Lounge, Hero, Beacon, Dapper, Bake
Last night, when Jessy returned home with Albert, she wasn't too happy to see Biscuit. She had a valid reason though. She was allergic to animal dander, and having one around turned her into a sneezing machine.
But seeing Ray with Biscuit somehow changed her mind. Her allergy was nothing compared to the glow she saw in Ray's eyes when he tried to convince her to let Biscuit stay.
"It is just temporary, Ma... Kensha, the cool lady owner, said she will take him back once he gets older so that he can fight Ash, his grumpy cousin," Ray explained excitedly while stroking Biscuit in his arms.
Biscuit responded by licking Ray's hand, causing him to giggle.
Jessy looked at Albert, who smiled and nodded slowly. They both silently knew it was the first time they had seen Ray genuinely happy since Kyle left.
"Alright, but you must make sure he behaves, okay?" Jessy finally gave in. "And keep him clean. Really clean," she added.
Almost immediately, Ray jumped up excitedly, hugged Jessy and thanked her.
"I will, Ma. Promise!" he said.
Without wasting another second, Ray ran off to the lounge chair with Biscuit. He switched on the television and settled in with his favourite cartoon, his hero, Spiderman.
Jessy watched him for a moment.
She couldn't help but think of how Kyle had been his, and their, beacon of light. When he died, the light seemed to leave with him. But now, seeing Ray light up again, she felt a small sense of relief.
Albert stepped beside her and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"It will all be okay," he whispered.
Jessy turned to look at him and felt her eyes well up. Even though Albert looked especially dapper that day, she felt sorry for him. He had come into their lives trying his best, yet her thoughts had been so consumed with worry for Ray that she barely noticed.
For the first time in a long while, Jessy felt a little lighter.
Suddenly, she felt like baking a cake to celebrate the moment.
A simple cake would do. It wasn't really about the cake. She just wanted to bake something for Ray and Albert.
Image by Rebeca Moncholí from Pixabay
Inktober #20: Lounge
Inktober #21: Hero
Inktober #22: Beacon
Inktober #23: Dapper
Inktober #24: Bake
Ray - Previous chapter: Contraption, Flightless, Confused
It’s difficult to start a relationship when you have a child and so many worries on your mind. I think that’s probably why it goes wrong so often – which is sad, really. I think it’s quite a sacrifice if you’re so allergic to cats and yet you bring one into your home; that means taking antihistamines day and night, and it takes a bit more than just keeping the cat clean...