{"product_id":"everything-he-couldnt-9798989890866","title":"Everything He Couldn't","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne of my favorite songs growing up was Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIronically enough, I never realized I'd be living out those lyrics in my own life when I fell for my best friend's girl-and then my best friend, John Schmitt, died.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAdd on the fact that she was pregnant with his child and that I'd been harboring feelings for Evelyn months before all of this happened, and well, now?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNow the lyrics to that song don't sound so bad anymore.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe worst part is, I'm the one to blame for his death which made facing her an even harder pill to swallow, so what did I do? Pretend like she didn't exist anymore, even though it was virtually impossible because she was everywhere in our small town of Newberry Springs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFlashforward six months and suddenly Evelyn finds herself in a legal battle she never saw coming, and I can't just stand by any longer and pretend like my heart isn't in shambles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I suggest the unthinkable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI offer to marry her, help her prove that she's a fit mother and her daughter is being raised well despite John not being in the picture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut Evelyn doesn't know that being near her gets my blood pumping, even more so after avoiding her for months.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe doesn't understand that doing this favor for her is a way for me to gain retribution for John's death and take a chance to find out if she can reciprocate my feelings.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd she doesn't get that by being there for her and loving her and her daughter that I'm doing everything that my best friend couldn't.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Harlow James Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50674510496018,"sku":"9798989890866","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_07fc9418-5623-41bd-b401-12ff00d7e39a.jpg?v=1733860794","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/everything-he-couldnt-9798989890866","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}