head.
“Nope, but I was just about to.”
“Would you mind some company?” she asked. I reached behind the counter and grabbed my purse, before linking my arm tightly through hers.
“Not at all,” I said as we walked out together.
We settled into our table at the gourmet burger place that we’d agreed on and started looking over the menu. Once the orders had been taken, I looked up at Isobel and frowned.
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“I’m… just feeling a little down, that’s all. I figured I’d come see what you were doing for lunch. I’m kind of shocked that Char isn’t here, I know how much tough days mean you need baby snuggles,” she said with a grin.
“How’d you know today is going rough?”
“It’s all over your face, or it was before we left the store for a bit,” she said. I sighed and started playing with the salt shaker.
“Char and I didn’t have lunch plans or anything. She said she took Al out to watch his Daddy practice.”
“Al gets such a kick out of that. He squeals and claps the entire time.”
I snickered. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Have you been out there with them?”
“I went last week, when I needed to get away from the office for a bit. The fresh air seems to do me good when I’m feeling down,” she said. I nodded as I took a sip of my soda.
“That makes sense. Fresh air always helps me when I’m upset about something. It’s like the clear air helps me clear my head so that I can think.”
“Right,” Izzy said. “Alton and I spent the entire time clapping and cheering for the guys while Char just watched and laughed. She said that it was obviously making me feel better, so she didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I guess we both needed Al today,” I said. Isobel and I shared a grin.
“Yeah, but we’ve got each other so we’re okay. Right?” she said. I nodded.
“And alcohol. We should have alcohol too.” I laughed.
“Excellent idea. Oh cute waiter guy!” Isobel said, waving to the waiter as I snickered into my hands.
~~~
Isobel and I had a great lunch together. We talked and laughed, a little bit less than the norm, but neither one of us seemed to be having a stellar day. Even so, I could see a deep sadness pass over Isobel’s face from time to time, even when she was smiling. Charlotte and I had intentionally tried to avoid talking about our relationships around Isobel, while still giving her an open invitation to talk about Ryan if she needed to. But she hadn’t, not really. Occasionally, she’d say something slight about him and how she felt about everything that had happened, but that was about it.
She left looking just as down as when she’d arrived and that bothered me. We’d talked about everything that I could think of that would cheer her up, and while it seemed to have done the trick temporarily, it hadn’t been permanent. Her sadness seemed to return as soon as I looked away for a moment. That worried me. Isobel had always been a happy, optimistic person. Until…
I sighed and leaned against the counter, ignoring the customers coming into the store for a few moments. I didn’t like this at all. Either there was something wrong more than simply mourning, or I was being paranoid. I needed another opinion, just to be sure. Someone who knew Izzy well enough to know what she was normally like.
“Excuse me miss, do you have this in a nine and a half?” A nice older woman asked, holding up a pair of stilettos with spiked heels. I tucked the Isobel thoughts in the back of my mind for a few and smiled, thinking briefly that if this woman could walk in those heels, I’d instantly gain a boatload of respect for her.
“Yes ma’am, we sure do. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll go get them for you,” I said, taking the display shoe from her.
“Nope, but I was just about to.”
“Would you mind some company?” she asked. I reached behind the counter and grabbed my purse, before linking my arm tightly through hers.
“Not at all,” I said as we walked out together.
We settled into our table at the gourmet burger place that we’d agreed on and started looking over the menu. Once the orders had been taken, I looked up at Isobel and frowned.
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“I’m… just feeling a little down, that’s all. I figured I’d come see what you were doing for lunch. I’m kind of shocked that Char isn’t here, I know how much tough days mean you need baby snuggles,” she said with a grin.
“How’d you know today is going rough?”
“It’s all over your face, or it was before we left the store for a bit,” she said. I sighed and started playing with the salt shaker.
“Char and I didn’t have lunch plans or anything. She said she took Al out to watch his Daddy practice.”
“Al gets such a kick out of that. He squeals and claps the entire time.”
I snickered. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Have you been out there with them?”
“I went last week, when I needed to get away from the office for a bit. The fresh air seems to do me good when I’m feeling down,” she said. I nodded as I took a sip of my soda.
“That makes sense. Fresh air always helps me when I’m upset about something. It’s like the clear air helps me clear my head so that I can think.”
“Right,” Izzy said. “Alton and I spent the entire time clapping and cheering for the guys while Char just watched and laughed. She said that it was obviously making me feel better, so she didn’t want to interrupt.”
“I guess we both needed Al today,” I said. Isobel and I shared a grin.
“Yeah, but we’ve got each other so we’re okay. Right?” she said. I nodded.
“And alcohol. We should have alcohol too.” I laughed.
“Excellent idea. Oh cute waiter guy!” Isobel said, waving to the waiter as I snickered into my hands.
~~~
Isobel and I had a great lunch together. We talked and laughed, a little bit less than the norm, but neither one of us seemed to be having a stellar day. Even so, I could see a deep sadness pass over Isobel’s face from time to time, even when she was smiling. Charlotte and I had intentionally tried to avoid talking about our relationships around Isobel, while still giving her an open invitation to talk about Ryan if she needed to. But she hadn’t, not really. Occasionally, she’d say something slight about him and how she felt about everything that had happened, but that was about it.
She left looking just as down as when she’d arrived and that bothered me. We’d talked about everything that I could think of that would cheer her up, and while it seemed to have done the trick temporarily, it hadn’t been permanent. Her sadness seemed to return as soon as I looked away for a moment. That worried me. Isobel had always been a happy, optimistic person. Until…
I sighed and leaned against the counter, ignoring the customers coming into the store for a few moments. I didn’t like this at all. Either there was something wrong more than simply mourning, or I was being paranoid. I needed another opinion, just to be sure. Someone who knew Izzy well enough to know what she was normally like.
“Excuse me miss, do you have this in a nine and a half?” A nice older woman asked, holding up a pair of stilettos with spiked heels. I tucked the Isobel thoughts in the back of my mind for a few and smiled, thinking briefly that if this woman could walk in those heels, I’d instantly gain a boatload of respect for her.
“Yes ma’am, we sure do. Why don’t you take a seat and I’ll go get them for you,” I said, taking the display shoe from her.
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