An Extraordinary Life

The Night Comes Down

Isabella's hair was still damp when Mary appeared at her door, summoning her to dinner. She fell asleep for maybe an hour, but felt too out of place to really fall into a deep sleep. The short-lived nap made her feel nauseous and groggy, with the last thing she now wanted being food.

"Ah, I see you've made use of the turntable," Mary smiled, now dressed in a light blue tank top and flowy tan pants, having ditched the dress. "News of the World- a good one."

Isabella blushed and stood up, dressed in jean shorts and a GAP branded t-shirt. "It was them, Aretha Franklin, or Dusty Springfield. I don't recognize any of the other names. I thought it might be good to learn more about his music anyway."

"Which songs did you already know from that album?" Mary asked, walking over to the machine to gently take the record off and put it back into its sleeve.

"Um, just We are the Champions and We Will Rock You. They play on the radio a lot in America."

Mary reached her hand out for Isabella to take it. "Not my favorites, but great songs nonetheless. Although I'm biased, Queen are absolutely spectacular. I love that you haven't been exposed to much beyond their greatest hits- it'll be something you can bond over with Freddie. Their discography up there with the best of the best."

Bond with Freddie... yeah, Isabella thought.

Even though she had already sat and ate lunch with them earlier, this felt different. She knew that she would be the center of attention, and then some. It was an orchestrated thing, where all eyes would be on her. Joe wouldn't just be at the stove like he had been, and Phoebe wouldn't be going in and out of the kitchen, answering the telephone and getting her more water. Mary wouldn't be upstairs talking to Freddie for a majority of the time, either.

Freddie. Freddie would be there, this time, and not upstairs complaining to Mary about Isabella's arrival.

"I know I should have asked you what you like for food but I promise you, Joseph is an incredible cook," Mary spoke again as they walked down the dimly lit hall towards the dining room. "Some of the best food I've ever had has been made by him. Don't tell him I said that, though, he'll never let me live it down. He can make peas taste good."

"Honestly, I hate peas, so we'll have to test that someday," Isabella smiled slightly as they entered the dining room.

The dining room table was oval with a dark wood with a glossy red tint to it. The chairs around the table were the same color, but its woodwork was a lot more intricate, with vines carved into the wood around the backs of the chairs. There were three thin white candles spread evenly throughout the table, fire glowing at their tops.

Freddie was already at the table, the only one there so far. He sat at the head, now dressed in a yellow t-shirt and silky red short-shorts. He was scribbling something down in a small notebook, not having looked up from it yet to greet them.

Despite the time of day, it was still hot outside and the house was very warm. Isabella could understand why he had two full glasses of ice next to his plate.

"Isabella, you can sit wherever you'd like." Mary put her hands on the girl's tense shoulders.

This led Freddie to put his pencil down and look up. He didn't speak until Isabella sat down, sitting the furthest away from him, which he noted with both relief and indifference.

"I won't go through any formalities, as I'm sure you're acquainted with my name." Freddie cleared his throat anxiously. He knew Mary was watching him like a hawk. "So, I'll skip right to it. How are you finding things, dear?"