SYDNEY STOOD BY THE KITCHEN window with a wearisome look while gazing at the sprinklers that went off in the garden. It reminded her of her mother. She recalled the days when Ashley would stand by the garden back in Arizona with a watering can in her grip as she watered the flowers. She missed her mother; she had been having nightmares of Ashley in a large gray box, lying next to Xavier.
She thought about taking Ethan and Emily to Arizona and not returning, but Ashley’s last message made her rethink.
Avery poured tomato soup into the saucer. She walked to Sydney and placed a hand on her shoulder. ” What’s wrong, you haven’t said anything since I got here?”
What was there to say? Sydney shrugged nonchalantly, and they both went to the dining room. Sydney slipped into a seat next to Sofia. She had been a frequent and helpful visitor- to Avery’s disposal.
Avery looked at Sofia with contempt. ” Um, Sofia darling?”
Sofia looked up from the book she was reading. She smiled questioningly, ” Yes?”
” Why don’t you excuse us, we have something important to discuss.”
Sofia looked at Sydney and asked, ” Is that fine by you Mrs. Reed?” She could just smell a rat, and the odor revolved around Avery.
Sydney looked confused. ” Er… Sure. And Sofia, I’ve told you countless times, call me Sydney.”
Sofia nodded politely and left them alone. Sydney’s brow raised towards Avery. ” What important thing do we have to discuss?”
Avery’s eyes finally left Sofia’s vanishing figure. She leaned forward and looked at Sydney with manipulating eyes, ” I have a bad intuition about that girl?”
” You mean Sofia?”
Avery wanted to roll her eyes. ” Yes, Sofia.”
“Nothing is suspecting about Sofia, she’s a good girl.” Sydney swallowed the soup. Slight heat rose in her chest; she winced slightly and shook it off.
Avery’s face lit a bit. ” You are too naive to see it, Syd. Why is she suddenly interested in you? ”
Sydney dropped the bowl, ” Sofia had always been interested in anything about Mrs. Reed.” Her tone turned calculating. ” Is this the important thing you wanted to discuss?”
Avery slid her fingers under the table before Sydney could see them curl into a fist. Her expression morphed into concern, ” You’ve been looking grim lately- and don’t dare tell me it’s nothing or give me a shrug. Spill the beans.”
Sydney didn’t want to talk about it or worst, think about it. She thought about accepting Theresa’s invitation to the country club. Maybe making friends would help dissolve the thought of her failed marriage.
Sydney released a long breath, ” I saw a hickey on Gavin’s neck some days ago.” She played with her fingers.
Avery’s interest piqued. She held off the excitement in her and said, ” You are still sleeping with him? Sydney I told you-”
” It wasn’t me Avery.” She said with disgust like sleeping with Gavin was a horrendous act.
Avery’s eyes widened, she wanted to say something, but Sydney pressed in. ” He’s cheating on me, I know it. I don’t know what to do anymore, Avery; he sleeps on the couch in our bedroom now.”
Avery looked consumed with rage. She shot up exaggeratedly, ” That son of a b**tch! How can he cheat on you?” her eyes popped and pointed at Sydney. ” Was it because you refused to sleep with him?”
Sydney closed her eyes and shook her head; she had thought the same thing, too. Opening her eyes, she said. ” He asked for a divorce?”
” He did what! Gavin wouldn’t go that far, would he?”
Ashen, Sydney looked at her gloomily. ” I barely see love in his eyes, no matter how much I try to find even a tiny emotion in him. He doesn’t love me anymore.” He loves someone else.
The thought of Gavin looking at another woman with love in his eyes made her heart rise to her mouth. How could he forget the good times they had spent together? Did those thirteen years mean nothing to him?
Her heart cried, and she felt heat rise in her chest again. Avery knelt next to her and cupped her cheek.
“I’m tired of seeing you this way, to hell with Gavin. Accept the divorce and let go. He’s not good for you.” She wheedled.
” If Gavin doesn’t consider our kids, I do. I’ll try to save my marriage for them.”
Avery lost it for a second and barked, “You are impossible!” Sydney’s eyes widened at her outburst. Avery quickly concealed her anger with a weary sigh.
In a calm tone, she coaxed. ” I’m sick and tired of you baring all this. Take your kids and leave, do you think they’ll be happy seeing you this way?” She let her words sink into Sydney’s head, and then she continued. “It would only be a matter of time before he starts abusing you physically. Do you want your kids to go through the same pain you went through as a child?”
Sydney held her face in her palms and wept. ” I love Gavin, I can’t leave him.” She said in a trembling voice.
” It’s not just about you Sydney.” Stop making everything about you! Avery smirked and patted her back, she whispered something in Sydney’s ear. ” Think about it. I have to go now.”
Sofia stood by the kitchen door, her shoulders slumped. She had heard everything they had said, not with the intention of eavesdropping. She suspected Avery before, but after hearing their conversation, she was sure Avery was a wet blanket.
She felt pity for Sydney. She gave her some time to cry. When Sydney wiped her tears off with a face towel, Sofia walked in and sat next to her.
” Mrs. Reed- I mean Sydney, you make me worried.” She said honestly.
Sydney smiled bleakly, ” There’s nothing to worry about, Sofia; I’m fine.” No, she wasn’t fine. She had never been all right.
” Please, don’t get mad at me, but- you friend Avery, she’s up to something,” Sofia said, unnerved.
“I understand; she may seem sly at times, but when you get to know her you’ll see she’s a good person.”
The way she smiled and spoke made Sofia more concerned. She didn’t look like she’d believe anything she said. She had no one but her kids now; how would she feel when Avery eventually betrayed her? Sofia thought, hysterically.
Sydney noticed Sofia’s trepidation and said, ” There’s no reason to worry about me Sofia-” Her breath caught when the heat in her chest became unbearable.
She clutched her chest and winced. Sofia got off immediately, her heart racing. ” Mrs. Reed, are you okay?”
Sydney clutched harder, ” Yes – Ju… get me my drugs.”
Sofia raced out of the room and raced back a minute later. She gave Sydney her medicine, her body shaking with apprehension.
She sat shell-shocked as she watched Sydney begin to relax. The acrid smell of caffeine passed into Sofia’s nostrils. Sofia looked at the soup on the table and sniffed it. It smelt strongly of caffeine.
Sofia knew caffeine wasn’t good for Sydney. In a mortified tone, she asked, ” Mrs. Reed, how long have you been taking this?”
Sydney who had relaxed, replied with raised brows. ” Since I was pregnant with Xavier. Avery said it would help keep my baby healthy. Why do you ask?”
Sofia felt the hairs at the back of her neck stand. She shook her head, ” It’s nothing, Mrs. Reed. I just think you should stop having it now you aren’t pregnant anymore.”
Sydney smiled meekly and nodded. The telephone rang. Sofia stood and stretched out her hand. ” Rest, I’ll answer it.”
Sofia went to pick up the call. She glanced at Sydney who leaned on the chair with her eyes staring at the LED ceiling while a tear slid down her temple. She had to find evidence against Avery before she could harm Sydney further.
Sofia sighed and picked up the telephone.
Gil’s voice said instantly, ” Why the hell aren’t you here yet?”
Sofia looked confused. She moved the telephone to her other ear and replied, ” Um… This isn’t Mrs. -”
“I don’t care what the f**k your name is. What type of hooker are you when you can’t be on time?”
Sofia felt insulted. Sydney asked who it was, ” It’s one of those prank callers Mrs.-”
” Who the hell are you calling a prank caller?” Gil sounded urgent and angry.
Sofia resisted the urge to end the call, but her work ethic taught her to give the callers a chance to express themselves no matter how insensitive they may come across.
She drew a breath and said, ” Forgive me. But, for your information, I’m not a hooker. You must have called the wrong line.”
“Whoever you are, I don’t care. I need someone in my bed right now and-”
Sofia heard the sound of struggling. Her cheeks were red from what Gil had said. He was disgusting! She thought. How can anyone talk to a woman with such disrespect?
A huskier voice spoke now, ” I’m sorry about that, my friend just had a lot to drink.” Gabriel said.
” You should teach him how to talk to people.”
There was a short sound of struggle. This time Gil spoke, ” You should learn how to do your job properly.”
Sofia rolled her eyes and dropped the telephone. She walked into the living room. Sydney noticed how red she looked.
” What’s wrong?” Sydney asked.
Sofia forced a smile, ” It’s nothing Mrs. – Sydney.”