A Step Closer to Love

Jessica did not know what about the text made her feel jelly, maybe it would be because this was the first person who had shown interest in her in a long while. She tried to compose herself but she knew for a fact that she would be singing so happily in the shower this morning.

She replied to the message and then it on her robe. She wanted to thank Kieran for yesterday but she still wanted to avoid him at all costs. She did not know why but she felt the need to do so.

As gently and slowly as she could get she climbed down the stairs and waited down at the table. When Everly saw her she was joyed.

“I was thinking of bringing your breakfast to you but here you are already”

“I have to exercise the legs so it can heal faster” she replied with a smile.

“That makes sense”

“Is Kieran still at home or has he gone to work?”

“I just hope you are not thinking of going to work?”

“Even if I wanted to I know I would just be a nuisance who can not get any work done to my colleagues”

“Of course, you have made the right decision” Everly praised her. “Would you have breakfast with us or do you have anything in particular that you might want to eat?”

“I do not” Arabella answered. She did not want to be treated differently in the house. “So is Kieran still home?” she asked again.

“He said he had to rush out for an important meeting or something like that” she answered casually before going into the kitchen.

“Let’s eat,” she said dropping the dish in hand to the table.

“What of Ethan?” Arabella asked seeing that her husband was not at the table and she made no move to call him out.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

She did not want to be a part of whatever was going on with them but she felt the need to ask so she seemed like a nice house guest to them

“He should be somewhere around inside” Everly replied in a dismissing tone. It was obvious she did not want to talk about it and Arabella was at least grown enough to be able to read the room.

“I am so sorry that I won’t be able to take you out this weekend again,” Arabella said suddenly in between the meals.

“Why would you be sorry? It is not as if you bailed on purpose or you just decided to not go again. The reason you can’t go is because you are injured and I can not ask you to still take me along when you are not even able to walk down the stairs all by yourself” Everly rambled on.

“I should still apologize because it seems like going back on my word given”

“I envy Ava,” Everly said. Arabella did not know how to respond so she stuffed her mouth with a forkful of pancakes. Everly laughed when she saw her action. “I should have had a daughter or maybe more than one child”

“But Kieran is such a thoughtful and kind person” Arabella commented.

“Really? What gave you that impression?” Everly asked.

It was the first time she heard someone refer to her son as someone thoughtful and kind. Kieran was always referred to as someone aloof and ignorant of others’ feelings. He barely spoke and when he managed to do so his words cut deep and roughly like a blunt knife trying to cut through butchered meat.

“Well, yesterday he was really helpful and got me a meal before the doctor asked him to do so. It seemed like he knew his way around the hospital so much as if he had been there for a long time”

“Oh really?” Everly could not hide her shock about the matter. She has often begged her son to pay the slightest attention to her but he treated her just the same way his father did. It was one of the things that caused depression and loneliness for the woman.

“Yes,” Arabella nodded. Everly studied her face. I did not look like she was trying to blow the trumpet of Kieran she was just being a pure soul telling the truth.

After they had breakfast Arabella began the tedious process of climbing up the stairs with one leg resting on the crutch and the other one carrying the whole weight of her body. She was glad she was already halfway through the stairs when she began to hear the argument between Everly and Ethan.

From the conversation, she could hear Ethan was demanding to know why he was skipped from breakfast meal preparations and Everly was insisting that she did not skip him but wanted him to experience making a meal for himself. Everly wanted him to begin to appreciate her efforts but it seemed like he was not getting it.

Arabella sighed as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She was glad their over-the-top shooting voices were drowned by the distance and the walls between them. She sat down on the bed.

Seeing she had no friends she wanted to give her sister the details of the doctor and how it all transpired. She opened her phone only to receive a message from him.

Hi, I just thought to check on you. Hope your leg is feeling better. If you don’t feel better maybe you can come to the hospital for a consultation.

He ended the text message with a winky eye emoji. Was he trying to be filthy? Was he a natural born sweet talker or did he find her cute?

She felt butterflies but it felt like they were in the wrong direction. She has never had so much attention from one person on her. To herself, she had always been invisible or so she thought.

She did not know how she was supposed to respond to him. She knew not responding might be wrong but it was the best option for her. She dropped the phone to the bed and lay down on her back.

Her phone began to ring and it was Mark.