"Your room is as ready as it always is, Kiana. And Emily, I put you next to her. I wasn't sure if you wanted to have someone nearby in case you needed anything, if you don't, you can always move into the room at the other end of the manor." Shar said as she pushed me a little to hurry down the hallways towards my room. She turned once she had reached it, a smile lighting up her face. "We may have done it up a little. Thought you could do with a room that matched your age." She winked as she lent on the handle pushing the door open and moving aside for me to look in.
"Oh." I breathed out, what caught my eye was the large mirror on the wall next to the bathroom, and I couldn't help myself as I walked towards it, my hand pushing open the bathroom door to see that they had also renovated that. My fingertips gently glided over the silver frame of the mirror, my eyes meeting Emily's in the reflection as she too looked awestruck. She shook her head, looking away as Shar got her attention. I wandered into the bathroom, the deep blue navy walls matching perfectly with the one wall in my bedroom. The accessories were black, metal, giving it an industrial look. But despite this, it looked cosy. Like home.
I peeled my hoodie off, setting it over the hook on the bathroom door before leaving, and falling on my bed. I melted into the sheets, the scent smothering me, the same way it used to when I was younger.
"Do you like it?" Shar asked from the door.
"I love it. I love you so much." I muttered, rolling on my back before standing, meeting Emily's weary eyes. But why? Why was she looking at me like that? Like she was scared of me. My arms surrounded Shar, giving her a quick hug as I couldn't pull my gaze away from Emily's. Shar then left us, telling us about dinner. But neither of us were really listening.
My hand closed around her hoodie, yanking her in the room before shutting the door and pushing her against it, keeping her in place with my arm.
"What?" I asked softly, placing a strand of her hair behind her ear as she nervously looked up at me.
"Hmm?" Her eyes bounced between my lips and my eyes, urging me to take her places she truly wants to go to.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Why are you treating me like shit? Tell me what the problem is, Emily." Her hands grabbed onto my arm that kept her into place, her head resting against the door as she thought about what she was going to say. But her mouth remained closed. She wasn't going to say anything. I huffed, pulling her into me, pushing her gently away from the door before pulling my arm away. I yanked the door open, storming away from my room as I heard her feet pattering after me. I slowed once I had made it to the dining room, seeing the food laid out waiting for us all. Everyone else was just taking their seats as I dropped down in mine, Emily taking the seat next to me.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Jerry asked from his place opposite mine as she placed some chicken and roast potatoes on my plate, like he always did.
"Fine." I muttered, gently smiling at him as he nodded his head in understanding.
"Later." He said, pouring some gravy over my food.
"Yep. Thank you." I said, my gaze meeting Mel's as she shook her head at my sour mood, mouthing snap out of it. I glared at her before turning my attention to Wren who sat on Shar's lap. His gaze was fixated on me, making the frown fall of my face as I motioned for him to come over. Shar carefully helped him off her lap, watching as he made his way around the table and stopping beside me. I tapped my lap in question, to which he nodded to and grabbed on to my leg. I lifted him onto my lap, placing him sideways so he can still see everything else. "Want something to eat, buddy?" I asked softly.
"Chips." His small voice spoke up.
"We haven't got any chips Wren, what about roasts?" I asked, pointing to the roast potatoes on my plate.
"He doesn't like...Okay maybe he does." Jerry said as he watched Wren take a bite out of the roast that I had offered him, before completing polishing off the whole potato.
"Good man. Let me get you some more. Want to try some chicken as well?" I asked, looking down at him as I scooped some more potatoes onto my plate.
"He doesn't like chicken either." Shar spoke up this time, both her and Jerry zoned in on what was happening. They watched as he opened his mouth, waiting for some chicken. I placed a little piece in his mouth, watching as he opened his mouth again for some more. "Maybe he likes that too. He likes what you like sweetie." Shar said as she smiled at me.
"Yeah. I'll put some on my plate bud, then you can help yourself okay?" I placed some more chicken on my plate before beginning to eat myself, relaxing into the chair I was in as Wren happily sat eating.
"Well, as cool as that is, have you sorted this out yet." Mel's voiced interrupted the clattering of the cutlery as we all ate, pointing between Emily and me.
"Can you leave it?" I muttered, shoving some chicken in my mouth and chewing aggressively. Emily's eyes didn't look up, seemingly embarrassed that Mel had brought our problems to the dinner table.
"Jerry mentioned the two of you were close. Do you want a session?" Shar asked, looking over us both. Shannon's a psychologist, focused mainly on relationship counselling.
"No." I spoke on behalf of us both.
"Seems like you need it." Emily muttered under her breath, but it still managed to reach me. I let it go as I clenched my jaw, shaking my head at Shannon as she offered me a wink before getting involved in the other conversation that was currently keeping everyone else on the table entertained. Seemed like Mel was trying to save herself as she offered a distraction from Emily and I.
"Come on little man, let's go and wash our hands." I spoke as I lifted him off me and placed him on the floor before standing and picking up my plate to take it into the kitchen. My hand rested on Wren's head as he walked closely beside me, holding onto my leg once we had stopped at the sink. I picked him up and placed him beside it, running the tap until it was the right temperature. "Go on then, show me how good you are at washing your hands." I said as he smiled brightly and put his hands under the tap. He got frustrated when he couldn't get any soap out so I pumped some out for him and then he continued happily. I held the towel as I waited for him to finish up and wrapped his hands in it, tubbing the towel gently around his small hands. "You're the best hand washer I've ever met, just don't tell your Mum."I whispered, pulling away as I heard footsteps.
I dried my hands off as I turned to lean on the side, looking up at Jerry. I placed an arm around Wren so he wouldn't move, not wanting him to fall off.
"We've hit a rough patch." I sighed, already knowing what he wanted to talk about. "She won't tell me what I've done."
"Don't go silent on her too. Keep on talking. You have to try and keep the communication going. That is something you never want to stop doing, okay? I promise. Communication is the best thing, even if it's raw. Let it happen. You need to talk it out." He explained as he brought his plate closer to the sink, motioning for me to move out of the way.
"I just don't know what I've done. I'm really trying, she just won't fucking talk to me." I groaned, hearing a plate hit the table behind us harshly as I turned to meet Emily's glare. She marched away. "Great." I muttered.
"Don't. Let her calm down first." Jerry stopped me, picking up Wren and placing him in my arms. "Go and play." He said, dismissing me.
"Who knew your Dad was so bossy, huh?" I groaned as I put Wren on my shoulders. I made my way towards the living room, taking him off my shoulders and placing him on the floor and grabbing his bright blue box of toys from the side of the sofa.
"Kia." His small voice said.
"Yes buddy?" I asked as I took some of his toy cars out and rolled them along the floor towards him.
"I need a toilet." He whispered, nervously.
"That's okay bud. It's really good that you told me. Come on let's go and find your Mum." I said, grabbing his hand as he stood up, and making our way back to the dining room where Mel, Laurel and Shar were all still talking.
"You should have seen her face when she started falling for her. Picture perfect." Mel smirked at me as we entered, making me squint my eyes at her.
"Wren needs the toilet, Shar."
"Oh! He told you, good boy Wren. Well done." She said happily as she took Wren away.
"Can you stop bringing things up Mel. That wasn't right. We were both the topic of conversation at the dinner table, you fucking dick." I sneered at her.
"Then sort it out. I didn't have to say anything for everyone to feel the fucking tension between the two of you. Go and fuck her already. She's clearly frustrated, and god knows you need it." She teased, brushing off my tone.
"Fine. But I'm not going to fuck her. I'm going to talk." I dismissed her wondering thoughts.
"Sure, sure. Go and talk."