WILD WOLF

PART NINETEEN: OBSESSED

WILD WOLF

PART NINETEEN: OBSESSED

The smell of breakfast being cooked lingered in the house, I rounded the corner to the kitchen and stole a slice of toast from Mom's plate and took a swig from the milk carton. "Where are your manners, Myra?" she sighed tiredly but her heart wasn't in it. She looked exhausted.

"I woke up early," I finished eating the toast and picked a piece of bacon from the frying pan as I tried to avoid stomping on Ed. "It's a miracle. We should be celebrating."

Dad loaded my plate and handed it over to me and I took a seat at the breakfast table and fed Ed scrambled eggs. Mom groaned that he had already ate and I glanced down at him. "He's still hungry. He's licking the floor. What do I do?"

"Eat your food. Never mind that cat. He's been leaving his mess all over the house. Why am I the one who's been cleaning up after him?" Dad grumbled, pouring himself black coffee and picking up yesterday's newspaper.

"Well, Mom's pregnant. She should be putting up her feet and resting and I'm, well, I don't have an excuse for myself. Ed will thank you one day."

"It's nice to see you in a good mood for once," he patted my hand and then reprimanded. "Stop feeding the bloody cat." His mobile phone rang and he set down his steaming cup and picked up. "Hello?"

"Are you going to find out whether the baby's a boy or a girl?" I asked while dad left the room to take his call.

"Maybe. I might want it to be a surprise."

"Can we make a bet? If it's a boy, I name him. If it's a girl then you or dad can name her."

"Deal," she leaned back in her chair. "Don't pick anything awful. Nothing too hard to pronounce. Something cute like–"

"Aldous," I grinned when she made a face, "or how about Bartholomew Apple-Smith Jacobs?"

"He'd be bullied for the rest of his life, poor kid," she rubbed her stomach and got to her feet. "I should be off."

"Where are you going?" I got up to dump my plate in the sink and finish my milk.

"To Elliot's,"

"For what?"

"Mary's just died–"

"It's been a week. Long enough for him to get back to his feet. I don't like how you're slaving away at his house. It's not right. Why can't he look after himself?"

"Cut him some slack. He's still grieving, Myra. I'm sure Mary would do the same if I was the one who passed away." Mom checked her handbag and grabbed her car keys from the table.

My mood had darkened. Dad returned to the kitchen before anymore could be said, he was troubled and seemed distracted. "That was Mom. She's in the hospital with Dad. The cancer's spread. His condition has worsened. I'm going to Ohio. Where's my laptop? I'll need to book my ticket."