Mallory's Melody

Chapter 16

WHEN MALLORY WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING, Cole's absence struck her like a lightning bolt. She could feel it, his absence, like a palpable thing in the atmosphere. She stared at the ceiling for an hour, unable to muster up the motivation to get out of bed. But when she smelt Cole's crispy sunny side up, she found the motivation to.

Mallory slipped out of her room and followed the scent all the way to the kitchen. She had a million things she wanted to say to her father, a million sorrys to tell him. But she was disappointed when she saw that it wasn't her father in the kitchen, but Susan. Cole's 'my dad is the best cook', apron was fastened around her slim waist. She hummed as she stirred something in the pot, her humming possessing a musicality that was a charm on its own.

"What are you doing here?" Mallory snapped.

Susan turned. "Oh, you're up. I made breakfast. It'll be ready in a—"

"I don't want breakfast."

Susan paled.

The audacity she had to step into her father's house like she owned the place! Didn't she know she needed permission—Oh, Cole granted her the permission, didn't he? Not surprising. His love for Susan must be really blind for him to allow such a...thing into his house.

Susan sighed, still stirring "I thought it would be nice to fill in for Cole."

"He's okay? Can I speak to him?"

"Yeah," Susan said. "I thought we could eat breakfast together before heading to the hospital."

It was an attractive offer, but like many attractive offers, it led to the undoing of the person who took them. Not to be mistaken, Mallory's taste buds craved for a taste of the scrumptious meal Susan was preparing but doing that would be unwise, considering she didn't really trust this woman. Susan could poison her for goodness's sake.

"No thank you." Mallory proceeded for the exit of the kitchen. "I have somewhere else to go to anyway." That wasn't a total lie. She had practice at Starlight Academyu to go to anyway. That was more important than wasting time dining with someone that made her nerves pop.

Susan followed Mallory, the scent of the meal following her. "Aren't you interested in seeing Cole? He was really worried about you last night."

Susan's words transported her to last night to Cole, to the fall of his shoulders and the pooling of his eyes, and tremble of his lips, and the pitiful way he looked at her before he slumped to the ground. It all made her shiver. But she was still curious about what Cole had meant by all he said. I'm sorry Mal. I'm sorry I tried to save you from living the same fate as your mother...I'm sorry for adopting you. I wouldn't have if I knew I would cause you this much pain. What had he meant by all that? What wasn't he telling her?

Susan cut into her thoughts. "It's only appropriate to visit him. Postpone whatever you have to do."

Mallory sighed. The Starlight Academy is more important to me right now. Besides her father was okay. How much more consolation did she need after that.

But what was wrong with her, this was her father, not just a random somebody lying on the hospital bed. And she was choosing the starlight Academy over him? What was wrong with her? Was she insane?

Mallory turned to Susan. "Fine."

One breakfast couldn't hurt, now could it?

*****

"Mum, you suck at cooking. Anyone ever told you that?" Samantha voiced Mallory's thoughts when they were on their way to the hospital.

Susan shrugged. "It was fine to me. Mallory, what did you think?"