And there she remained, all night.
She’d tried to dematerialize and go back but she couldn’t. Her efforts exhausted her and, finally, she slept.
Opening her eyes, she saw the light coming through the silk tent.
She threw off the covers wondering again why she was bloody well there, hoping she wouldn’t be there long and terrified she’d be there for eternity.
She had to warn Bella that Prentice was angry.
She walked out of the flaps of the tent and instantly vaporized, returning to her home.
Returning to the guest suite in her home.
To be precise, the bedroom of the guest suite in her home.
She floated back, reeling at what she saw and nearly floated through the wall of the room (she tried not to float through walls, it gave her a spooked feeling, seeing insulation and floating through supports, it was creepy).
She drifted and stared at the bed.
Prentice and Bella were in it sleeping, the sunlight shining through windows on their bodies.
They were naked, the covers down to their waists though Fiona couldn’t see much of anything considering Prentice had Bella tucked tight to him, his arm around her, his bicep shielding Bella’s breast from view. His arm was cocked, as was hers under his, their fingers laced, hands resting on the mattress in front of her face which was tilted forward on the pillow. Prentice’s head was tilted too, his face in the hair at the back of her head.
Fiona felt her ghostly chest tighten at the sight of them.
Prentice cuddled Fiona only after they’d made love and sometimes when they went to bed together (he usually worked late or read and came to bed after her).
And he usually did this only for awhile, eventually rolling away from her.
Never sleeping with her cradled in his arms. Never holding her all night like she was a precious possession he was keeping safe.
Fiona knew why whatever powers that be sent her from her home last night.
And she was thankful for that.
But she was in agony over what she was witnessing right now.
She wanted to scream, she wanted to rail, she wanted to tear her hair out or, better yet, Isabella Austin Evangahlala’s long, thick, golden tresses.
But before she could do any of this, Bella’s eyes opened.
For a second she looked sated, satisfied…
Happy.
Nearly instantly, that look disappeared and utter fear filled her expression.
Fiona forgot her wrath and stared.
What on earth?
Taking great care, Bella uncurled her fingers from Prentice’s and, gently, with agonizing slowness, she exited the bed.
Prentice didn’t move.
Once he was in a deep sleep, Prentice could sleep through almost anything. Fiona had been lucky he didn’t snore, he would never wake if she had to shove him or kick him, that’s how deeply he slept (which meant, when they were babies, Jason and Sally never woke Prentice with their middle of the night cries and Fiona practically had to push him out of bed when it was his turn to feed them which drove Fiona up the blooming wall).
Therefore, Prentice slept through Bella leaving him in bed.
And he slept through Bella, on silent feet with silent but trembling hands and completely silent tears, packing every single possession that was hers in the guest suite.
She did this quickly but tidily, leaving behind only the scented candles she bought.
Then she dressed in jeans, a sweater and high-heeled boots that she’d set aside. Then she carried her cosmetics case and her heaviest suitcase out to her rental car.
Fiona floated in the bedroom while all this happened, not sure what to do.
Fiona Cameron, Prentice Cameron’s wife, wanted the woman gone.
But Fiona Cameron, the dead woman who loved her husband and children, had conflicting thoughts.
She looked at Prentice, unaware and asleep.
He was a handsome, fit, forty-five year old widower who deserved more out of life than grief, a heavy workload, an anguished son and a constant mountain of laundry he hated to do.
He deserved to bicker.
He deserved to be challenged.
He deserved to laugh.
He deserved to have a beautiful, rich, well-educated, jet-set, stylish, classy woman in his life (and, also, one who was corporeal and breathing).
A woman who had loved him for twenty years.
A woman who had carried around his photo in a silver frame and wore his ring on a chain around her neck for twenty f**king years.
As much as Fiona hated it, she knew he deserved it.
And her son deserved to live with a woman who understood the depths of his pain.
And his daughter deserved chocolate cake and she needed someone to teach her how to make them and, Lord knew, Prentice couldn’t do that.
And Bella…
Well, Bella wasn’t the only one with a soft heart and Fiona knew that Bella deserved all of them.
When Bella came back to get the last two cases, Fiona’s decision made, she dashed to her and started shouting.
What are you doing? Don’t leave, don’t leave, don’t leave!
Bella shook her head as if clearing her thoughts and Fiona knew she could hear her.
Don’t do it, Bella. Don’t. He needs you and you need him! You need all of them!
Fiona heard Bella’s breath hitch as she held back a sob but she exited the front door and threw her cases in the boot of her car.
Think of Annie! Fiona cried.
“I’ll not let Annie down,” Bella murmured and Fiona would have gasped (but, obviously she didn’t as she couldn’t) when Bella spoke directly to her.
Good, then go back!
“I can’t go back.”
Fiona closed her ghostly eyes and shouted her frustration.
Then she panicked.
For, she knew, Prentice was a two strikes kind of man.
He’d forgive you anything.
Once.
Twice, he’d never forgive.
Wrong him twice and you were dead to him. If Bella left him twice he’d never forgive her.
Ever.
Fiona thought fast as Bella slammed the boot of the car.
Then it came to her.
Go back, write him a note. You don’t have to explain. Just say good-bye.
Bella shook her head again, moving toward the driver’s side door.
Just good-bye. That’s it. Don’t leave without saying good-bye.
Bella opened the door.
Fiona wrapped her hands around Bella’s arm and pleaded, Please, tell him good-bye. He deserves that!
Bella shivered and looked down at her arm.
Please, Bella, just tell Prentice good-bye.
Bella hesitated, shook her arm and Fiona saw with great relief, headed back to the house.
Fiona’s eyes rolled skyward and she said a hearty thank you.
Then she darted after Bella.