at Ellyssa.
“You read his mind, too. Tell them that he isn’t going to betray us.”
This time, Ellyssa reached down and took Trista’s hand. “From what I read last night, he isn’t. No betrayal, and no regret for the choices he made. He is completely devoted to you.” A smug look climbed across Trista’s face. She started to turn around to gloat at Rein and Woody, but Ellyssa stopped her. “But Woody is right,” she continued. “He might not be planning anything now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t in the future.”
Rein crossed his arms. “My sentiments exactly.”
“Shut up, Rein,” Trista said, whipping around, red glowing on her cheeks. “You’re the one who started all of this.”
“I have a better idea,” Sarah said, dropping the pan of biscuits on the table. “All of you shut up.” The corners of Sarah’s mouth dipped in disapproval, deepening her wrinkles. Everyone, including her husband, stared at her, stunned into silence. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. How can you expect to work together when all you do is bicker? You can’t act like this. Don’t you young fools know the easiest way to be defeated is from within? Not just from within a group, but within yourselves.
“You hadn’t seen each other for close to three weeks or so; Woody and Ellyssa brought Rein back, Trista’s alive, and this is what you do. This is a time to celebrate, not fight. And that is exactly what we are going to do.
“There will be no more of this squabbling. Rein and Woody, you will give Dyllon a chance to prove himself. I know with what had happened it’ll be hard, and you haven’t been with him for as long as we have, but I believe he is a good man.” She grabbed a plate of bacon and a bowl of eggs and placed them on the table.
“Now, you and you and you,” Sarah said, pointing at Rein, Woody and Ellyssa, “dig in. You look like skeletons. And you”—her finger singled out Tim—“put that map away. There’s plenty of time for that after breakfast.”
Tim grumbled something about “Mrs. Bossy” but folded up the map before Ellyssa had a chance to see what he’d been showing Rein before the disagreement.
Proud of herself, Sarah planted her hands on her hips. “Well, what’re you waiting for? Get to eating.”
Everyone responded at once.
Ellyssa spooned German potatoes onto her plate along with bacon, a hefty helping of eggs, and two biscuits. The rest of the food disappeared off the table in moments.
Sarah looked pleased at the enthusiasm in which the food she’d made disappeared, even with the awkward silence that lingered over the table. As time passed, though, tongues loosened. The sunshine ambience broke through the cloud.
Ellyssa smiled. She was sharing a meal with friends and the man she loved. When she thought about it, and not counting the community dinners or the sterility and lack of conversation during The Center’s meals, this was the first true family-style get-together she’d ever experienced. It reminded her of an American painting her father had once show her. “Freedom from Want, they called this,” he’d said in a mocking tone. Ellyssa had never understood why she’d felt drawn to it—until that moment.
Enjoying the moment, Ellyssa observed everyone else. Rein and Tim were huddled over the map that had miraculously reappeared back on the table, folded into eighths. Trista laughed at something Sarah had said. Then her gaze met Woody’s. She didn’t know how long he’d been watching her, but his grey eyes examined her like she was an experiment.
Cocking an eyebrow, Woody popped a piece of bacon in his mouth. The right corner of his lips curled into a lopsided smile.
Ellyssa wondered what that meant.
Just a few minutes ago, before the big blowout, Woody had been aloof, refusing to look at her, and now he was watching her again. Once in a while, his mood swings seemed to slough and re-form faster than Trista’s.
As Woody smile grew,
“You read his mind, too. Tell them that he isn’t going to betray us.”
This time, Ellyssa reached down and took Trista’s hand. “From what I read last night, he isn’t. No betrayal, and no regret for the choices he made. He is completely devoted to you.” A smug look climbed across Trista’s face. She started to turn around to gloat at Rein and Woody, but Ellyssa stopped her. “But Woody is right,” she continued. “He might not be planning anything now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t in the future.”
Rein crossed his arms. “My sentiments exactly.”
“Shut up, Rein,” Trista said, whipping around, red glowing on her cheeks. “You’re the one who started all of this.”
“I have a better idea,” Sarah said, dropping the pan of biscuits on the table. “All of you shut up.” The corners of Sarah’s mouth dipped in disapproval, deepening her wrinkles. Everyone, including her husband, stared at her, stunned into silence. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. How can you expect to work together when all you do is bicker? You can’t act like this. Don’t you young fools know the easiest way to be defeated is from within? Not just from within a group, but within yourselves.
“You hadn’t seen each other for close to three weeks or so; Woody and Ellyssa brought Rein back, Trista’s alive, and this is what you do. This is a time to celebrate, not fight. And that is exactly what we are going to do.
“There will be no more of this squabbling. Rein and Woody, you will give Dyllon a chance to prove himself. I know with what had happened it’ll be hard, and you haven’t been with him for as long as we have, but I believe he is a good man.” She grabbed a plate of bacon and a bowl of eggs and placed them on the table.
“Now, you and you and you,” Sarah said, pointing at Rein, Woody and Ellyssa, “dig in. You look like skeletons. And you”—her finger singled out Tim—“put that map away. There’s plenty of time for that after breakfast.”
Tim grumbled something about “Mrs. Bossy” but folded up the map before Ellyssa had a chance to see what he’d been showing Rein before the disagreement.
Proud of herself, Sarah planted her hands on her hips. “Well, what’re you waiting for? Get to eating.”
Everyone responded at once.
Ellyssa spooned German potatoes onto her plate along with bacon, a hefty helping of eggs, and two biscuits. The rest of the food disappeared off the table in moments.
Sarah looked pleased at the enthusiasm in which the food she’d made disappeared, even with the awkward silence that lingered over the table. As time passed, though, tongues loosened. The sunshine ambience broke through the cloud.
Ellyssa smiled. She was sharing a meal with friends and the man she loved. When she thought about it, and not counting the community dinners or the sterility and lack of conversation during The Center’s meals, this was the first true family-style get-together she’d ever experienced. It reminded her of an American painting her father had once show her. “Freedom from Want, they called this,” he’d said in a mocking tone. Ellyssa had never understood why she’d felt drawn to it—until that moment.
Enjoying the moment, Ellyssa observed everyone else. Rein and Tim were huddled over the map that had miraculously reappeared back on the table, folded into eighths. Trista laughed at something Sarah had said. Then her gaze met Woody’s. She didn’t know how long he’d been watching her, but his grey eyes examined her like she was an experiment.
Cocking an eyebrow, Woody popped a piece of bacon in his mouth. The right corner of his lips curled into a lopsided smile.
Ellyssa wondered what that meant.
Just a few minutes ago, before the big blowout, Woody had been aloof, refusing to look at her, and now he was watching her again. Once in a while, his mood swings seemed to slough and re-form faster than Trista’s.
As Woody smile grew,
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