"The bad part is," Tilly paused dramatically, and they leaned in.The house groaned. A cabinet slammed.
"Tilly!" Bess yelled.
"This is really good," Jenson whispered to Ursula as he ate the grilled cheese and she gave him a sweet smile and patted his leg.
"Rob Sandis," Jen blurted.
Silence filled the kitchen. No one moved. Jenson stopped chewing and Eloise stood with the spatula frozen in the air. Open mouths around the room. Even the old house sounds stopped.
"How?"
"What-"
"Like the guy who tried to take out Ursula?"
Everyone spoke at once, breaking the silence with such force that it felt like a balloon pop. Jenson had a possessive arm around Ursula as they fired questions at Jen and Tilly.
The chandelier swung violently with four of its lights flickering on and off in agitation. One of the windows opened swiftly and Lady Macbeth along with Sulphur popped their heads up over the sill. Casper's wise and sad eyes looked between Ursula and Jenson as he let out a baleful high-pitched sound.
Jen held up a hand, waiting until everyone stopped talking and moving.
"We don't know much more. But he's back. And he's going for the mayoral seat again."
"But you exposed him." Eloise still held the spatula in the air. "The town saw him for who he is. He drugged Ursula!"
They looked at Ursula. Her eyes were far away and her face was turned to the side. Tilly felt a pain in her chest and wondered if the anger she was taking in was from Jenson or Eloise, and realized by a glance at their faces it was probably both.
Then a gasp as Ursula abruptly left wherever her mind had taken her and she stood.
"Jessica."
Jen and Tilly nodded in unison.
"We sent Kelsea and Carol to the farm. We were going to head there next."
"We're coming with." Ursula turned to Jenson. "I don't know how long we will be, but will you stay with Bess?"
"What?" The teen shot out of her seat, upending a raccoon as she leaned mightily onto the kitchen island with anger in her eyes. "I want to come. I'm not a child!"
"We know," Eloise and Ursula said in unison, which got a heated glare from her.
Ursula softened. "Honey, I know. This isn't about you not being big or mature enough. But you have homework and school-"
"Fuck homework."
Jen looked at Tilly who mirrored heroh boylook before they mumbled about meeting them in the car out front. An uncomfortable Casper quickly followed them out the back door leaving a spitting-angry teen and three adults who loved her dearly to handle that.
"I do not want to be in that kitchen right now," Tilly murmured. The day was washing away and the air was cooling rapidly.
"Mmhmm," Jen agreed then smiled as they walked along the side of the black house. "Though I do admire that girl's gumption. She is going places."
"Yeah she is," Tilly said with laughter.
Jen's hand wrapped gently around her upper arm pulling her to a stop. "You doing alright? I've been very good, not bringing up chief cheater or satan's asshat sister. But - I need to check in."
Tilly looked down at the ground, a half smile at the nicknames before she breathed deeply and looked back up into her friend's light brown eyes. "Yeah, I'm okay. I think. I just," she shook her head. "I'm just glad we didn't get further into something." She shrugged. "And as for my sister, Tess actually said something the other day at the inn that stuck with me. That sometimes it's the family still living that we have to mourn and bury."
"Mmm," Jen hummed. "I like that."
