passed down through generations of Beth's
female ancestors, finally ending up with Beth when she'd gone away to college.
After
pulling some chicken breasts out of the fridge and putting them into a baking
dish with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, she prepared a box of stuffing and spooned
it onto the chicken. Then she topped it off with slices of Swiss cheese
and deposited the dish in the pre-heated oven. She had just begun
chopping ingredients for a salad when the front door opened and Jenna came in,
followed by Les and William. It felt strange to see him again after such
a long time, and her stomach did a little somersault.
Ignoring
the sensation, she set down her knife, hugged Jenna fiercely, and gave Les a
broad, encouraging smile. She even managed a friendly "hey" for
William.
"Are
you hungry? I'm just putting dinner together - it should be done in a little
while."
"Sure!
Can we help?" Les offered.
Though
Beth knew he was sincere, she imagined he would have a hard time doing anything
with Jenna in his arms. And besides, Beth was just glad for the company.
"That's
okay, I'm almost done."
Apparently
they didn't need telling twice. Les whirled Jenna around and they plopped
on the couch, dissolving into each other's eyes.
So
much for the company.
William
glanced at the couple and Beth thought she saw him shake his head
ever-so-slightly. As she resumed her carrot chopping, William sidled up
to the counter.
"So…..how've
you been?" he began awkwardly.
"Cold
and busy. You?"
"Toasty
and bored."
Chop.
Chop. Chop. Beth grimaced at him, suppressing a snide
comment about his apparent perpetual body temperature.
"So,
you could be on the cover of a 1950s Woman's Day ." He smiled
as if it was meant as a compliment.
"Excuse
me?" Beth stopped chopping carrots.
"The
apron. Goddess of her kitchen and all that."
Chop.
Chop. Chop. Maybe one of the carrots would slip and
launch itself into William's eye.
"It
could be worse, William - at least I'm wearing pants."
He
looked her up and down, seemingly amused. "Good thing too.
Pretty sure I'm scarred for life."
Beth
rolled her eyes dramatically, then dumped the carrots into the salad bowl and
decapitated two unsuspecting green onions.
William
leaned onto the counter, looking up into Beth's face, but she kept chopping.
"Why
do you like to bug me so much?" she finally asked, exasperated.
CHOP.
CHOP. CHOP.
He
shrugged. "Your reactions are epic."
Beth
sniffed and lifted her chin. "Good to know. I'll just ignore
you from now on."
"Not
sure you have the will, sweetheart."
Beth
made a 'puh' noise.
He
grinned like a rogue, setting his deep brown eyes on hers - making it
impossible to look away.
CHOP.
CHOP. CHOP.
Beth
gasped when the knife bit into her finger. William stood bolt upright and
then froze, as if he didn't know what to do first. Beth gaped at her
hand, lifted in midair in front of her face. The tip of her middle finger
hung by a thread of flesh, and blood dripped down to her elbow and onto the
floor. Black gathered around the edges of her vision, and suddenly it
felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.
William
hastily grabbed the dish towel hanging on the oven door and firmly closed his
hand over Beth's, wrapping his other arm around her lower back for support.
"Beth
- just breathe. Now, look at me……good girl."
Beth
looked at him, bewildered, her finger throbbing. Then she swayed and her
eyes closed.
~:~
When
Beth passed out, Jenna made a noise somewhere between distress and
indignation. Les hurried over. "Dude, I can't leave you alone
for a second!"
"What
happened?" Jenna added in accusation.
"She
sort of cut off her finger," William answered with hot embarrassment
rushing into his face. "Les, get your keys!" he barked. Les
obeyed, wrenched the door open, and William led the way out of Longbourn with
Beth's limp form in his arms.
Beth
didn't wake for several
female ancestors, finally ending up with Beth when she'd gone away to college.
After
pulling some chicken breasts out of the fridge and putting them into a baking
dish with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, she prepared a box of stuffing and spooned
it onto the chicken. Then she topped it off with slices of Swiss cheese
and deposited the dish in the pre-heated oven. She had just begun
chopping ingredients for a salad when the front door opened and Jenna came in,
followed by Les and William. It felt strange to see him again after such
a long time, and her stomach did a little somersault.
Ignoring
the sensation, she set down her knife, hugged Jenna fiercely, and gave Les a
broad, encouraging smile. She even managed a friendly "hey" for
William.
"Are
you hungry? I'm just putting dinner together - it should be done in a little
while."
"Sure!
Can we help?" Les offered.
Though
Beth knew he was sincere, she imagined he would have a hard time doing anything
with Jenna in his arms. And besides, Beth was just glad for the company.
"That's
okay, I'm almost done."
Apparently
they didn't need telling twice. Les whirled Jenna around and they plopped
on the couch, dissolving into each other's eyes.
So
much for the company.
William
glanced at the couple and Beth thought she saw him shake his head
ever-so-slightly. As she resumed her carrot chopping, William sidled up
to the counter.
"So…..how've
you been?" he began awkwardly.
"Cold
and busy. You?"
"Toasty
and bored."
Chop.
Chop. Chop. Beth grimaced at him, suppressing a snide
comment about his apparent perpetual body temperature.
"So,
you could be on the cover of a 1950s Woman's Day ." He smiled
as if it was meant as a compliment.
"Excuse
me?" Beth stopped chopping carrots.
"The
apron. Goddess of her kitchen and all that."
Chop.
Chop. Chop. Maybe one of the carrots would slip and
launch itself into William's eye.
"It
could be worse, William - at least I'm wearing pants."
He
looked her up and down, seemingly amused. "Good thing too.
Pretty sure I'm scarred for life."
Beth
rolled her eyes dramatically, then dumped the carrots into the salad bowl and
decapitated two unsuspecting green onions.
William
leaned onto the counter, looking up into Beth's face, but she kept chopping.
"Why
do you like to bug me so much?" she finally asked, exasperated.
CHOP.
CHOP. CHOP.
He
shrugged. "Your reactions are epic."
Beth
sniffed and lifted her chin. "Good to know. I'll just ignore
you from now on."
"Not
sure you have the will, sweetheart."
Beth
made a 'puh' noise.
He
grinned like a rogue, setting his deep brown eyes on hers - making it
impossible to look away.
CHOP.
CHOP. CHOP.
Beth
gasped when the knife bit into her finger. William stood bolt upright and
then froze, as if he didn't know what to do first. Beth gaped at her
hand, lifted in midair in front of her face. The tip of her middle finger
hung by a thread of flesh, and blood dripped down to her elbow and onto the
floor. Black gathered around the edges of her vision, and suddenly it
felt like all the air had been sucked from the room.
William
hastily grabbed the dish towel hanging on the oven door and firmly closed his
hand over Beth's, wrapping his other arm around her lower back for support.
"Beth
- just breathe. Now, look at me……good girl."
Beth
looked at him, bewildered, her finger throbbing. Then she swayed and her
eyes closed.
~:~
When
Beth passed out, Jenna made a noise somewhere between distress and
indignation. Les hurried over. "Dude, I can't leave you alone
for a second!"
"What
happened?" Jenna added in accusation.
"She
sort of cut off her finger," William answered with hot embarrassment
rushing into his face. "Les, get your keys!" he barked. Les
obeyed, wrenched the door open, and William led the way out of Longbourn with
Beth's limp form in his arms.
Beth
didn't wake for several
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