Chapter 2.26- Out the Door

          Rain was still falling as she pushed the button on the doorbell with a heavy heart. Merry sounds of children inside playing touched her ears, but the tinny sound of the shrill bell over the clamor was all she really heard.

          Then she heard a baby’s cry, and one of the girls calling for her mother to go and soothe it. The doorbell had startled the poor thing again.

          Unfortunately, the baby’s cry only made her remember that here was another person who would never know her mother. Henry would never know his grandmother now. And Layla dissolved into the tears she’d been holding back since Tiburcia’s mother had stormed off of her porch into the rain leaving so many questions behind.

          “Hey sis,” Cyrus pulled the door open just as Layla managed to scrub her eyes and get a deep breath.

          “Can I come in?” she didn’t even allow space to ask.

          Frowning, he glanced about furtively before stepping back and allowing her room to pass into his home.

          “Sure,” he said. “Sure, yeah, come in.”

          “So what’s going on? What do you need?” This time Cyrus was the one to not allow Layla a moment. Over his shoulder Olivia’s narrowed eyes and pinched lips made her feel as though even Olivia still held her in judgment.

          “Well,” she said slowly. After all, wasn’t she still digesting the news herself? “I got a call this morning from Daddy-”

          “Oh,” Cyrus cut in, nodding and breathing through his teeth. “That’s nice. What’s up?”

          Layla blinked. Was she missing something?

          “Well,” she tried to continue, though she was worried he’d cut her off again. “Daddy called to tell me that last night- last night.” She stopped, her words cut off in her throat.

          “Mom’s gone, Cy,” she finally choked out. “She passed away last night.”

          Cyrus bowed his head, closing his eyes.

          “She’d been ill for a long time,” Layla said. “Uh, Galen’s wife, Arden. Arden had insisted she move that PlumbBob awful couch and mom wasn’t up to it. She was hurt pretty badly and after that she was just constantly in pain, and in and out of the hospital with these nasty infections, and pneumonia and Daddy said this last week- this last week was-was-bad-”

          Cyrus’ head came up, just in time to catch his baby sister as she hurled herself at him as she had flung herself at Iggy earlier.

          “Hey!” He cried, startled as she cried into his shoulder. “Hey, hey, hey! It’s alright! It’s alright!”

          But Layla ignored his pleas and continued until he finally had to push her off of him.

          “Really, it’s going to be okay,” he said, wide-eyed and looking at her as though wary she might do it again.

          Putting on a grin that he figured looked as goofy as it felt, he tried to get her to smile back.

          “Anyway,” she finally found her voice again. “Daddy said she passed last night in her sleep. So at least she’s not in pain anymore and that in some ways it’s a relief to know that she’s not suffering.”

          Cyrus nodded as behind him Olivia loudly cleared her throat.

          “Hey,” Cyrus cleared his throat as well, as if answering his wife. “Hey, uh, this is really awful about Mom-about Helen, and all, but I’m- we’re- but we’re kind of expecting company over soon.”

          Arching a single brow, Layla looked back at her brother quizzically. Was he really not that affected by their mother’s death? Surely he wouldn’t carry his grudge against their mother beyond her death?

          “And it would be really awkward if you were here,” he continued. “If you are here still, when he arrives.”

          Jaw dropping slightly, his words hit her like lead in her stomach.

          “Really, Laydee,” Cyrus still went on. “I hate to ask you to leave at a time like this, but I kind of have to.”

          Blinking, nodding, it took her a few moments to gather herself and formulate a response. How could he kick her out? Wasn’t she more important than a guest?

          “Oh. Okay. I’ll go,” she said, ashamed of how bright her words sounded to her. “No. No. I wouldn’t want to make things awkward for you.”

          She took a step around him as his own mouth opened as though he wanted to say something.

          “See,” she said before he could get anything out. “See, I just thought that family always stuck together. Thought you’d want to know that the woman who gave birth to you had died. Oh well. Have fun with your guests.”

          And without a backward glance, she walked out the door.

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          Ignacio heard the front door close from the kitchen. He’d been tempted to call Layla to see where she had gone to. Arriving back home and finding her gone had worried him. His mother’s prediction that she might go to Cyrus hadn’t sat well with him either, as he was fairly sure of the welcome she’d receive as Ned was her brother’s employer.

          Coming into the living room swiftly and quietly he found a scene that took his breath away momentarily. Layla was cuddling his little girl

          “The gems are pretties aren’t they?” Layla crooned, her voice pitched higher than usual in an imitation of baby talk.

          Ignacio turned to sneak back out of the room. Layla freaked out if she thought the little girl had touched the gems. She said she was terrified she’d choke on them, though she still hadn’t removed them from the girls reach.

          “See the pretty butterflies? So pretty. Butterflies,” she continued as Ignacio slipped back out, his stomach flipping even as the muscles in the corners of his mouth twitched.

          Ignacio had just managed to make it back into the kitchen without detection when Layla turned around, scanning the room.

          She’d kept hold of Tiburcia, enjoying the child’s warm weight on her arm. Turning, she buried her nose in the soft dark hair on her shoulder, inhaling the sweet scent that clung to her.

          “We need to get you a room with us so you can stay with your Daddy and that mean old woman won’t need to come get you from him,” Layla looked around again, as if she half expected Ignacio to have materialized since she last looked around. “We should tell him.”

          Raising her voice a little: “Ignacio? Iggy? Where are you?” she called.

          Ignacio’s heart leapt a little when he saw that Layla still held Tibi. He also noted the hard look in her eye that hadn’t been there earlier.

          “Hey,” he said. “There you are. I was a little bit worried when we got back and you weren’t here. Are you alright? Where did you go?”

          Layla’s eyes narrowed fractionally as Tiburcia began to fuss and wriggle trying to get down to a toy she’d spotted.

          “Hang on, let me put her down.”

          Putting the girl down Layla slowly walked back to where Ignacio was standing.

          “So,” she said, putting on what she thought was a seductive face. “So, I’ve heard tell that the greatest real estate mind in town is currently living with me. That is, if what you’ve told me is true at least.”

          Ignacio took half a step back, narrowing his own eyes as she had earlier. What on Sim Planet had gotten into her?

          He put a fist on his hip, nodding at her slowly.

          “Uh-Huh,” he acknowledged warily. “That is true.”

          “Hmmm,” Layla’s fingers walked up the buttons on his shirt front and he nearly shivered from anticipation over whatever the hell she was about to do. “Well, isn’t that convenient.”

          “Uh,” his eyes darting about as he tried to puzzle her words out. Where was she going with this. “Uh, that is good? I guess? Why is it convenient?”

          “Because I think I’m ready to be a homeowner,” grabbing his shirtfront  in her fists, pulling him an inch or so closer. “And you’re going to find me a house to buy.”

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Yeah. I had fun with that bit.

Ok. Cyrus. Layla is not going to know this for a long time. Maybe never. But Cyrus and Olivia were expecting Ned at any moment and as Ned is his boss (in story only, it’s backwards in game) Cyrus did not relish a meeting of those two in his home, especially with Layla all emotional like that. Cyrus is genuinely sad Helen had died. Really. The news, however, was a lot more shocking to him than it was to Layla and sometimes that takes a bit more time to sink in. So don’t think too horribly of him right now. Let Layla do that.

And in game that was the first time Layla had autonomously done something with Tiburcia. So be proud of her folks. There might be hope for her yet. I couldn’t not use it. It was so sweet! And I still love how when I want her too Layla gives great face.