"Yeah," she agreed, though inside she was reluctant. "Text the group?"
Kelsea agreed and then leaned over the bar to kiss her cheek and whispered, "Someone I've come to love told me shame tries to keep us down and in the dark. Don't let it."
Eloise held a small smile on her face as Kelsea left the shop.
When someone cleared their throat behind her, she turned to see Bess glaring. She held up a stack of cups and said, "Can you move? You're in my way. Or do you want to make another public statement about me for the entire town to read before I refill these?"
Ah, that shadowed shame came back full force. "Bess, honey, I am so-"
"Save it. I'm too mad."
She nodded as she moved out of Bess's way. "That is completely fair. When you're ready," she said softly.
As she made her way to the office Tess gave her a sympathetic look and Eloise sighed at the absolute mess she'd made of some incredibly important relationships in her life. It felt like she was unbalanced and she needed to fix something before everything came crashing down.
Hours later, with bowls of snacks and two pies sitting untouched on the kitchen island at The Lost Souls House, six women sat uncomfortably after Kelsea shared the new developments. When Jen read the article where Eloise was quoted out loud, Eloise felt Ursula's already sharp-edged anger angled toward her with more precision. Which, frankly, Eloise felt she deserved. On top of that, no one was oblivious to the chill between Ursula and Eloise.
Especially the house.
Where there was iciness between the two friends, the house had decided to mimic it. A rather brisk breeze was weaving in between each woman like a ribbon of frozen air.
The metal fixtures in the kitchen were gathering a thin layer of frost and once the crackling sound of slow ice creeping up the legs of the chairs they were sitting on caught their attention, Crystal stood up and clapped her hands.
"Well, clearly you two have some things to sort out. I think we should leave them to it."
Eloise slid a worried look to Ursula whose face mirrored hers.
"No, we're fine. We need to figure this out," Ursula said.
Eloise nodded her agreement. The house dropped a few more noticable degrees as icicles formed slowly growing down from the pots and pans hanging above them.
"See? We need to figure this out," Ursula urged and might have convinced them until a cabinet slammed shut causing six women to jump in their seats. Two more cabinets shook at the bottom of the island beneath them, opened wide and then slammed shut.
Sulphur let out a mournful mewling sound from where she sat on the windowsill.
Jen pointed to her and said, "Even your living room tiger is on edge."
All the women passed around looks of unease then slowly stood, making mumbled apologies.
"No, guys. Come on."
"Yeah, the house is just, you know, sensitive," Ursula said looking around checking to see if she had offended the sentient creature.
Kelsea and Tilly squeezed Eloise's shoulder as they passed by and down the hallway following Crystal.
Eloise gave their disappearing bodies looks of desperation. "Urs and I will figure our crap out at some point."
"Unless you run away again," Ursula said leaning back in her chair with a sullen look on her face.
Jen gave Eloise and Ursula a small smile. "Honey, when best friends are not right with each other, their whole world can follow suit. And I think," another cabinet opened, pushed out a crystal vase that fell then shattered against the floor before slamming shut again. Ursula flinched at the lost vase and Eloise and Jen wore matching open-mouthed looks of shock. Jen looked back at both of them. "Yeah, I think the house is telling you that. Love you both. We're a call away and we can get together once you find your balance."
She winked at Eloise and blew a kiss to Ursula as she left.
"Can't we just all talk somewhere else?" Eloise called. "Somewhere this cantankerous house can't throw a tantrum," she mumbled. And at her words, the chandelier above them flickered.
"Could you not?" Ursula asked.
"I just think this is important," she said softly.
