Bitter Sweet - Ch 8 - Deflating...

A week later, Eliza was having breakfast with Reese one morning, as they were finishing up she decided to take the opportunity to have a ‘friendly’ chat with him while the opportunity was available to her.

“Now Reese, you know I adore you to pieces as if you were my own son, but, I really must insist that you to just keep doing, as you’ve always done and don’t get in my grand-daughters way while she’s here. I don’t want her getting ‘distracted’. She’s already lacking the basic skills for a cupid as it is poor child.”

Reese looked at Eliza in surprise, the woman who had a mother figure to him most of his life; and for the first time he realised that as much as she had cared for he and Kurtis, their time of living under her roof would be drastically shortened if either one of them ever disobeyed her wishes.

“Eliza, I can assure you, I have no interest in your grand-daughter, and I’ve got my own things to take care of. Not to mention I’m about to become very busy with the projects the lab wants me to bring home to work on; my social life will be on hold for quite a while.”

“Good, I just wanted to make myself clear. My grand-daughter means a great deal to me and her future depends on my knowledge being passed on to her. She doesn’t need any distractions from you two boys.” Eliza’s expression was the most serious Reese had ever seen, he would even go as far to say she was being intentionally intimidating.

With a firm nod, Reese cleaned the cups from the table and went inside to wash up. Eliza followed him inside but made her way upstairs saying that she was going to mediate in the garden for a while.

Kelly was coming down the stairs as Reese was heading outside to his workshop at the front of the house.

“Reese there you are, I was wondering if you still wanted to go fishing today. You mentioned it when I first got here and I think today’s weather is just perfect.” Her eyes glistened with interest.

Reese half frowned and felt a light sweat prickle the back of his neck. “Ah well, Kelly I’m really busy today with my work, and sadly it’ll be for the next few weeks as well. Can we take a reign check?”

“Oh, ok sure.” Kelly felt her heart sink a little with the seemingly cool brush off from him. “I hope you get finished on, well, whatever it is your doing.”

“Thanks, it probably sounds boring, but I’m studying the protein elements of some rare plants. I’m hoping to get some good micro-slides made up for a presentation that could get me promoted.”

“Wow.” Kelly’s interest peaked again. “Maybe you could show me them when you get time?”

Before Kelly had time to even react, Reese nodded as he walked off. “Yeah, sure ok. I’ll see how I go, have a good day.” He was out the front door before Kelly could reply.

Outside in the backyard a few hours later, Kelly was finishing up watering the herb plants her grandmother had off to one side of the garden.

Eliza was peacefully meditating under a large beautiful tree, colourful paper lanterns hung from its branches and swayed ever so slightly in the light afternoon breeze.

Kelly finished her watering and turned to watch her grandmother who had gracefully levitated from the ground in her meditative trance. Kelly let out a small gasp of surprise. Eliza peaked at her through one eye and smiled.

“Would you like to try?”

“I would, my mother could do that, she was going to teach me but...” Kelly trailed off as she recalled why she never got to learn any of the skills she really should have had already.

“Go get changed and hurry back down, I’m not going anywhere.” Eliza softly spoke and re-closed her eyes.

Kelly rushed upstairs and got changed into some workout clothes, then rushed back down again, she didn’t want to miss anymore than what she felt she already had.

After a quick rush upstairs, changing then coming back down to the garden, Kelly noticed another small meditation seat by her grandmother and sat down getting comfortable.

Speaking in a soft calming tone, Eliza instructed Kelly with what she needed to do. “Alright, now just put your hands on your knees like mine were before, and relax let yourself focus on nothing but how quiet and peaceful everything is around you. Your mind will give you an image, let it grow and gently embrace you.”

Taking a deep calming breath, then slowly letting it out, Kelly closed her eyes and did as instructed.

After a long while, Kelly’s mind’s eye slowly gave way from inky blackness to a beautiful pink flame, similar to the one she had seen when she had first tried to mediate with her mother.

It flickered and danced in the darkness giving off a warm, loving feeling. Kelly then saw it change shape to her mother’s face for the briefest of moments, smiling at her. She opened her eyes with a small gasp of surprise, Kelly was surprised that she had achieved levitation, then she felt herself wobble and as she let out a small yelp, she landed down hard on the stool again.

“Oooff!”

Standing up Kelly rubbed her backside feeling a bit worse for wear.

With the grace of a butterfly; Eliza floated back down to her stool and then stood up stretching for a moment before going over to Kelly.

She laughed slightly for a moment. “Oh don’t think anyone hasn’t done that when they’ve first achieved levitation dear. At least you had a soft landing, I landed on a log, had a bruise on both my cheeks for two weeks.”

Both laughed for a moment before Eliza paused and gave Kelly a thoughtful look. “Who did you see in the flame?”

A bit taken back by how her grandmother knew, Kelly found herself speechless for a moment.

“My... my mother. Just for a moment, it was a sort of transition from the flame to her.”

Eliza nodded seeming to be in a deeper train of thought. “Yes, yes of course. It stands to reason that you would think of Bianca at this time. She was a very loving Sim, passionate about everything she worked on. To a fault sometimes I might add.”

“So, was it good or not that I thought of mum?”

“Oh my dear; it’s one of the most wonderful thoughts anyone can have. A mother’s love never fades from her children’s memories, no matter how long they’ve been away or the circumstances they may have faced.”

Feeling the conversation was taking a rather odd turn; Kelly decided to head inside and have a shower. The afternoon had crept up fast during her meditation and she wanted to cook dinner for everyone tonight. Eliza mentioned she wanted a lie down before dinner herself and left Kelly to follow her in to the house.

Coming up onto the back veranda, a painting set up on a easel by the pool caught her eye and she wander over to it to get a better look.

It was a finished rendition of the grove that the veranda looked out over, she was impressed with the use of colours and skill with using oils.

Kurtis who had been practicing some boxing on the punching bag had stopped and come over to her.

“Hey Kelly, have a good session with Eliza?”

“Huh, oh right the meditation. Yes, I guess so. How’d you go with the whole, punching bag thing?” She wasn’t really sure about Kurtis, his eagerness to talk to her all the time made her feel a little awkward.

“Defiantly, I find it helps me get rid of tension and stress a lot, you know bad days and such. It not dry yet, but you can have it if you like it.” Kurtis moved a bit closer to her.

Turning to him Kelly couldn’t help but be surprised. “You painted that?”

He shrugged half smiling. “Well yeah, I wasn’t good enough to get into any fancy art school, but I got by with restoring historical pieces and I like painting when I get spare time. It’s a s relaxing as painting when you can get in the right zone.”

“Well, it’s nice. Do you have any other pieces in the house?”

Again Kurtis half smiled, he shook his head. “Nah, Eliza said pride isn’t flattering. So I usually sell them at local fairs and stuff.” He paused for a moment then gave Kelly a big smile. “Hey, do you want to come for a swim?”

Looking at the sparking water of the pool, Kelly found herself nodding as a smile crept on her lips. “Yes, I would. Be right back.”

After rushing upstairs to put on her swimsuit, Kelly was back down and in the water with Kurtis after a few minutes.

It was cool and refreshing on her skin with a silky sensation she’d not felt in a long time.

Coming up for air after doing a somewhat impressive back-flip into the pool from the high dive platform, Kurtis splashed Kelly making her squeal with laughter, she splashed him back and they continued to muck about like children for a while until the backyard lights flickered on signalling dusk was going to be upon them soon.

As they both trod water pausing for breath, Kelly could see Kurtis looking at her oddly.

“What? You’re staring at me. Stop it.”

“Oh right, sorry.” He sounded nervous as he spoke. “It’s just, well, I didn’t think you’d be the sort to go swimming, you know seeing as how you mum died from drowning and all.”

Kelly almost stopped treading water and started at Kurtis in complete shock as to why he would even make a comment like that while they were swimming, of all places.

“I, uh... I have to go get help get dinner ready.” Kelly swam off quickly to the edge of the pool leaving Kurtis treading water.

Eliza came out just as Kelly was getting out of the pool.

“Oh good, Kelly dear could you go and fetch Reese when you’ve dried off please? I believe he’s fishing over at the little beach across the road opposite the house.”

Kelly half jogged inside to go get changed and distance herself from Kurtis as much as possible.

Heading across the road, Kelly easily found Reese standing on the shore line of the bay that was across from the house. Clouds lazily drifted across the sky as the sun cast purple hues in the sky and the light houses light swung around in a smooth rhythmic motion.

He was focused on a small school of fish, his line was perfectly cast right in the middle of them and a few were even jumping out of the water which was lapping gently on the shore line.

“Hey Reese; I didn’t think you had time for fishing with being so busy over the next few weeks.” Kelly teased as she walked over to him, she didn’t want startle him by not announcing she was walking over to him.

Standing next to him, Kelly stood quietly for a moment seeing that he had a nibble on his line. “Shhh.” He seemed a little excited that he might have a large fish he could take back for dinner. Kelly noticed that he to like to impress Eliza; he wanted to be better than his brother.

The fish didn’t seem to be interested in Reese’s line and after a few moments he relaxed and stood up straight letting the line go.

The sun had rapidly sunk below the horizon and the dusk glow of the evening brought with it a cooling breeze.

“Bah, now the shallow water will cool off and the fish will leave. No chance of catching anything now. I think you scared them off when you came over.” He didn’t look at Kelly as he spoke; and she was a little taken back by his rudeness. “So what did you want?”

Kelly was surprised and as she went to speak, Reese shushed her again as he pulled quickly and strongly back on his line, something was caught and he was reeling in what looked to be a heavy fish.

Reese only pulled up a small water logged trunk to his disappointment and muttered a few choice words under his breath.

“I don’t think we can eat that.” Kelly giggled finding the situation somewhat funny.

He set the trunk down beside his feet on the sand, and then recast the line out again into the school of fish that were still hanging about.

“Anything I can do? I could grab another rod and come join you?” Kelly could see Reese wasn’t very happy at not being able to catch anything after what must have been an all afternoon event.

Before Kelly could even react, he angrily threw down his fishing rod and turned to her.

“What you can do for me right now is can go away, that’s what you can do!” His voice was loud and gruff. “I’m trying to concentrate and you’re being distracting. Just leave me alone alright!”

For a moment Kelly was taken aback by Reese’s reaction of her offering to help. But at the same time, she’d had enough of being treated like a child by everyone as well

Now Kelly turned to Reese, her anger seething inside her. “Fine, you know what? I’m so damn sick of everyone getting angry at me for just asking questions and trying to be genuinely nice and figure thing out.” She didn’t raise her voice but made sure her tone snapped like a rubber band that had pulled too taught and had suddenly been let go. “So for all I care, you can go jump in this bay here, sleep with your damn precious fish. Also I will go back to the house, telling Eliza you’re busy, who, mind you asked me to come and fetch you for dinner. So I’ll damn well leave you alone. For that matter you can leave me alone as well. Goodnight, Reese.”

Kelly turned and swiftly walked off not looking back as she went back over to the house.

Reese stood stunned on the shore line by Kelly’s sharp retort, he watched her as she walked off, the lights of the street making her hair shine like golden silk and her lightly tanned skin seeming to glow. He also noticed she had a pretty little tattoo of a Wagtail bird perched on a cherry blossom branch on her left should blade.

“Oh, for The Watcher’s sake.” He cursed to himself when Kelly was out of earshot, he realised been rude to her for no reason other than he’d had a bad day and she’d been the first person he’d talked to, so he’d stupidly let out his frustration on her.

When she got back inside, Kelly found her grandmother talking to Kurtis at the bar that was in front of the kitchen.

“You know I think that girl who works in the museum is very nice. She’s very pretty, smart, likes historical art works the same as you. I really do think you should ask her out some time.”

Kelly went and made herself a drink, Eliza and Kurtis both seemed to be deep in the conversation and ignored her presence as they kept talking. It didn’t bother her as she didn’t feel much like talking to anyone at that moment.

Going outside, Kelly sat on the poolside bench sighing and staring into her drink for a long time. She was angry, but not at Reese, she was beginning to feel very restricted and somewhat lost in what direction she was supposed to be taking as a Cupid.

So far she’d been at her grandmother’s house now just over a week and the only thing she’d done that even remotely involved her ‘Cupid Training’ was that very afternoon’s meditation session.

She sighed again feeling a sad, lonely feeling wash over her.

“Hi.” Reese was suddenly standing beside her. “Look, I wanted to apologise for before, I’ve had a bit of a bad day today and...”

“It’s ok, really.” Kelly shrugged smiling slightly. “Me too, well, I only just realised a few minutes ago that’d I’d had a bad day, so, its fine, really.” For a few moments, Reese stood looking at Kelly, she shifted putting her drink down beside her. “So... anything else bothering you?” She wasn’t sure why she was even asking, but she was also curious.

For a second longer Reese didn’t move, then he gave a smile that went to his eyes and he shook giving a warm and soft laugh.

“No no, but hey I like your tattoo. I’ve never met a female Cupid that has any before.”

Kelly frowned slightly feeling a bit exposed that he’d noticed her one bit of rebellion even her dad didn’t know about. “Oh uh, thanks. I got it just before I left the collage, last night, sneak out rebellion and all that. Hang on... you’ve met other Cupids besides my grandmother and me?”

Reese seemed surprised by her question. “Well, yeah of course. Your grandmother has parties at Halloween, Christmas, Birthdays; I think most of her friends are Cupids, or at least they have people in their families who are.”

Kelly frowned slightly. “But, Cupids are supposed to be secret, as in; no other Sims but Cupid Sims knows who they are. My own brothers didn’t know I was a cupid until my Dad and Mum told them about me, and even then I didn’t know I was a Cupid until one of my brothers secretly told me, in a way. Sixteen years my own parents kept this secret from their own kids.”

“Hey, I’m just saying. Eliza has her own way of doing things.”

“I’ll say.” Kelly snapped back feeling very frustrated and confused.

“Look maybe you should have a chat to her; she’s really got a good heart and just wants the best for everyone in the long run. Well, goodnight.” Reese left Kelly by the pool and went inside.

After wasting a bit more time sitting outside finishing off her drink, Kelly decided to make her way inside to go and talk to her grandmother. Once she’d put her glass in the dishwasher and finished in the kitchen she noticed her grandmother was sitting on one of the couches in the sunken lounge area watching a romantic movie. Kelly walked over and came down the stairs then sat on the couch off to the side.

“Grandma, could we talk for a moment please?”

Eliza half turned to Kelly with a smile. “Of course dear, what’s troubling you?”

Kelly was a little more than annoyed by her grandmother seeming to know what she was feeling and letting her know that she knew.

Taking a deep breath Kelly quickly rambled through her thoughts as to how she was going to word what she wanted to say without sounding callus, she found she couldn’t, frowned slightly before squaring her shoulders and just spoke her mins.

“I’m not happy with the lack of ‘training’ I’m supposed to be getting from you. You said to Dad that you were going to train me, but all you’ve included me in since I got here was today’s meditation session. And it took me disturbing you to have you ask me to join you. I’m really feeling that I had more training at the collage than here. What’s going on?”

“Young lady.” Eliza snapped catching her slightly off guard, even though Kelly had expected it to happen. “What makes you think you can talk to me like that? I’ve taken you into my home and offered to give you everything you would be missing out because of your mothers’ unfortunate demise, rest her soul.” Eliza sighed sharply in frustration pausing for a moment seeming to find her own words. “Cupid training isn’t about doing something every day, it’s about finding out why you can do what you do and how to go about it. What’s your trigger and how do you grasp it so that you can bestow it upon others.”

Now Kelly was feeling very confused and angry at her grandmother. “So why didn’t you tell me all of this earlier? I’ve been here a week and all I feel like I’ve been doing is getting in everyone way or ‘disturbing’ them. I could have been studying up on...”

“Kelly Andrews! Cupids do not learn from books, they learn from doing. Once you understand that then you’ll understand how to be a proper Cupid. Until then, you’re just floundering about like a fish out of water and I cannot help you.”

Standing up from the couch, Kelly held her tongue even though she wanted to scream at her grandmother. But she could only bring herself to give her grandmother one last glance before angrily walking off to her room.

Eliza sighed heavily putting her head in her hand.

“The Watcher, give me strength.” She quietly said to herself, a door upstairs slammed shut, the thud echoed through the house as an angry statement in the night. “And give my grand-daughter guidance.” Eliza sat back to try and finish watching her movie, but she found that she was able to focus very well and ended up turning off the movie before it was over and went to bed.