A True Southern Belle

  Charlie slept for seven hours. She never slept that long, not since she was a child. She rose with the sun and, having done so for the past twelve years, she was understandably surprised when she missed watching the sun rise today.

At first, believing herself to be at home,  she remembered everything she had to do today. Then she realized she couldn't do any of those things because she found herself not to be in her own bed as she thought, but in a bed she did not remember seeing before. And in a room that had a window overlooking a forest, that indeed, was not her room, nor her window. Her windo was larger and overlooked cotton fields.

The images of yesterday and thei good and bad memories played out in her mind and explained to her half asleep head where she was and why she was there.

The bedroom door opened amd Jason came in with a tray holding cornbread and coffee.

"Good morning," he said softly.

"Morning." She yawned, sitting up and moving with difficulty down to the bottom of the bed.

"You look like you could use more sleep."

Jason set the tray down on a table and then placed table in front of Charlie. He brought a rocking chair over and sat diwn across from her. Charlie didn't know how to feel about the fact she noticed and admired how easily he moved thr furniture around. It wasn't something she wanted to notice.

"I probably could. You probably could too, if I were to judge from those dark circles under your eyes. You don't look so good. How is Bella?"

"Well thank you. You know, I think that is the first time a girl paid me something other than a complement. What a blow to my pride.

"Bella's still sleeping, unlike you and I, the sleep deprived twins. The baby cried four or five times last night, and now both of the are settled."

Jason handed her a cup of coffee. She drank half of it then attacked a piece of cornbread. Jason did the same, rocking lazily.

"I don't look my best either Jason. I'm sure we are both wrecks. Honestly you are so vain I don't know how you and Bella are related. Does your pride feel better now that I have degraded myself too?"

Jason cracked a smile. "It's no longer mortally wounded."

Charlie started a new topic. Her brow furrowed in worry and Jason was annoyed with himself for instantly wanting to know why and for finding the look cute.

"Should Bella be nursing her baby? She's not the healthiest person..."

He was surprised by the question. "Bella doesn't have enough money to hire a wet nurse and she won't let me pay for it. But I'm not worried. I warmed a bottle of cow's milk for her last night, and upon presenting it to her, she acted like it was the greatest insult I could ever give."

Charlie smiled and laughed gleefully. Shes pretty when she laughs, Jason thought. He inwardly frowned then disregarded the thought. He was a man, and a wordly one at that; it was his taste to notice things that made women pretty. Not that Charlie was much of a woman, he decided, his eyes darting over her. She was haedly a girl. But then... she was his friend, more than anything else.

"She'll be fine then," Charlie said about Bella.

"Yes. Refill?"

"Yes please. And I'm happy for Bella. I can tell she loves bein a mother."

As Jason handed her back her cup, their fingers brushed ans her gray eyes met his brown ones. Those gray eyes that changed  colors and were almost too wise, piercing, and haunting for one so young...

"Thank you. For saving Bella." His voice was a soft hush.

"You're welcome," Charlie whispered.

If it dawned on them then that they were sitting alone in a dimly lit room, so close, one in a chair, the other in the bed, without anyone else besides a sleeping mother and child... that it was improper and in some ways...  dangerous, the feeling showed only in the sudden blush creeping up both of their necks.

They leaned away from each other, fear making them do so.

To avoid splashing herself with the hot coffee in the cup she was holding in her strangly and ridiculously trembling  hand, Charlie set it down. She looked out of the window. 'I believe I'm done,' her actions seemed to say.

Jason understood and put eveyrhing back on the tray. He tried to find the lightness they had before, but his bright words were forced and faux.

"Well then. Get some more sleep - I expect you to look better, or at least look as you normally do, though that's not a very pretty sight either," he tried to tease, "Since normal for you means that you are covered in mud or ink, more often than not, or that you are muddy, dirty, or wearing clothes not meant for you to wear. Usually all three. I'll see you later Charlie." Jason knew he needed to shut up.

Charlie smiled at his attempted jibe, but her eyes remained troubled long after he left.

It was still barely eight in the morning. She should try to sleep before she had to leave. But it made her a.bit uncomfortable that it was Jason's pillow where she was laying her head.