Page 7 of No Artful Refusal
“Let’s take this into the sunroom,” Marlene suggested.“It’s a good afternoon for it.”
Devyn agreed.Outside, heavy clouds had gathered and the soft patter of rain against the glass was one of Marlene’s favorite sounds.
Tea tray in hand, Marlene led the way and Devyn followed with the snacks.Suddenly, Marlene froze and the tea tray crashed to the floor.Shattered china and hot tea spilled across the hardwood floor in a messy abstract.
“Marlene?You okay?”
No response.Though tempting, she didn’t go looking for the telepathic connection.Not yet.
“Don’t move.”Devyn quickly set the snack tray aside and rushed around, tiptoeing through the broken pot and cups.One glance convinced her Marlene was having a vision.
The older woman’s face was pinched and her eyebrows knitted into a frown.Her gaze was elsewhere, her mouth firmly set.Breath shallow, her hands curled into fists, emphasizing the early stages of arthritis in her knuckles.
Though she wanted to soothe with words and a guiding touch, Devyn resisted.For Marlene to be caught off guard like this was a rarity.The woman’s control bordered on legendary.
“I’m here, Marlene,” she murmured.Waiting it out tested her patience, but interfering could cause all kinds of trouble.Doing nothing was the best solution.
Until Marlene started quaking.
Devyn raced back to the kitchen for a chair, tucking it close behind Marlene’s legs.Just in time too, as Marlene dropped hard on the seat.Still, another ten minutes passed before Marlene’s eyes cleared.
“Oh, my goodness.”Marlene blinked rapidly and cleared her throat.“Wh-what happened?”Her gaze fell to the mess on the floor.“What did I do?”
“A vision stopped you cold,” Devyn said gently.“You rest a minute while I clean this up.”She pulled a crocheted throw from the couch and draped it over Marlene’s shoulders.“Sit tight.”
“This is silly.I’m fine.”But she wobbled when she tried to stand.
“Please, humor me?”Devyn pressed the snack tray into her hands.“Eat something.”
When she came back with supplies to clean up the mess, Marlene was dipping a cracker into the ramekin filled with fig jam.A good sign, in Devyn’s opinion.She smothered a smile.“Hits the spot?”
“Yes.Delicious and satisfying.”Marlene shook her head.“Give me a moment and I can clean this up.”
“Not a chance,” Devyn said.She swept the broken china into a dustpan and mopped up all the tea and scattered lemon wedges.As she worked, she caught fleeting glimpses of a dark gooey substance sticking to Marlene’s feet.But every time she looked directly, the strange images dissolved against reality.
Visions weren’t her strength.Her talents manifested most effectively when she could meet the abyss in quiet solitude.She wondered if this was some strange tangling of her gifts with Marlene’s.Nothing about it felt right and she sensed her own source shying away from it.
She wondered if the cold that Marlene couldn’t shake off was a sign of something more serious.That discussion needed to wait.Marlene’s focus would be on the vision.Besides, Marlene didn’t have a great rapport with doctors.She had too many opinions and far too much curiosity to be a good patient.
Devyn vigorously scrubbed the floor and dried it thoroughly while Marlene snacked.Satisfied nothing sticky or sharp remained, she gathered up the cleaning supplies.“Be right back.”
On her return, she took the snack tray and offered her arm to Marlene.Gingerly, they finished the short walk to the sunroom.“Have a seat,” Devyn urged.“I’ll get a pot of tea going.”
“Devyn, stop.”Marlene pointed to the closest chair.“Just sit down.”
“You’re ready to talk about it?”
“Not really.”Exhaustion dragged at Marlene’s voice.“But it’s been bothering me for days.Clearly, the issue won’t be ignored any longer.”
A shiver danced down Devyn’s spine.“Does the issue have anything to do with why your cold isn’t going away?”
Marlene rolled her eyes.“Probably.But you know what?I’m not looking for that connection right now.Sometimes I just get tired of all of it.”
Devyn had never heard her mentor so waspish.Marlene rarely showed frustration with her gifts.She exaggerated her shock.“Aren’t you the same woman who scolded me for not appreciating my talents?”
Marlene scoffed, spreading her arms wide.“Guess the veil is gone.You’re finally seeing the real me.”
Devyn disagreed wholeheartedly.They’d known each other for too long.Her friend wasn’t naturally grumpy or short tempered.But she chose not to argue the point.Marlene was annoyed and frustrated.“I’m getting the chocolate,” she said, rising.“Then we’ll talk as much or as little as you like.”
