But he had spoken to her with love in his tone.
She hadn’t heard that in well over a year.
She missed it.
Terribly.
Bella went back to making and serving dinner. While they ate it, Fiona thought about leaving them and going somewhere else to haunt for awhile. She was going over her options when Jason made a statement that piqued her interest.
“Kids at school say I’m in a magazine.”
Bella was rinsing the dirty dishes.
She glanced over her shoulder from her place at the sink, her gaze hesitant and she said gently, “Yes, sweetheart.”
He grinned his cheeky grin.
All grin. All cheek. All Jason. No sadness in his eyes. Nothing held back.
Fiona hadn’t seen that in well over a year either.
She missed that too.
“Do I look good?” Jason asked.
Bella smiled.
Then, all of a sudden looking strangely indecisive, she stilled.
Finally, making her decision, she walked to Jason and put her hand on top of his head. Leaning in, her hand slid down to his cheek.
Her face got close. “With your father’s eyes and your mother’s hair, it’s impossible for you not to look good.”
Jason stared at her, probably because her voice shook with emotion.
Bella’s fingers slid through his hair as she watched her hand, the look on her beautiful face a mixture nostalgic and heartbroken.
Then she caught his eyes with hers and whispered, “You know, she’s with you every minute. Here,” she tugged his hair gently. “Here,” she let his hair go and tapped his head with her finger. “And here,” she put her hand over his heart. “I learned that a long time ago,” Bella whispered. “My Mom left me but she left a lot with me and all of it I carry safe, every moment, right here,” she pressed her hand on his chest for emphasis and Jason closed his eyes.
Ghostly tears slid down Fiona’s cheeks and she decided she didn’t hate Bella anymore.
Fiona watched as Bella leaned in and kissed the top of his head and then she went back to tidying the kitchen as if that touching moment hadn’t happened.
Eyes never leaving Bella, Jason made a noise in the back of his throat then gulped in an effort to control his emotion.
Bella, astutely, ignored it.
He slid off his stool, went to get Fiona’s guitar and the book Bella gave him to teach himself how to play it and he brought them downstairs
Seeing him with her guitar and Bella’s book, Fiona finally got it.
And she looked to the woman who was teaching her daughter how to dangle the new cat toy she’d bought Blackie when she was with Sally in the village and Fiona fell in love.
This world was meant to have Jason and Sally in it.
So, as ugly as it was, Bella and Prentice could not be.
And Fiona and Prentice were meant to be.