Heaven for Everyone (Book II)

43.)On Such a Breathless Night as This

"I was just wondering, do you want to tell Cherie to come down now? Or should I go up and-,"

"No, dear that's quite alright. I'll go up...," she gives a stiff nod, opening her mouth to say something just before I look away from her to head upstairs.

"Freddie-wait..," her uneasy voice sends a coldness through me. It's like my body can sense the trouble to her tone.

I turn to see her looking up toward the stairs as if checking to see that no one is around. "I have to tell you, Cherie's been acting rather odd. I'm not sure if she's just been hiding her emotions, but the truth is it all started last night. I guess last night with Mary. She has to have said something or threatened her in some way, Freddie and I'm scared for her. She won't tell me anything an-,"

"Woah woah, Rose. Calm down. What- how..what do you mean her and Mary last night?,"

"She hasn't told you?," Her look of bewilderment terrifies me. What the fuck does Mary What with my wife.

"No..we haven't really had a chance to t-,"

"Whispering about me, I see...," The both of us hadn't even noticed the freaks of the staircase as Cherie began to walk down them. I quickly shut my mouth and look to find her smirking at us. Her sad, smiling dark eyes- it's starting to make sense now...

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Ceci:

I'm helping Anita prep the salad bowls for the first portion of tonight's meal. Even though I do feel a bit out of place, everyone has been so sweet and shared nothing but kind words. They've even complimented me numerous times on how I take such good care of the Mercury children. But of course I do! I love the little sweethearts to death!

I feel a tug on my apron and look down to see the precious prince staring up at me. His big brown eyes glazed with the same look he's been giving me all day long.

"Where's mummy, Ceci?," He asks as soon as I bend down to him.

I take him by the hand and lead him away from the loud chatter of the rest of the women as everyone is rushing about the kitchen trying to hurry along with preparing dinner.

"I told you just a few minutes ago, Rich. She's upstairs napping. She'll be down in a second,"

All day he was being an u usual crabby pants.  He is not usually your typical small child, my little Richie is wise beyond his years and likes to behave as so. But for some strange reason, today everywhere we went he kept stopping playing to come and ask me when his mummy was coming back.

Every time I said she was waiting for us at home, he'd huff and walk away shaking his head. If I had to say so myself, with all my years of studying child psychology, I'd say a little someone is starting to feel the bit of jealousy that a new baby brings. So far, he had always spoken lovingly about the arrival of his new little sibling, not that he's said anything to the contrary recently or at all- but something tells me this is the reason for his foul mood.

"Look, Richie. There's Mummy!," I smile at him and his eyes light up as they reach mine and follow my finger as I point to Cherie who has just walked into the crowded kitchen.

"Where? Where's Mummy?," he hops about, even standing on top of the kitchen chair where we are sitting to peer around the fast paced chaos that the dinner party makes.