Dark Blood

Chapter five: Curious Minds

Dinner in the Morgan's home was not always filled with silence or a tense aura. They didn't constantly steal awkward glances from the other, waiting for someone to strike a conversation.
Surprisingly, seeing it consist of just three people of the Morgan family, dinner in their home was much more lively than they'll give themselves credit for.
Rose Morgan was the host of dinner, in most cases, safe for the fact that it was her house. The old lady, despite looking fragile due to her age, was far from being the typical grandmother. Apart from her little baking business that she does once in a while, she wanted something to at least keep her entertained when her grandchildren aren't around. So she had resulted to be that old lady who loves to stick her nose in her neighbours business, at the same time make it look like she is there for the sole purpose of moral support. And when it's time for dinner, the room is filled with gossips and news about the neighbours. Mostly, those were the topics that covers dinner, apart from the regular school and work talk.
But lately, since the unexpected visit of the other and more sophisticated Morgan family, things had shifted slightly. No one seems ready to talk or even smile, not during dinner though, not when the sudden outburst of Kate Morgan was still fresh in their minds.
And that's another thing, Rachel, couldn't seem to shake off, her mother. She could have had Gemma here to keep her company and get her mind of things, if only she hadn't cancelled on her because she forgot she had a shift at sharks tunnel. But she doubt Gemma's chatter will even make her forget her parents visit or rather her mother's reaction during the visit. If her grandmother couldn't, Gemma unfortunately won't as well. But that didn't stop the snippets of her conversation with her parents, from appearing in her head, with any given opportunity it gets.

Due to her tragic accident, it was safe for Rachel to say she doesn't know her mother that well neither did she know much of her father . But with the few times she had seen Kate Morgan, she always seemed calm. Though, she
always seemed to be on the edge but she still managed to remain cool.

The only time Rachel saw a different Kate was during her first days, after she woke up from coma. She was the first person that entered her line of vision, when she opened her eyes. She could remember how red and bloodshot
her eyes were, she had eye bags that looked a light shade of pink, a clear sign that she hadn't slept for days and her hair was all over the place, just like how rumpled her clothes were. But few days after, a totally different Kate walked into the hospital room that she was admitted in,
ordered that she wouldn't entertain any visitor except for the doctors, her personal nurse and of course family, also with a small information that she would be moving to Oaks Haven to live with her grandmother, immediately
after she's discharged, at least with the company of her brother, Bryan.

Rachel could remember how she had protested against it but her mother didn't yell or change her calm demeanor. And ever since then, that's how she had known her mother until her unexpected afternoon visit.

She shouldn't think to much about it, maybe she's just throwing a tantrum because things weren't going her way but as soon as the thought came, she dismissed it, realizing how stupid it was. But what will make Kate Morgan to act the way she did that afternoon? So out of character?

She seemed so nervous and desperate. Something was wrong somewhere and ----

"Rachel." A soft voice called and only then did Rachel realise that she had been staring into space and the clinking of forks on plates is silenced, replaced by four pair eyes on her, which screamed more volume than the cutleries.

"Rachel dear," Rose Morgan continued, seemingly hesitant to talk, "Are you alright?"

Rachel's brows furrowed. "Of course. Why won't I be?"

Rose shrugged, "oh nothing," she said, then diverted her attention to the boiled potatoes in her plate, cutting a piece and sliding it in her mouth, "I was just wondering if you've spoken to your parents."