Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(80)
“Daddy just kissed you,” Sally breathed.
Bella’s head jerked down.
It was clear she had no idea how to deal with this. None whatsoever.
Clueless.
Fiona giggled again.
“Yes,” Bella croaked, her voice scratchy then she coughed to clear her throat.
“I think he likes you,” Sally whispered.
“I… uh… erm…” Bella stammered.
Suddenly, Sally let her go and skipped away, happy as a clam and onto a new topic, asking, “Can we have pancakes for lunch?”
Fiona watched Bella’s shoulders droop, why, Fiona didn’t know. Relief that she’d been saved from the Sally situation by Sally’s short attention span. Admitting defeat about the Prentice situation.
Whatever.
Thankfully, Bella didn’t make Sally pancakes. She made her grilled cheese with carrot sticks on the side.
It looked delicious.
Later, Bella picked up Jason and got the kids sorted. She was making dinner when Prentice called.
Fiona was floating with her arse over the stool next to the one her son was sitting on when the phone rang. She dematerialized and materialized close to Bella and listened in.
“Hello?” Bella greeted.
“Elle,” Prentice said, then didn’t wait for a response, “I’ll no’ be home for dinner.”
Bella’s head twitched when she heard his voice and with a darted glance at Jason at the counter and one to Sally laying on her back on the couch (playing, with difficulty but determination, one-handed with her new kitty), Bella started down the hall.
Fiona followed.
“Prentice –”
Prentice cut her off, “What are you making?”
Fiona watched Bella’s head jerk as she stopped outside the laundry room before she asked, sounding flummoxed, “Pardon?”
“For dinner. What are you making?”
“Gammon and egg with chips and peas,” she answered, then went on quickly, “Prentice –”
He interrupted again, “Pudding?”
“What?”
“What are you making Sally for pudding?”
Bella tilted her head back and looked at the ceiling, visibly seeking patience.
Fiona giggled yet again.
“Treacle sponge with custard,” she replied, her eyes moving away from the ceiling. “Now, Prentice, listen to me –”
He didn’t let her continue. “Is it homemade?”
“What?”
“The sponge. Is it homemade?”
Bella sighed. Heavily.
“Yes. But Pren –”
“Save me some sponge.”
“Prentice –”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Talking so swiftly her words ran together, Bella declared, “Prentice, we have to talk.”
His voice was soft when he responded, “Aye, but I have a deadline, baby. We’ll talk when I get home.”
Bella made no response and Fiona saw her eyes were glazed again. And Fiona knew why.
Prentice had an attractive voice but when it got soft and he talked to you with love in his tone, well, that would make anyone’s eyes glaze over.
Fiona floated listlessly as she heard Prentice repeat, “I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
Then he disconnected.
Bella gazed dazedly at the phone for several long seconds before she pressed the button to turn it off.
Fiona decided she hated her again.
Prentice might not have called Fiona “baby”. And he might not have cuddled her in bed all night long.
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.