But boy, she hadn’t understood just how right he was about that.
“My inability to see it probably looked so unfeeling to him. He must have thought I knew on some level, and just didn’t care. Didn’t love him,” she said, and now Popcorn put a paw on her hand.
“You couldn’t have known, Mother.”
“I should have. And now look what’s happened.”
“I know. But things will more than likely be okay.”
“How can they be? He’s lost to me forever,” she said, then cried into her hands. Glasses off, palms pressed to her eyes, full-on hacking sobs that took an age to calm. Really, it was no wonder Popcorn was looking at her funny when she was done. Head tilted, eyes kind of looking to one side.
“Well,” he said, after a pregnant pause. “Probably notforever.”
As if she was just being some huge drama queen.
“What do you mean? Of course he is. He’s inHell.”
“Yes, but Hell isn’tthatfar.”
“Oh, so just a quick bus ride down the road.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I would never take the bus,” he sneered, and she went to cut in. She went to sayah so just a brisk walk, then. But before she could, he finished the thought for her. “No, I intend to take the truck. That infernal truck of his that undoubtedly knows the way. All I need are the keys, a few supplies, perhaps a small packet of bacon and a body warmer, and I shall be off to rescue your beloved.”
Then he started into the kitchen, most likely to find these things.
While she stood, on suddenly shaky legs. Breath coming fast, heart hammering hard. “So that’s a thing that can be done,” she called after Popcorn, who was now rummaging in a cupboard.
“Well, of course it is.”
“And it will work.”
“I don’t see why n—”
She heard the word cut in two, and knew he’d twigged. But she was almost at the door by that point. She’d grabbed pens. She had her jacket in her hand. Even if he raced in, he wasn’t going to be fast enough to get to her before she got out.
Though he tried.
He scampered in.
“Mother, where are you going?” he asked.
So she did her best to play it off. She kept her expression blasé.
“Oh, I just remembered, I forgot to take the trash out.”
“You did no such thing, the trash here does not even get taken out. It is removed by magical means to I know not where.”
“Right. Right. I forgot that.”
“And yet you are still moving toward the door.”
“Am I? That’s so weird. I hadn’t noticed.”
She had noticed, however.
Of course she had—that was her hand turning the doorknob.
“Mother, come back hereimmediately,” he demanded, as she started to slip through the small opening she’d made to the outside. As she slid through, onto the porch, leaving just her face and her hand. Then as she waved, she said:
