Chapter Fourteen

The next morning everyone, except Trudy, where seated in the café. They were all apprehensive and waited for Siria to learn what they already knew, but she hadn't woken up yet. Salene was holding Brady who was playing with her doll quietly; oblivious of what was going on all she knew was that her mother was in one of her moods. Amber looked half asleep as she watched Siva play with Bray who giving a look of completely satisfaction at his newest playmate. But overall the atmosphere was heavy as everyone ate breakfast. They all looked up when they heard footsteps; Ebony was standing at the edge of the stairs. "What happened here last night because Jay came bawlin' to me about his baby and Siria falling or something?"
"You could be a little more sensitive." Siva stared at Ebony.
"Well I don't know what's going on."
"Siria fell down the stairs." Amber was looking at her coffee.
"Amber she didn't fall." Jack turned to Ebony. "Trudy pushed her. They had an argument about Jay and Trudy pushed her."
Amber sighed. "Jack it was an accident. Trudy didn't know what she was doing."
"Like hell"
Amber turned exhaustedly toward ebony. "You say Jay is at the Hotel?"
Ebony nodded. "Yeah, Slade's watching him." Ebony hesitated. "Umm—so how's the baby?"
Siva gave her sister a knowing look. "It didn't make it."
Ebony nodded in understanding and then walking to the table sat down in silence. "How did she take it?"
"We don't know yet she hasn't come out of it long enough realize the baby is gone." Siva lifted Bray to her shoulder and began to burp him.
They all fell into a silence that was quickly broken by a scream from Siria's room. Everyone rushed to her room. Amber was leading the pact. Once inside they saw that Siria was sitting up in the bed holing her stomach. Amber crossed the tiny room toward her bed. "Amber, my baby, where's my baby?"
"Siria, I'm sorry it didn't survive your fall."
The worried look in Siria's eyes soon turned into a flow of tears as Siria started crying. Amber motioned for the others to leave as she cradled Siria in her arms.
Ebony was the last to leave as she stared at Siria. Outside of Siria's room, Ebony bumped into Siva. "Feel guilty yet." Ebony rolling her eyes and pushing Siva out of the way spoke, "What? Will you leave me alone?"
"Yeap, you feel guilty."
"Shut up" Ebony walked away toward the café where everyone was gathered. When she was standing in the center she commanded everyone's attention. "Look, we can't just stay here, we have city to run and can't appear to have had a catastrophe or some idiots will try to catch us off guard. I think Amber can handle this so we should just go on as normal."
To Siva's surprise everyone agreed. She always knew her sister could command a willing audience but not this good and with out even the appearance of guilt. Siva who was still holding little Bray shifted him onto her other hip and moved toward Salene. "So do we do the hospital thing as normal?"
"I guess but what about the kids? Amber will be busy with Siria and I don't think Trudy's in her right mind to do anything."
"We'll have to take them with us; my mother was pretty good at this thing so I know what we should do." Salene nodded and they started cleaning up.
After her speech Ebony turned to Jack. "I'm going to need your help at the Hotel again, what d'ya say?"
"I guess, most of my plans involved Siria today, so I have nothing."
"Jack, don't tell me—?"
"No, it's not like that she's just a friend."
"Good, I don't need you fighting with Jay. There has been enough of that." They turned to walk out of the Mall when something caught Ebony's eye. She turned slightly looking over her shoulder. It was Trudy; she was standing in the shadows. For a quick second they looked at each other. Ebony noticed that Trudy was giving her an accusing look despite the mess of smeared makeup on her face. Ebony turned away quickly and walked out of the Mall.