Chapter 2.28- Never Good

          Snatching the dirty dish off the bar Layla’s march carried her to the dishwasher.

          ‘Just what I needed,’ she thought. ‘Something else that’s going to appear on my doorstep care of Ignacio’s past.’

          Grabbing the handle of the dishwasher she jerked it back with such force she rattled the contents rather fiercely.

          ‘And I’ve told him I know there's something else,’ her mind continued. ‘So why keep it back? Doesn’t he know I’m just going to keep hounding him until he tells me?’

          Kicking the door up with her foot, she slammed the dishwasher hard enough that on the counter the teapot rattled against the sugar bowl loudly.

          ‘Shit,’ she thought. ‘What the hell else is there to hide even? I’m with him all the time unless he’s fishing. So then is he really a fishersim?’

          ‘Maybe that’s not what he’s doing,’ Layla continued to ponder. ‘Maybe he’s off with someone else. Maybe that’s really why Melly came over that day. They’re still sleeping together and really he wants her. I’m just the public excuse for him to continue his behavior. No one would know and no one would believe it either. Shoot. Do I believe it?’

          “Fuck it all,” she said shrilly. “What they hell are you really up to you, asshole?”

          “I am going fishing,” Ignacio answered from behind her, making her jump. “That is what I am really up to. Matthew has a buyer with a particular need for catfish, so I am going out to look for some. I shall be back later. And try not to break the dishwasher. If I recall, you got the last one of that model in a 500 mile radius. Shipping another one in might take a few days and I know how you hate dishpan hands.”

          Spinning around she pulled out her stoniest expression.

“I can’t believe that you’d leave to go fishing right now,” she said in her deadliest tone.

          Throwing his hands up in exasperation, Ignacio begged supplication from the heavens.

“¡Diosito querido, ayúdame! What else am I to go do? We have got to pay the bills. Taxes on this place are not cheap and we need to eat. It is not like you to grudge the money I bring in.”

          “Sure,” Layla said with a roll of her eyes. “Sure, that’s where you’re going.”

          “Where else on Sim Planet would I go?” He asked wearily.

          “I dunno, Ignacio. Why don’t you tell me?”

          “Are you still on that? I have now told you everything-”

          “-and I don’t believe you.”

          “That is your problem then.”

          Coming around the counter, Layla had fire on her heels.

          “It is not my problem! It is yours!” Tears started to her eyes and she shouted. “I can’t trust you if you don’t tell me everything!”

          “I do not know how many times I have to tell you, I have told it all to you.”

          “But I can see in your eyes that you are lying to me,” Her voice finally lowered an octave and her last words caught. She was still so emotional form losing her mom and hated that she would show such a weakness as she did now.

          “Mi Llamita,” Ignacio said, attempting to control the ire in his tone. “Layla, you know everything. I have told it all to you. If you choose not to believe me, that is your own fault.”

          “Why won’t you just tell me whatever it is you’re not telling me?”

          “Because there is nothing to tell,” he said flatly. “I am going fishing now.”

          “If you decide to come back, you’d better be ready to tell me whatever the hell it is you’re hiding,” she spat.

          Not even bothering to answer, he just sent a withering glare over his shoulder as he walked out the front door. He didn’t want her involved in his affairs. And it wasn’t like he could tell her that to keep her from asking either. She’d just keep it up, and keep asking until he broke down. It was too dangerous right now for her to know. Maybe one day, when things were more stable.

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          Unwilling to sit home by herself, and thinking she might get a little bit of information if she asked nicely enough, Layla called Nalleli hoping to finally make good on the lunch date that had never happened.

          “Nalleli? This is Layla Sixkiller.”

          She knew she wasn’t really in the right frame of mind for girl talk, but Nalleli knew Ignacio better than anyone besides Ned and Sabria. There was no way she was asking Sabria for help on this, and she couldn’t ask Ned.

          “So, I was thinking just how little I wanted to do dishes today and thought I might entice you to go to lunch with me?”

          A thin excuse at best. But she needed something in case Sabria had talked to Nalleli and told her how Ignacio and Layla were supposed to have a day to rest. Dishes were work, so wouldn’t going out be plausible?

          “No, if you’ve got to work I’ll just find another way to not have to do dishes and eat, haha. You’ve gotta work to eat, right?”

          Damn. And why on earth does the doorbell have to ring right now?

          “Hey, Nalleli? That’s the doorbell. Yeah. Yeah, another time maybe. You too. ‘Bye.”

          More frustrated than before, Layla stomped her way across the floor figuring Ignacio had forgotten something and his keys as well. No one else in town would be visiting them other than Sabria, and at this rate she rather hoped it was Ignacio’s mother. She had a few questions and knew that Sabria would have some kind of an answer for her.

          Ripping the door open she snarled “What the hell do you want?” before even registering exactly who stood there.

          “I’d like to come in, if I could,” Sally stood there, pouting at Layla’s extremely rude greeting.

          “Oh, shit, sorry Sally,” Layla backpedalled in horror. “I expected someone else to be standing there and I- I’m so sorry! What are you doing here? Come in! Come in!”

          And stood aside letting Sally enter.

          “So what’s up?” Layla asked again.

          “Well,” Sally said slowly. “Well, you see..”

          Eyebrows raised, Layla wondered at the change in Sally. It had been a long time since Sally had been shy or reticent around Layla. And then, wonder of wonders, Sally was wearing a dress. She hoped someone had a picture because that most likely wouldn’t happen again.

          “Mom died!” Sally sobbed, and Layla opened her arms to her distraught cousin.

          “She passed yesterday,” Sally continued. “It’s been awful!”

          “Oh honey, it’s never good when your mom dies. My mom just passed too, so…”

          “It’s just awful, awful!” heavy sobs muffling Sally’s words.

          Layla held on, rubbing Sally’s quaking back while watching the display on the security alarm cycle. The sighs she let out did nothing to help her feel relief for herself. There was still too much to think about. Her mother’s passing was still too recent even to her. She still woke up with the feeling she should be able to pick up the phone and call Helen whenever she wanted.

          A nudge against her stomach finally brought her back to reality.

          “Sally?” She asked, pushing her cousin back gently. “Sally something is different about you.”

          Looking below Sally’s face though, and Layla felt stupid for missing that.

          “So, I know we’ve been busy with the house, and with most folks in town just not talking to us I had no idea,” she said, indicating Sally’s rounded front.

          Blushing a little, Sally smiled, though her eyes still shone with tears.

          “Yeah,” she sighed. “Gonna have a baby.”

          “That’s awesome! I bet you’re excited.” Layla tried to enthuse for Sally’s sake. “You know what? I want to hear what’s been going on while you’re here, but I just realized I’m not quite appropriately dressed. Follow me.”

          Stopping in front of the wardrobe, Layla took a deep breath. She needed to be happy to cheer her cousin. She needed to get rid of all the crap in her mind that would not go away. Sally needed her and all Layla felt she needed was a stiff drink.

          “So how far along are you?” Layla called as she pulled the wardrobe doors open to get to her clothes. Sally walked much slower than Layla had into the room.

          “Far enough,” she muttered, still slowly moving along. She was taking the opportunity to peek at the house Layla and Ignacio had built. “Are you and Iggy still together?”

          “Yes,” Layla answered, pulling on her blouse. “I probably don’t need to ask if you and Ottawa are still together.”

          “Obviously,” Sally said. “I forget though that you don’t get to talk to the rest of the town the way we do to keep up with what’s going on.”

          “No, I don’t,” said Layla. “Though judging by the fact that you knew to find me here the town still talks plenty about me.”

          “Can I get comfortable?” Sally asked. “My feet are killing me.

          “Sure.”

          And Sally flopped across the bed with a huge sigh. “Join me, cuz.”

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          We’ll hear more about Sally next time. That’s long enough and I don’t know how long that convo will go.

          One last thing, I love thought bubbles.