What in bloody hell was going on?
She could have shouted it but, of course, no one would answer.
She’d just have to watch and see.
Prentice returned and disappeared in his study.
Bella immediately began making tea once the groceries were unpacked and Jason ran his book bag upstairs.
Fiona took her opportunity and zoomed close to Bella.
How’s Sally? she shouted.
All right, so Bella was there out of the blue after the whole fiasco at the wedding. She looked like death warmed over and she was staying with Prentice and Jason.
But… priorities.
Bella could hear her, even once spoke directly to her and Fiona needed news of her daughter.
Bella didn’t answer. She didn’t flinch. She didn’t even twitch.
Bella! How’s Sally? Please tell me, Fiona shouted again, this time, louder (but still silent, of course).
Fiona waited.
Bella kept rubbing butter into the skin of the chicken, giving no indication she heard one single word Fiona said.
Fiona groaned in frustration.
Before she could ask again, Jason returned and Fiona was astounded to see her son immediately began to help Bella with tea (something he never did for his mother unless threatened with certain death). All the while they worked Bella quietly gave Jason directions that he followed to the letter.
Bella had the chicken in the oven (stuffed with delicious-looking stuffing), Jason had cleaned and carefully chopped the broccoli and carrots under Bella’s relentlessly vigilant eye at Jason wielding a knife and was cutting up the potatoes that Bella had peeled when Prentice walked into the kitchen.
He stopped and stood for awhile, watching this activity, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
And Fiona knew what he saw that made him so annoyed.
Firstly, Jason was helping with dinner. That was worth putting in your journal (if you had one, which Prentice did not). But, more to the point, he was helping Bella with dinner.
Secondly, Bella looked ready to drop. You could actually see that the woman had no energy. How she was remaining upright and cooking was a mystery.
Prentice, Fiona knew, was also tired. He hadn’t slept in two days. He hadn’t slept well in three weeks.
But, as tired as Prentice had to be, Bella was more tired it was plain to see.
And it wasn’t only from worry over Sally being knocked over.
Life, Fiona knew, was finally wearing Isabella Austin Evangahlala down.
Just what Fiona needed, something else to worry about.
Who said you could rest when you were dead? Whoever it was, they lied.
“Jace, give me a minute, I want to talk to Elle,” Prentice said to his son.
Fiona watched Bella’s shoulders get tight as Jason turned to give his father an assessing look.
Prentice held his son’s gaze and Fiona would have laughed if she wasn’t holding her non-existent ghost breath.