With a camera.
* * * * *
Annie didn’t have one of Bella’s cookies.
She had five. Fiona counted.
Bella, Annie, Debs and Mikey (and Fiona) were all at the kitchen bar, sitting on stools, Bella and Mikey on one side, Annie and Debs on the other and they’d made their way through a serious amount of cookies as well as righted most of the wrongs in the world.
But mostly they chewed over the idea that Hattie was in a perpetual foul mood because of her unreciprocated love for Prentice.
It was nearing time that Bella had to go pick up the kids and Fiona saw her glance at the microwave clock.
This was one of the many reasons why Fiona found Bella being there a gift, knowing her kids would be picked up from school by someone they looked forward to seeing. And knowing that Prentice didn’t have to arrange it and could go about his business knowing his children were looked after by someone they cared about.
On Fiona’s thoughts, Bella’s purse, sitting on the counter beside her, rang. She put down her mug, dug through her purse and her brows knit as she looked at the display.
“What’d I do now?” she muttered, Annie, Mikey and Debs grinned at each other and Bella put her phone to her ear as Fiona drifted close, “Hey, Pren.”
“Elle, don’t go to the school. I’m picking up the kids today.”
Bella’s head tilted to the side and she said, “That’s sweet of you, Pren, but I’m good. It only takes a few minutes and Annie and Debs are here to keep Mikey company.”
“No, baby, I have to go. The Headmaster called, Jace has been in a fight.”
Fiona’s spectral body got stiff just as corporeal Bella’s did.
Fiona’s son was not a fighter.
Okay, that was a lie, he’d stick up for himself and, if he believed in something, he’d defend it. But he’d normally do this verbally not get in a fight.
“Jace got in a fight?” Bella whispered and Mikey, Annie and Debs’s grins died.
“Aye. I’ll pick up Sally then talk to the Headmaster. We’ll be home soon.”
“Do you want me to –?”
“No, baby, I’ll take care of it.”
“All right, see you soon.”
“Aye, see you.”
Fiona was about to transport herself to the school as Bella stared at her phone after Prentice disengaged.
Then Bella looked at Debs and asked, “Has Jason ever fought at school?”
Fiona stopped herself and looked at Debs as she shook her head. “No, never. He’s like his Dad, he’s got a temper but he’s a smart lad, knows how to keep his cool. I haven’t seen him lose it since he was wee. It would have to be something really bad for him to fight.”
Bella pulled in a deep breath and whispered on her exhale, “I think it’s Christmas. Prentice is on edge too. Holidays can be bad if you’ve lost a loved one.”
“Yes, darling,” Mikey replied softly, “but now they have you.”
Bella smiled a small smile at her friend and said in the sad tone of someone who knew, “No one plugs the hole left by a dead parent, Mikey.”
Mikey, always quick with a retort, had none for that. He simply pressed his lips together and looked at Annie.
They dropped the discussion but Bella got quiet and started fidgeting and although Fiona wanted to go to the school, instinct told her to stay with Bella.
And her instinct was right.
In half an hour, Fiona watched Bella clench her hands into fists.
Mikey caught it too.
He reached out, forced Bella’s hand open and held it on the counter, murmuring, “It’s going to be fine.”
Bella turned to him and said quietly, “You know, I’ve never been happier not even the first time I was with Pren.” Mikey squeezed her hand and she continued, “But even knowing what it would mean, that I would lose them, if I had magic, I would use it to breathe life back into Fiona so I could give them all back what they lost.”
Fiona’s ghostly heart clenched.
Debs made a noise that sounded like a swallowed sob.
Annie whispered, “Oh sweetie.”
Mikey shook Bella’s hand then gripped it tighter. “Well, girlie-girl, you don’t have magic and you’ve taken on this job so now the only thing you can do for those kids is be the next best thing.” He leaned in closer to his friend and went on, “And you know better than anyone that the next best thing is a whole lot better than nothing.”
Bella pulled in breath through her nose and on the exhale, she nodded.
It was then the front door opened and Prentice, Jason and Sally walked in.
Fiona stared, her ghostly heart hammering in her chest when she caught the look on Prentice’s face.
She’d never seen it before but the only way to describe it was enraged.
The coffee klatch all tensed as Jason ran up the stairs not looking at anyone, his face mottled red and Fiona, his very own mother, couldn’t read if he was angry or upset.
Everyone (and Fiona) watched as he disappeared from sight and then their eyes turned to Prentice when he said, “Sally, upstairs.”
Even Sally look subdued but she still opened her mouth to protest.
“Upstairs,” Prentice ordered in a tone that sent Sally scurrying upstairs.
“Prentice, what on earth?” Bella asked and Fiona turned to see Bella was standing.
Prentice made it to the kitchen and with an irate flick of his wrist, he flung a bunch of magazines on the counter, magazines Fiona had been too surprised to notice he was carrying. They skidded through the cookies and coffee mugs and Debs, Annie and Mikey’s hands flew out to limit the damage.
Bella didn’t notice; her eyes were on Prentice.
Prentice didn’t notice either; he was stalking to the phone. He yanked it from its receiver and punched in a number while Bella walked to him and Fiona floated close.
“Pren –” she started, his eyes sliced to her and he lifted an angry hand to stop her from talking.
Bella froze and stared at him.
“Alice,” Prentice said into the phone, “get me Hattie Fennick’s number.” He paused and clipped, “I don’t give a f**k, home, mobile, whatever. Just find a way for me to call that bitch.”
Then he slammed the phone into the receiver.
Fiona couldn’t believe her ears.
Alice was the administrator at his offices. She was a sweet young thing, efficient and organized and had been with Prentice since he started his firm. Fiona had never heard Prentice speak to her like that.
And Hattie was in the picture.