Room 406, morning
The repeated ringing of her phone finally woke Isabel up enough that she was able to TK it to her hand from where she'd dropped it on her desk when they'd returned to the dorms the night before. Out of concern for Wyatt, who was still sleeping soundly, snuggled up to her back, Isabel kept her voice low as she answered the phone.
Without checking caller ID first.
"Tell me what the hell is so important you had to call this morning?" she hissed, still thinking the call was from someone in Fandom.
Diane Evans was too relieved to actually hear her daughter's voice to be upset at the question or the tone in which it was asked. "Because I haven't heard from you in almost a week? I've tried phoning. I've emailed. I even had Maria text you for heaven's sake! Nothing got through. My god, Isabel? What was going on?"
Isabel whimpered, still too tired to even think about trying to come up with some sort of cover story. "Fandom weirdness, mom. Sorry."
"What happened?" she asked worriedly. Then, even more importantly, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Isabel promised, still keeping her voice low. "Just tired. It's been a really, really, really long few day. I need more sleep. Can I call you later? And explain it then?"
"You mean Wyatt is sleeping there next to you and you don't want to wake him up," Diane said archly.
"Mom!" she squeaked.
Rolling her eyes, Diane took a sip of her coffee and wondered if after everything that had happened over the last nine months, Isabel truly thought she was still that blind and oblivious. "Just be careful. No granddaughters yet please."
There would have been flailing but that would have involved moving and Isabel was warm and cozy and not about to do anything that would change that. "Yes mom. No granddaughters yet. Can I go back to sleep now? I promise I'll call later."
"Ordinarily I'd say yes," Diane replied. "But one of the reasons I was trying to call you all week, besides being worried about you, was to talk about your plans for Thanksgiving."
"I was coming home," Isabel said. "You knew that."
"I know. But plans have changed in the last few days. Your brother and Michael decided to go on a road trip," she explained, worry underlying the exasperation in her voice.
"WHAT?" That was probably a little louder then it needed to be, something Isabel realized as Wyatt's arm tightened about her waist. "Why?"
"I think they just wanted to get away," Diane said simply. "Suburbia has to be difficult to deal with after everything they've gone through."
Okay, she might have a point there. But still. It was Thanksgiving. She was going to come home to spend time with them.
"So they left? On a road trip?" Which, in truth, might be just what they needed. "What are the odds we're going to need to bail them out?"
"Jim has promised he'll get them if needed."
"Jim Valenti? The Sheriff? Why won't you and dad?" Isabel asked. "Are you mad at them?"
"Oh no," Diane promised quickly. "It's just that your dad and I thought that getting away was actually a good idea. So we booked a quick trip down to a resort in Mexico. Now that we've gotten through to you, we'll be leaving this afternoon."
"Wait a minute? So you're leaving? For Thanksgiving?" The fingers that had started drawing slow circles on her stomach stilled.
"Well we figured you'd enjoy spending the time with your friends, like you did last year. I'm sorry sweetie"
Isabel sighed. She had enjoyed last year; that was true. But she'd been looking forward to seeing Max and Michael and assuring herself once more that they were okay. Still, after this week, maybe avoiding alien angst might not be such a bad thing. "It's okay Mom. You and dad deserve to get away. Go and have fun. Maybe when you get back, I'll have Wyatt bring me out for dinner one night."
And enthusiastic nod against the back of her neck, before it started being kissed made Isabel laugh. "He says he will."
"I'm sure," Diane replied, shaking her head at the phone. "I'll let you get back to sleep now." Not that she thought that would happen. But sometimes it was better to pretend to be oblivious. "I love you sweetheart."
"Love you to mom," she said, trying hard not to be distracted. "If you hear from the Jack Kerouac wanna-be's? Can you tell them to call me?"
"I will. Have a good day." Smiling, and relieved to know that everything was alright, Diane hung up the phone.
Isabel flipped her own phone shut and dropped it to the floor next to the bed before rolling over to face Wyatt.
"So? You mentioned something about Thanksgiving?"
[For the boyfriend who was modded with permission.]
Without checking caller ID first.
"Tell me what the hell is so important you had to call this morning?" she hissed, still thinking the call was from someone in Fandom.
Diane Evans was too relieved to actually hear her daughter's voice to be upset at the question or the tone in which it was asked. "Because I haven't heard from you in almost a week? I've tried phoning. I've emailed. I even had Maria text you for heaven's sake! Nothing got through. My god, Isabel? What was going on?"
Isabel whimpered, still too tired to even think about trying to come up with some sort of cover story. "Fandom weirdness, mom. Sorry."
"What happened?" she asked worriedly. Then, even more importantly, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Isabel promised, still keeping her voice low. "Just tired. It's been a really, really, really long few day. I need more sleep. Can I call you later? And explain it then?"
"You mean Wyatt is sleeping there next to you and you don't want to wake him up," Diane said archly.
"Mom!" she squeaked.
Rolling her eyes, Diane took a sip of her coffee and wondered if after everything that had happened over the last nine months, Isabel truly thought she was still that blind and oblivious. "Just be careful. No granddaughters yet please."
There would have been flailing but that would have involved moving and Isabel was warm and cozy and not about to do anything that would change that. "Yes mom. No granddaughters yet. Can I go back to sleep now? I promise I'll call later."
"Ordinarily I'd say yes," Diane replied. "But one of the reasons I was trying to call you all week, besides being worried about you, was to talk about your plans for Thanksgiving."
"I was coming home," Isabel said. "You knew that."
"I know. But plans have changed in the last few days. Your brother and Michael decided to go on a road trip," she explained, worry underlying the exasperation in her voice.
"WHAT?" That was probably a little louder then it needed to be, something Isabel realized as Wyatt's arm tightened about her waist. "Why?"
"I think they just wanted to get away," Diane said simply. "Suburbia has to be difficult to deal with after everything they've gone through."
Okay, she might have a point there. But still. It was Thanksgiving. She was going to come home to spend time with them.
"So they left? On a road trip?" Which, in truth, might be just what they needed. "What are the odds we're going to need to bail them out?"
"Jim has promised he'll get them if needed."
"Jim Valenti? The Sheriff? Why won't you and dad?" Isabel asked. "Are you mad at them?"
"Oh no," Diane promised quickly. "It's just that your dad and I thought that getting away was actually a good idea. So we booked a quick trip down to a resort in Mexico. Now that we've gotten through to you, we'll be leaving this afternoon."
"Wait a minute? So you're leaving? For Thanksgiving?" The fingers that had started drawing slow circles on her stomach stilled.
"Well we figured you'd enjoy spending the time with your friends, like you did last year. I'm sorry sweetie"
Isabel sighed. She had enjoyed last year; that was true. But she'd been looking forward to seeing Max and Michael and assuring herself once more that they were okay. Still, after this week, maybe avoiding alien angst might not be such a bad thing. "It's okay Mom. You and dad deserve to get away. Go and have fun. Maybe when you get back, I'll have Wyatt bring me out for dinner one night."
And enthusiastic nod against the back of her neck, before it started being kissed made Isabel laugh. "He says he will."
"I'm sure," Diane replied, shaking her head at the phone. "I'll let you get back to sleep now." Not that she thought that would happen. But sometimes it was better to pretend to be oblivious. "I love you sweetheart."
"Love you to mom," she said, trying hard not to be distracted. "If you hear from the Jack Kerouac wanna-be's? Can you tell them to call me?"
"I will. Have a good day." Smiling, and relieved to know that everything was alright, Diane hung up the phone.
Isabel flipped her own phone shut and dropped it to the floor next to the bed before rolling over to face Wyatt.
"So? You mentioned something about Thanksgiving?"
[For the boyfriend who was modded with permission.]