Under The Mistletoe | HS [Completed]

CHAPTER 22

Ms Twist POV

I felt troubled. Something had just not been sitting right with me lately. I had recieved a phone call earlier from Harry, telling me about Jessica's father's heart attack. And it was just like him to drop everything and run to the side of his deceased fiancee's parents. Harry was nothing if not thoughtful.

Oh, I hope Jessica's father is alright, I worried to myself. I know Harry still cares for her parents.

But fate could be so cruel. Why had this happened now, when things seemed to be progressing very nicely between him and Ray? It had taken Harry a long time to let down his guard around another woman, and now that he finally had, a part of Jessica stepped back into his life. I could hear the discontent in my son's voice when he told me that he was leaving to Atlanta, and I was certain that Jessica's father wasn't the sole cause of Harry's trepidation. Harry was a big believer in fate, so was I, as a matter of fact. It would be just like Harry to wonder if this was a sign from Jessica, telling him not to move on.

But Jessica wouldn't do that. She would want Harry to be happy! Why can't things just go smoothly for once? Why is that everything always has to be a hassle? I huffed and shook my head. Poor Ray, she probably doesn't know what to make of him leaving town in such a hurry!

I knew it was tough for Ray to let go of her past as well, and whatever secrets were haunting her. But I had seen the way the young woman looked at Harry. There was a chemistry there, I was certain of it. If only they had a fighting chance to see where their attraction might lead to, or at the very least, no outside forces were working against them. I couldn't help but wonder if this new twist would throw a wrench into whatever was growing between the two of them. Harry and Ray could be good for each other, as long as nothing, or no-one, interfered.

But something had been gnawing away at me for the past several weeks. Come to think of it, the feelings of unrest had come about right around the time Raylen had made appearance in the town.

That's strange... I pondered. What an eerie coincidence...

The unease couldn't possibly be related to Ray. She'd been nothing short of a miracle - for both me and Harry. It would be silly to even question her position in our lives! My affection towards the quiet young woman was growing with each passing day. Ray was a wonderful addition, in so many different ways.

However, the anxiety I'd been feeling just wasn't going away. If anything, it was becoming stronger and more intense. I just hope that now, with Jessica's father in the hospital, the nagging agitation would begin to subside. It was an unfortunate event to take place, but there was nothing I could do about it except pray. I'd drop to my knees right then and there if it meant peace was on its way.

No one ever said that life was easy, but why did it always had to be so trying and tiering for some? And always for the good people, too. I was a lover of life. I'd always appreciated it when things were happening - both good and bad. If you had feelings, that meant you were alive. But some unfortunate souls had had enough of the bad to last them a lifetime, and it's so easy to get swallowed up in negativity, I'd seen it happen many times before. If you didn't learn to slow down and smell the roses every once in a while, you might wake up one day to find yourself at the end, with not a whole lot to show for in between. I didn't wish that fate on Harry or Ray. It was a high time for a little bit of good fortune. Rocking in my chair, I wrapped my sweater a bit tighter around myself.

There's that damn chill again, I sighed inwardly. That icy summer breeze that comes out of nowhere and makes your hair stand on the end. What is that old saying about a sudden cold wind? Someone's walking over your grave?