Page 59 of Sherry and Sunflowers
"I know. Mine too, Dad. From the way Zia said it, they didn't have much at all. And what they had, Alara gave to Zia while she went without." He shook his head. "Zia said Alara used to give her all her good stuff so that she could grow up big and strong. She said she could stop growing for a while now, so that Alara can have allhergood stuff."
His dad covered his mouth with his hand and blinked a few times. "God bless that child." He cleared his throat. "Well, Reaves. We know what we need to do. Oh—but wait. Was the food everything?"
"Food and rest."
"Then tell her she mustn't work anymore. Not until she's back on her feet. She needs to get well; everything else can wait."
"I don't think that's the right move, Dad. It was my first reaction too. But—"
"Reaves, that girl's health is more important to both of us." He looked around. "If this rebrand thing and those Sterling Hartman men all fall through, it'll be worth it, as long as Alara is well again and has a healthy future ahead of her." He heldReaves's gaze for a moment. "Hopefully with you. But either way…"
"No, I know, Dad. I know what you mean, and I love you for it. I kind of said the same thing to Alara myself. But… if we take away the work, we're taking away the one thing she still feels in charge of. She's going to have to rest. She's going to have to eat. But if she doesn't work on the designs, then the deal will fall through. And I don't think having her health restored will be any consolation for the feeling of letting you down."
His dad stared at him for a long few moments. "She does love her work."
Reaves nodded.
"But she mustn't overdo it."
"I know."
"That Delaney woman's coming this afternoon. I'd like a word with her when she gets here."
"I can talk to her, Dad. I was going to anyway."
"And you can still have that conversation with her as well. I believe that underneath the brash exterior there may be a heart of gold lurking." He let out a short laugh. "I may be wrong. I may call for you to rescue me if I am. But I'd like to have a word with her. She's another young woman alone in the world. And I think I can recruit her as an ally, rather than have us all at odds."
~ ~ ~
Alara perched on one of the stools at the island in the kitchen. Zia had run ahead of her, and by the time Alara arrived, she wasalready telling Faye that her mom needed a transfusion.
Alara had managed to reassure her that all she needed were iron infusions and B12 injections. Well—she'd thought that would reassure the older woman, but Faye seemed to be taking the worddeficiencyas a personal affront. She was currently glaring at her computer screen at the desk in the corner, having told Alara and Zia to sit and not move until they'd finished their snacks.
Zia's lip had curled slightly as she eyed the muffins and orange juice. Although her cynicism had soon turned into enthusiasm after her first bite.
She looked up at Alara, wide-eyed. "There's cheese in here, and green leaves! Spinach ones. But you can't taste them, can you?" She wrinkled her nose. "Even though you can see them."
Alara glanced over at Faye, who was scowling at her screen, glasses perched on the end of her nose.
"I think the spinach gives them character. Most muffins are just plain… muffin-colored. These ones are special." She raised her voice a little, wanting to make sure Faye heard. "They're delicious."
"They are," Zia agreed, before taking a gulp of her orange juice.
When Faye didn't look up, Alara called, "Thank you."
Faye finally got to her feet and came to stand beside them, resting her hand on the back of Alara's stool. "You're welcome. I'll be making some changes to my cooking." She tapped the end of Zia's nose. "You'll be seeing more green things on your plates, so you'd better get used to it."
Zia picked up her muffin and studied it closely. "That's okay. I get it." She shot Alara a smile. "These ones are special. Just because they're not like the other ones, it doesn't make them bad. It just means not everyone understands them."
Faye chuckled. "Glad you understand. Andyou," she told Alara, "will be following orders from now on."
Alara braced herself, and Zia's eyes narrowed, ready as ever to defend her mom.
"Don't look at me like that—either of you. I mean you'll be eating more, and I'll be choosing what I prepare more carefully." She nodded at their plates. "Turns out my instincts aren't all bad. I wanted to make you something healthy for when you got back from your appointment. Spinach is full of iron, and there's cheese and eggs in there too, so we have your B12 covered." She frowned. "Well. Not covered. But we're making a start."
They all turned when Reaves spoke from the doorway. "It's a great start. Even the orange juice is perfect—there's vitamin C in it, and you need that to help absorb the iron."
Alara had to smile. She'd bet he hadn't known that snippet of information before they arrived home—he must have been researching. But no, he'd been with Charles, hadn't he?
