"I've been thinking it through for quite a while now."
"Okay then. It's not like you don't have friends in the business who can help you along, is it?"
He smiled at that. "Exactly. Are you ready to go in and see these labels?"
"I thought we'd never get there. All this heart-to-heart stuff just gets in the way. Can we finally get down to business on what I came for?"
He blinked, shocked by the change in her tone—and she laughed out loud. "Jeez, Reaves. You're going to have to get used to me. I'm joking."
He rolled his eyes. "Sorry. I'll get there, but it might take me a while."
~ ~ ~
"Come in," Alara called when there was a knock on the door.
She got up from her chair at the desk, then sat back down again. She didn't need to stand for Delaney, as Zia had just reminded her. It had been hard enough to persuade her daughter that she was fine to sit at the desk rather than on the sofa, so this felt like a small concession.
Delaney came in, followed by Reaves, and it looked like things were going well. It wasn't just that they were both smiling—the air around them seemed softer somehow. She didn't know howto describe it, and didn't have time to consider it, as Delaney came straight to her.
"Hey, lady. How are you feeling?"
She glanced at Reaves, wondering what he would have told her. "Yeah, I'm good, thanks. And now that I know what's going on, I'm sure I'll soon be back up to full speed."
"You said the transfusions and injections are going to take a while, Mom," said Zia.
"I did, Z. But at least I'm moving in the right direction now."
"That's great news," said Delaney, who surprised Alara by going to sit on the sofa next to Zia.
Zia blinked a couple of times and leaned her head to the side. "She has to get lots of rest, you know."
"So I heard. And I'm not here to make her work harder, you know."
"You're not?" Zia asked suspiciously.
"Nope. I'm not an artist, but I know good artists when I meet them. And your mom's one of the best." Delaney settled back against the cushions. "Do you want to know what my job is?"
Zia still looked suspicious. "What is it?"
"Well, I do lots of things. But the most important part to me is making sure that the artists I work with get whatever they need, so that they can do their job well. I run interference…" She paused. "I mean, I stop things from interrupting them, so they can get on with it. That's what I'm trying to do with your mom. That's all."
"But only because you want her to do the work."
Delaney smiled through pursed lips. "I can see why you'd think that. But it's not entirely true." She shot Alara a quick smile. "I don't know your mom very well, but I like her a lot. It makes me sad that she's not been well, and if I can help her get better, I'm going to. We do have a job to do here, though. And it's a very important job. For House of St. James."
Zia rested her elbow on the cushions and her chin on her hand. "I know. The old people don't want to sell Grandpa Grape's wines anymore, and the new people haven't decided if they do. Mom's pictures are important. If they like Mom's pictures, the new men will sell the wines."
"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't realize you already understood it all." Delaney sat forward. "So you can see the problem, right?"
Zia tilted her head to the side, looking slightly more curious than suspicious now.
"Your mom needs to rest," Delaney explained. "But the work needs to be done. Maybe you and I can help each other out."
"How?"
"I'm going to make sure that I stop anything else from interfering with your mom, so that all she needs to do is design. Make her pretty pictures."
"I know what design means."
