"Eli, hey... what number is this?" Gus' voice sounded curious and maybe a little confused through the phone. Eva could hear the crinkle of paper, and she pictured Gus' rough hands twisting the message Meredith had taken, squinting to read the unfamiliar phone number.

"I had a line put in here. Looks like I'm gonna be living in this apartment for a while longer." Eva looked out the window to the Marketplace, watching the vendors closing up their stalls for the night in the fading light.

"John said the place was small as a phone booth, are you happy there?"

"It's fine, Gus. Don't worry about it."

"Look, Eli, if you need money - "

"I don't need money."

" - we could try to work something out, it's hard just before harvest you know, but - "

"Gus, I don't need money. I just got a job, okay?" Eva heard the hardness in her voice as she cut him off. She let her head fall. For a long moment she listened to the phone connection crackle.

"What's the job?"

"Accounting."

"Good work. I could see that being good work for you."

"Yeah..." Eva traced circles on her desk with the tip of her finger. Her finger followed the path of a water stain feeling the rough grain of the wood against her skin. She didn't know what to say. Every time she talked with Gus, or anyone else in her family, she just wanted to cry. Instead, she searched for a different topic of conversation. Something safe. Meredith had already given her the family update. "Well look, I just wanted you to have the new number. You can call any time... you know me... I'm always awake."

"Yeah, I do." Gus chuckled. "Hey look, are you coming home this weekend? Meredith mentioned to Jamie it was your birthday Saturday, and he got all excited about a party for you. He made you a gift and everything..."

"Oh god, Gus, you told him it was my birthday?"

"It wasn't me! It was Meredith, Eli, I swear. And come on, would it be so bad to come home and celebrate your birthday?"

"I don't want to celebrate my birthday." Eva could feel her lower lip poking out in a childish expression. "I'm old."

"You're not old, you're what..." For a moment Gus' breath hung on the air like he was going to throw a number out there, but then it just fell.

Eva scoffed. Of course Gus knew how old she was, being just two years younger than him, but obviously he was afraid to actually put the number out there. "Thirty-seven," she finished for him.

"See, that's not old at all."

Eva rolled her eyes. "Well you're almost forty, buddy."

"Alright, alright. Go ahead and pick on me if it makes you feel better. But come on, you've gotta come home this weekend. You can't disappoint a four year old."

Eva tugged the phone cord. "Will there be pie?"

"Blackberry of course, and Katie's making ice cream. You can pick the berries yourself if you get here early enough."

Eva smiled. Blackberry picking in the morning, pond swimming in the afternoon, taking Raisin for a ride at sunset, not to mention hanging out with her niece and nephews. It actually had potential to be a good birthday.

"I'll catch a train after work on Friday."

"Oh, that's great, Eli. Jamie will be excited. Just let us know when your train is coming in, alright?"

"As always." Eva looked up and out at the Marketplace and smiled again. It would be good to be home. It was always good to be home.