Chapter 4
"Hi Kay. No.Noah. Wow! Such a change. Tell me. What's got you in such a good mood?" Beth smiled. Tossing the checkered rag aside. Propping her chin on her clasped hands.
Noah grinned at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Kay scanned the sea of faces in the Book Café. Searching for one in particular.
"Well.I know your beloved future stepmother didn't kick the bucket," Beth teased. "She's been here all afternoon."
"Ivy? Where?" Kay asked.
"In the back. Why? O-O-kay," she said to herself. "Really Noah.what's going on?"
"You'll know soon enough," he said distractedly. "Listen.Beth.I got to."
She waved him off. Looked like the Book Café was getting ready for Kay Bennett vs. Ivy Winthrop. Round 313. "Go ahead. Just don't let things get too out of hand. Okay? This is not WWF Smackdown."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Well, well. If it isn't Poison Ivy."
Lauren's hazel eyes narrowed, and her napkin fell to her lap forgotten.
"Lauren.there's someone I'd like you to meet."
"Really, Ivy. There's no need for introductions. You're not now nor will you ever be family of mine."
"Kay," Ethan chastised.
"This is Kay?" Lauren asked quizzically. "I've heard so much about you," she said sarcastically.
Kay smirked in response. "Lauren, is it? Funny. I've heard NOTHING about you. Some mother you have. You know what? You can keep her. She'll never be my mother."
Ivy's blue green eyes connected with Noah's over Kay's shoulder. And she spoke. "No one's trying to replace your mother. Least of all me."
For an instant, Noah fell guilty about the bomb they were about to drop. But only an instant. They had their mother back. "Good. You're a poor substitution for the real thing."
Lauren's hazel eyes flashed angrily. How dare they talk to her mother in such a way? She jerked her arm away from Ethan's hold and stood up. "How dare you?" she spat.
Noah's blue eyes glittered. "How dare I?" he scoffed.
"Please!" Ivy yelled in exasperation. "You don't have to like me. That's fine. But the fact is.I am going to be your father's wife. Mrs. Sam Bennett. Things will be a much easier if you'd just accept it."
"I don't do easy," Kay barked. "And you'll never be Mrs. Sam Bennett."
"Kay.you're being unreasonable," Ivy sputtered. "Your father and I will be married. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing.the only person."
"Who, Ivy? My mother? Is that who you're talking about? Dad would drop you like that, wouldn't he?"
Ivy winced at the snap of Kay's fingers. "You're forgetting one thing, aren't you?"
"Your mother's dead," Lauren glared. "Let's go, Mother. You don't have to put up with anymore of this harassment. Ethan.are you coming?"
Ethan nodded his head and rose from his seat. Studying Kay and Noah suspiciously.
Kay watched them go.
"I thought you were going to deliver the fatal blow."
"No. Surprises are wonderful, don't you think? Ivy is in for the surprise of her life."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
She clutched his pillow desperately. Breathing in his scent. She missed him. So much. She tried to read the clock on the bedside table. But her vision was obscured by tears. It was late. That much she could guess.
The curtains flapped in the breeze coming in from the open window. Wolf barked in the distance. Probably chasing some imaginary squirrel as he was prone to do.
Her ears perked at the sound of movement. She heard the rustle of keys, and the creak of the front door on its hinges. The light from the hallway made her blink. "Ethan? Is that you?"
"Go back to sleep," he ordered.
"Ethan." It was hard to speak over the lump in her throat. "Ethan.I'm so glad you came home."
He froze. Motionless. Unyielding. "Matthew. I'm doing this for him," he whispered.
Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders as she braced herself on her elbows and studied him.
"Matthew.of course. He'll be happy." She felt tears sting her eyes again as she watched him gather his things in his arms. And hold out his hand. "W-W- hat? Oh."
He took the pillow from her hands. It was damp with her tears. "I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight."
"Don't forget to give Matthew a kiss goodnight."
"I won't," he said softly. Before pulling the door shut behind him.
The cold space where he used to lie next to her brought on a fresh wave of tears.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Tessa.Tessa."
Tessa shut her pale blue eyes against the sound.
"Tessa. I know you can hear me. Stop pretending."
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her mother's even breathing beside her. Anything but that voice. That voice that left her cold.
Her fairy night light cast an eerie glow in the corner.
She took a deep breath and threw back the floral comforter. Her tiny feet padding on the hardwood floor.
"That's it, Tessa. Come to me. Come."
The television remote clattered to the floor. Startling her and sending her heart racing. Her father's face was lax in sleep. Peaceful. The images of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd flitted across his face.
The doorknob felt cold to her touch. Clammy. And the salt from the sea made her nostrils flare. It was almost as if.the sea was here. Now. But that was impossible.
"Yes. That's it. Come, Tessa. Come."
A shadow fell over her.
And she screamed in recognition.
"Hi Kay. No.Noah. Wow! Such a change. Tell me. What's got you in such a good mood?" Beth smiled. Tossing the checkered rag aside. Propping her chin on her clasped hands.
Noah grinned at her. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
Kay scanned the sea of faces in the Book Café. Searching for one in particular.
"Well.I know your beloved future stepmother didn't kick the bucket," Beth teased. "She's been here all afternoon."
"Ivy? Where?" Kay asked.
"In the back. Why? O-O-kay," she said to herself. "Really Noah.what's going on?"
"You'll know soon enough," he said distractedly. "Listen.Beth.I got to."
She waved him off. Looked like the Book Café was getting ready for Kay Bennett vs. Ivy Winthrop. Round 313. "Go ahead. Just don't let things get too out of hand. Okay? This is not WWF Smackdown."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Well, well. If it isn't Poison Ivy."
Lauren's hazel eyes narrowed, and her napkin fell to her lap forgotten.
"Lauren.there's someone I'd like you to meet."
"Really, Ivy. There's no need for introductions. You're not now nor will you ever be family of mine."
"Kay," Ethan chastised.
"This is Kay?" Lauren asked quizzically. "I've heard so much about you," she said sarcastically.
Kay smirked in response. "Lauren, is it? Funny. I've heard NOTHING about you. Some mother you have. You know what? You can keep her. She'll never be my mother."
Ivy's blue green eyes connected with Noah's over Kay's shoulder. And she spoke. "No one's trying to replace your mother. Least of all me."
For an instant, Noah fell guilty about the bomb they were about to drop. But only an instant. They had their mother back. "Good. You're a poor substitution for the real thing."
Lauren's hazel eyes flashed angrily. How dare they talk to her mother in such a way? She jerked her arm away from Ethan's hold and stood up. "How dare you?" she spat.
Noah's blue eyes glittered. "How dare I?" he scoffed.
"Please!" Ivy yelled in exasperation. "You don't have to like me. That's fine. But the fact is.I am going to be your father's wife. Mrs. Sam Bennett. Things will be a much easier if you'd just accept it."
"I don't do easy," Kay barked. "And you'll never be Mrs. Sam Bennett."
"Kay.you're being unreasonable," Ivy sputtered. "Your father and I will be married. And there's nothing you can do to stop it. The only thing.the only person."
"Who, Ivy? My mother? Is that who you're talking about? Dad would drop you like that, wouldn't he?"
Ivy winced at the snap of Kay's fingers. "You're forgetting one thing, aren't you?"
"Your mother's dead," Lauren glared. "Let's go, Mother. You don't have to put up with anymore of this harassment. Ethan.are you coming?"
Ethan nodded his head and rose from his seat. Studying Kay and Noah suspiciously.
Kay watched them go.
"I thought you were going to deliver the fatal blow."
"No. Surprises are wonderful, don't you think? Ivy is in for the surprise of her life."
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
She clutched his pillow desperately. Breathing in his scent. She missed him. So much. She tried to read the clock on the bedside table. But her vision was obscured by tears. It was late. That much she could guess.
The curtains flapped in the breeze coming in from the open window. Wolf barked in the distance. Probably chasing some imaginary squirrel as he was prone to do.
Her ears perked at the sound of movement. She heard the rustle of keys, and the creak of the front door on its hinges. The light from the hallway made her blink. "Ethan? Is that you?"
"Go back to sleep," he ordered.
"Ethan." It was hard to speak over the lump in her throat. "Ethan.I'm so glad you came home."
He froze. Motionless. Unyielding. "Matthew. I'm doing this for him," he whispered.
Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders as she braced herself on her elbows and studied him.
"Matthew.of course. He'll be happy." She felt tears sting her eyes again as she watched him gather his things in his arms. And hold out his hand. "W-W- hat? Oh."
He took the pillow from her hands. It was damp with her tears. "I'm sleeping in the guest room tonight."
"Don't forget to give Matthew a kiss goodnight."
"I won't," he said softly. Before pulling the door shut behind him.
The cold space where he used to lie next to her brought on a fresh wave of tears.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
"Tessa.Tessa."
Tessa shut her pale blue eyes against the sound.
"Tessa. I know you can hear me. Stop pretending."
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her mother's even breathing beside her. Anything but that voice. That voice that left her cold.
Her fairy night light cast an eerie glow in the corner.
She took a deep breath and threw back the floral comforter. Her tiny feet padding on the hardwood floor.
"That's it, Tessa. Come to me. Come."
The television remote clattered to the floor. Startling her and sending her heart racing. Her father's face was lax in sleep. Peaceful. The images of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd flitted across his face.
The doorknob felt cold to her touch. Clammy. And the salt from the sea made her nostrils flare. It was almost as if.the sea was here. Now. But that was impossible.
"Yes. That's it. Come, Tessa. Come."
A shadow fell over her.
And she screamed in recognition.