right now."

"Joe!" I squeal as he wraps his arms around my waist, planting a kiss on my neck. "I was just getting a bottle of water."

"Mm-hmm," he murmurs against my fragile skin. I turn around and press my lips against his. He removes one arm from my waist and his fingers run along the top of the towel. When he gets a good grip, I grab onto my towel and back up.

"What are you doing?" I whisper, even though we are the only ones in the kitchen.

He smirks, "It's not like I've never seen you naked before."

"But you won't see me naked today," I promise him. "I have to finish getting ready, remember?" Joe bites his bottom lip as he looks me up and down. I slap his shoulder, "Hey, are you listening to me?"

"We could always skip our plans for today and go straight to the bedroom," he suggests and I frown. He laughs but my facial expression remains the same. "I'm only kidding, babe!"

"I'm going to go finish getting ready," I murmur and turn to leave the kitchen.

I hurry to make my way back to my bathroom because I can feel myself turning red. I shut and lock the door behind me and I let go of my towel. It falls to the floor and I begin to put my undergarments on. Water drips off of the ends of my hair and I sigh as I put on my shorts and throw my shirt over my head. I pin my hair up in a bun on top of my head and look at myself in the mirror.

I had managed to wash the makeup off of my face when I was in the shower. Now, I look like a pale ghost. I quickly brush my teeth and apply some lip gloss. Blue barks and I begin to wonder if Joe's putting him in his bedroom. I walk out into my bedroom and throw my purse over my shoulder. My flip flops are in my bag and I probably won't put them on until we get out of the car later on.

"Joe?"

There isn't a response and I walk to the front door. I open it and look outside. No one's outside from what I can see and I step out into the crisp, warm air. I walk toward the parking lot and see Joe putting Blue's cage in the car. He smiles when he sees me, "Did you lock the door?"

"I had no idea you were bringing the dog."

"Yeah," he says and closes the car door. "I'm assuming you didn't lock the door?"

"Why are we taking the dog?"

"I'll go lock the door, then," he says before jogging off.

I sigh before opening the car door and getting inside. I can hear Blue panting from the back seat and I sit my purse down on the floor. Where are we going? Wherever it is, dogs are apparently allowed to go there. I only know one place where this is allowed.

"We're going to the lake, aren't we?" I ask as Joe gets back into the car.

He smiles and starts the car, "How'd you figure it out?"

"The dog told me."

"Ha ha, very funny. The dog has a name."

"I'll stick with calling him that." I murmur as we leave the parking lot.

Joe shakes his head, "We're going to the lake for a little bit and then we're going to go somewhere for lunch."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

"You're just full of surprises today." I say and he laughs. "You know that?"

"I know a lot of things."

"Is that so?"

He nods, "I also know I love you and you love me." I turn to look out of my window to hide the fact that my face is turning red...again. "How's work? You've been working for almost a week and you haven't really told me anything. Don't leave me hanging now."

"It's frustrating," I mutter.

"Really now? Tell me more."

"Honestly," I look back at Joe. "I don't know what I'm doing. My patient is confusing and he frustrates me so much. I want to help him but every time I try, something happens."

"What happens?"

"He starts screaming."

"That's it?"

"No," I say. "He turns red and he looks like he's in pain. Oh, and don't even get me started on what happened last night." Joe opens his mouth to speak but I continue. "He started laughing!"

"Why is that a bad thing?" he wonders. "Your patient isn't allowed to have a sense of humor?"

I ignore his question, "I looked like an idiot, Joe. He started laughing like everything was funny. Then I noticed he was starting to turn red and I knew something was wrong. Oh, and he was talking to himself last night."

"Well, he is considered to be mental."

"He doesn't think he is."

"Does he think he's insane?"

"Nope."

"What's wrong with him?" he asks. "Did you ever get the chance to look at his file?"

I nod, "His file is...interesting."

"Ooh," Joe smiles as we make a right turn. "What was in his file?"

"I'm not allowed to tell." I say and he sighs. "If I was allowed to, you know I'd tell you everything."

"I know," he murmurs but he sounds disappointed.

The lake's not far from the apartment. It's actually right around the corner and it's about a fifteen minute drive. For me, though, it's a fifteen minute ride. When we arrive at the lake, I still don't put my shoes on. I plan on sitting on the dock with my feet in the water. It's a beautiful day and I want some part of me to get wet. Since I don't want to get my clothes wet, why not my feet? Joe gets out of the car first and he walks around to open my door. I get out as well and he pulls Blue's cage out of the back of the car. He opens the cage and Blue runs straight for the lake. He knows how to swim; yet, he isn't potty trained.

Funny.

"Where are you going?" Joe asks as I begin to walk down the dock. "Last time I checked, you don't have a swimsuit."

I look over my shoulder but keep walking, "I'm just going to put my feet in." I watch where I'm going and I sit down at the end of the dock. My feet dangle and barely touch the water. I point my toes and the water hits my big toe just a little bit. I groan, "This isn't working."

"Why don't you just strip?"

"Excuse me?" I ask as Joe approaches me. He took his shirt off but he still has on his basketball shorts.

"Just take off your shirt and shorts. That way, it'll be like you have on a swimsuit."

"I can't get wet," I argue. "Aren't we going out for lunch after we leave here?"

Joe smiles and cannonballs into the lake. I shield my face with my hands as water splashes all over me. I look back at the lake to see him staring back at me, "We'll have plenty of time to dry off. Come on, Eve. The water is perfect. Let's have a little fun!"

"I took a shower." I say. "I feel so clean and dry."

"You asked for it," he smirks.

"I asked for what?" I ask and his hands wrap around my ankles. "Joe, don't!" I let out a scream as he pulls me off of the dock. I fall into the lake and I close my eyes as the water soaks my body and swallows me whole. Joe lets go of my ankles and grabs my shoulders, pulling me upward. He wipes the water off of my face and I am quick to splash him. "I didn't want to get wet!"

"Like I said," he moves my hair out of my face, "we have plenty of time to dry off." I attempt to splash him again but he grabs my wrists and pulls me close. His lips land on mine and he lets go of my wrists. Instead, he grabs the ends of my shirt and pulls it over my head. I don't argue when he tosses it onto the dock. I wrap my arms around his neck as we kiss. He pulls away from me and tilts his head to the side. "You should probably take your shorts off, too."

"No way," I whisper as I quickly peck his lips.

"Why not?" he asks.

"The shorts are staying on."

"They'll dry just like your—" He is interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing. We both look back at the dock where my purse is. Joe's phone is also in my purse but just from listening to the ringtone, I know it isn't his phone.

It's mine.

I murmur, "I should probably go answer it."

"Okay," he says and he removes his arms from my waist. I remove my arms from his neck and swim back to the dock. There's a ladder and I quickly grab onto it, climbing as fast as I can. I jog toward my purse and dig through it until I find my phone. When I pull it out, water drips on it.

"Shit," I curse as I shake the phone, trying to get the water off. Niall's name appears on the screen and I answer it. "Hello?"

"Evelyn!" he yells, causing me to remove my phone from my ear to prevent any damage.

"Niall," I say, putting the phone back to my ear.

"You have to get down here right away!"

"Why are you yelling? I can hear you just fine."

"They let him go, Evelyn."

I place one hand on my hip and look back at Joe. His face is full of worry. "What do you mean they let him go?" I move my wet hair out of my face. "Who did they let go?"

"Louis," he replies. "They let him go home."