The Fairest Stars

Chapter Twenty Six: 'The all cheering sun.'

Isis nodded. ‘It really has.’

‘I know I’ve been a terrible mother, but I realised something.’ Her mother looked up, meeting her eyes. ‘Your father wouldn’t have wanted me to just sit there, letting you all slave around the house to get things done, cooking me my food, bringing it to me in bed: I was being so bloody selfish.’

Isis frowned. ‘Mum, don’t-’

‘No, no.’ Her mother looked tearful, but carried on. ‘I want you to know that you’re very, very special to me, Isis. All of you are. But I just couldn’t see anything at all after your father died. I just couldn’t cope. But now, I think I can.’

Isis smiled, weakly, her eyes filling with tears herself. ‘That’s brilliant, Mum.’

Her mother grinned. ‘You know,’ she began, ‘I really wish your father could have seen you with Kael. He would have loved to see you so happy.’

Oh dear. The tears were well and truly on their way now. Isis sniffed, wiping her eyes.

‘He would,’ her mother continued. ‘You remind me of how I was when I first began dating your father,’ she said. ‘I was so excited and happy to be with him, every moment without him seemed to drag. I never dreamed it would end so early, but I can still treasure those times we had together.’

Isis nodded eagerly. ‘Yes. We still have the memories.’

Her mother smiled. ‘It is better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all,’ she quoted, sitting back in her seat. ‘So you’d better go and get ready, missy!’ she told her daughter. ‘He’ll be here soon.’

As Isis went to go and get some nicer clothes on, she found herself smiling, despite silent tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. To see her mother so much better was so moving, but it gave her so much hope for the future. Perhaps, one day, her mother might find the strength within herself to actually go outside. Perhaps one day she’d be entirely back to normal.

After changing, and brushing her hair back into a neat plait, Isis sat and read through her script. She’d learnt almost all of the words, and it was a good job, as the dates for the performances were sneaking closer and closer. She just couldn’t wait to actually perform it. 

When Kael drove up outside, she was waiting for him, the wintry sun shining brightly down on them as if it knew she was off on a date, and was determined to make it as good as possible.

‘Hello, gorgeous,’ he said, as she hopped in, pressing a kiss to her lips. ‘How’re you this morning, then?’

‘Excited,’ she replied. ‘What about you?’

He grinned. ‘All the better for seeing you.’

Isis laughed. ‘Well, I’m flattered.’ She looked out of the window as he turned the opposite way she was expecting. ‘Where are we off to? Not your house, then?’ she inquired.

‘Somewhere,’ Kael said, enigmatically. ‘But no, not my house.’

Isis’s eyes widened. ‘Ooh, you’re being mysterious, huh?’

He raised his eyebrows, winking at her. ‘Yep.’

Chewing her lip, Isis tried to work out where they could possibly be off to. Scanning through all the possibilities, she still had no clue when they pulled up at the very place.

Kael parked, neatly, and got out. Isis got out, looking round with wide eyes.

‘How did you know?’ she breathed.

‘Know what?’ Kael was startled. Looking over at her, he saw her eyes shining with some emotion he wasn’t sure what to call, and bit his lip. ‘What’s wrong?’