Re-Arranged

Chapter Eleven

Given the opportunity to sit and watch, it was easy to make out the sun sinking through the sky, especially closer to the horizon. And before she knew it, it had disappeared altogether from the sky, taking all its blood orange glow with it.

"I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I, dear?"

Kelly straightened and slumped her back. She could not understand how people sat straight even on benches without back support. "No, it's all right. Don't worry about it."

"The time difference really makes it hard to find a good time to call and talk at length. I've been especially meaning to call you after I learned, after much, much prodding, how Kat and Sawyer ended up staying at your home itself."

She listened and nodded as if the action of agreement could be relayed through a phone call. She traced the key to her car with her thumb and actually thought the timing for talking was perfect. Her office building had a good enough boulevard containing garden space around the back, right above the parking levels underground. They had a couple of benches too, along the road which led into a tunnel to the cars and two-wheelers. Several of those zoomed past her every now and then.

"Are you... are you okay with that, sweetie? Please be honest with me about this. I know Sawyer doesn't get along with you. He does look up to Kat, but that hardly means ten people in a single home would not be a burden."

Experience had taught her to not try answering Aunt Sarah's questions until at least five seconds of dead air hung between them. Kelly stretched out her legs and tapped her heels on the pavement. It sounded oddly like a horse walking by.

"Look, it's not a problem at all if you tell me it's too much to handle. You're young, barely married, it would be like a landslide being handed over so many people, let alone two adults who weren't in the actual plans. One week is surely not the same as two or three or more!"

Honestly she had not thought much of it until now. Saturday went by in a blink, Sunday was basically spent in doing a headcount and making sure everyone was fed, even the elusive Wren, who took one look at the circus outside and retired to the bedroom, to his work. Monday again went by quick. Working days were great that way. Phone would not stop ringing, but at least... She sat up straight and scratched at her back with the key. Even though Luke always said the day went well, what was even happening at home all day?

~

It took some convincing but Darian finally drilled it into their heads how they were here on summer vacation and that to kids, the word "vacation" meant more than just sitting at home and whiling the time away. He was almost ashamed it took more than one turn of argument to get the point across.

Of course, Ben's constant remark of "You're talking to walls!" parenthesised by eye-rolls did not help the matter. Darian took more offence at his sister and brother-in-law being called "walls" than they did themselves. Then again, they lived with Ben on a daily basis.

"Why do I feel like this is just a cheap trick to write me out of the way for a few days? Like my snarky comebacks don't make up my audience's day!" Ben shook his head and followed his parents into the kids' room to break the news. "Where on earth do last minute bookings for anything during summer vacation even work out, huh? Such a convenient ruse to get us out of the way!"

Darian arranged everything for them while they packed for a two day one night stay at a resort on the outskirts of the town. It being co-owned by one of his college mates helped with the booking, despite Ben's vocal doubts and apprehensions.

"I mean, there's not even a proper mention of the "vacation trip"! it is so vague! What? We're gonna make up plans as we set out? Excuse me, my family is anything but spontaneous!"

Nobody had the patience to point it out to him that "resort" had been mentioned. Wren picked him up, flung him over one shoulder and headed out to the waiting taxi with the twins walking in tow behind him like a string of ducklings. Ben's protestations could be heard even after he had been stuffed into the back seat.

Darian helped with the luggage and the pram. Evelyn stopped to kiss her brother on the cheek before getting into the taxi. "Take care," she said, adjusting baby Rhys in her arms and trying to smile.

"Have fun." He waved once after helping her in and closing the door behind her, and jogged back to the house.

"And thus Luke has set into motion the awkwardest – most awkward? – two days of his and his bride's lives," he narrated in a mumble as he closed the front door and heaved out a sigh. "It couldn't possibly get... oh, who am I kidding? Kelly's gonna be pissed!"

He cleared his throat and hollered out, "Aunt Kat! Sawyer! Anybody up for breakfast? Guess who are cooking as a team of three!"

That declaration alone set into motion events that rippled into effects Kelly was greeted with when she finally returned home.

~

Before she even started from office, however, she was still talking to Sarah. Or, more accurately, listening to Sarah.

"Are you doing all right with... with all of... that?"

Kelly waited. One – two – three – four – five –

"It's not so bad," she spoke at last, first words in the conversation since the initial greeting twenty minutes ago. "Maybe this is as good a time as any to get acquainted with my cousin."

"You're being too kind with your words, dear."

"No, no. I mean it sincerely. How is Uncle Wes doing?" Kelly did not know when she had slumped her back into a convex curve but she straightened it out. It made her lower back ache. She thumped at it with her free hand.

"He's... he's doing... as well as he could."

She thought her aunt's voice sounded hesitant. Was it rude to point that out? She scratched behind her ear with the key and released a long breath. It did not matter. She was getting sick of tiptoeing around everyone.

"Come on, Aunt Sarah. I'm not a kid anymore. You don't need to worry about how I'll receive the news. I could ask Ma and Papa, but I don't want to go the roundabout way to find out how things are doing with Uncle Wes. If you need me to, I could come over there too, so just lay it out straight for me. When Papa told about the heart attack... Luke and I initially wanted to get on the plane with them and fly over. So, please tell me how things are really."

Kelly waited for a beat, chewing on her lower lip. She could not imagine saying things like this five, seven years ago. She would have wriggled out of the conversation, calling it too awkward to deal with. But well. Things were now... topsy-turvy.

"Wes, he's... uh... I guess I'm just reassuring myself with some blind hope that... that he'd be as fit as before. But... but he's not... oh, oh honey, I can't seem to stop crying thinking about it..."

She could hear the light sobbing already and gripped the phone tight. Her cousins Kelly might not get along with. Most of them practised a willing ignorance of her, which was all right. She did not mind. Their parents though were a different matter. She did not carry a single memory of theirs where they had not spoiled and pampered her and her sisters.

She listened to her aunt speak for more and more minutes, wondering what she could say to pass a little bit of comfort across. Oddly enough, when the time came for it, the answer came on its own.

"Sawyer has Aunt Kat, Luke and me to look after him, so you don't have to worry about him at all. If you need us to, I can assure you we'll be there without delay."

*

A/N: Can you offer comforting words easily to someone? I don't think I'm good at it but I've been told otherwise. I still do not find the accounts convincing. Either way, I admire those who can comfort someone and say what they want to hear in that moment.

That little musing aside, what did you think of the chapter? Lemme know if you liked it or not through your comments and votes! I quite enjoy being notified of those!

Also, the next chapter is kind of a very long one, so I'm thinking about whether to split it up or not... I guess we'll know this Friday!

Until then, have fun! xD