Farraway Mist ?A Wattpad featured story?

Chapter 21: A Disheartening Discovery

"Scout, darling, please try? Just a little?" George coaxed.

Scout picked up the toast and took a bite, chewing it for a long time, finally washing it down with a swallow of tea. She smiled at George. "I'm sorry, I really am trying. My stomach's just always so upset." She gestured to the toast. "Just leave it here, I'll keep going, okay? You don't have to watch, honest."

They were in the kitchen, on a blustery November morning, and Scout had been feeling sick pretty much non-stop for the past few weeks. They knew that this was a good thing, a sign of a well-functioning placenta and high levels of pregnancy hormones and all that, but this was cold comfort, especially to George, who worried constantly. Scout was a little more sanguine in her approach, knowing that babies in first world countries rarely experienced complications in utero from malnutrition related to morning sickness. George, however, had visions of the baby starving to death because Scout couldn't keep any food down, and Scout felt sorry for him.

"George," Scout admonished softly. "Aren't you supposed to get your music finished by Christmas? You have some decisions to make in January, right? You can't tell them you didn't finish because you had to watch your girlfriend eat some toast." She smiled at him and made a scooting motion. "And you have to get the storm windows put on? And the stuff in the yard needs to be finished this morning? You have a busy day ahead of you. Now go, I'll finish the toast."

"What about an egg or something? I can make you a lovely poached egg, how's that sound?" He smiled at her hopefully.

Just the thought of the soft egg, with all the runny yolk, turned Scout's stomach, and George could see her looking green.

"Never mind, never mind," he said quickly. "Take another bite, there's a good girl," he encouraged.

She picked up the bread and bit off another piece, chewing slowly, washing it down with more tea.

"Oh, look, here are Sunil and Alfred already," she said, and when George turned to look out the window, Scout quickly fed a huge chunk of the toast to Jess, who was waiting under the table for just such a fortuitous event. Jess was a girl, after all, and they were all sisters under the skin, Scout supposed.

"Thank you," Scout whispered to her, and Jess thumped her tail in silent understanding.

The boys entered through the kitchen door, letting in a cold gust of air with them.

"Good morning!" Alfred called cheerfully.

"You been able to eat, Miss Scout?" Sunil asked with concern. "My mum sent me with this digestive bread, like. Makes it herself, said it works wonders, really good for you, Miss Scout. Would you try some?" He handed it to her and stepped back, embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah, and my mum made these biscuits, too," Alfred remembered. "Worked wonders for my sister, they did." And he, too, pulled a wrapped packet out of his back pack and set it on the table.

Scout smiled at the boys, and at George, who patted the boys on the back.

"Thanks, guys," he said, grinning at them. "And please thank your mums for us as well, all right? We're both so grateful for their kindness."

Scout nodded, unwrapping the packets. "In fact," she said, "I'll prepare some for myself right now, how's that sound? I was going to go outside and get some work done with you three, but it looks kind of nasty, so I think I'll just go back upstairs or something and leave the outside work to you guys and just lounge around in bed."

"Oh, yeah, Miss Scout, this is no kind of day for someone in your condition to be outside, anyway," Alfred said, shaking his head. Sunil nodded vigorous agreement.