Chapter 8
The following morning Mabel stretched and yawned she involuntarily reached over to the opposite side of the bed feeling nothing but an empty space. Ever since the night she slept with Jacob, she found herself missing the warmth and companionship of rolling over to latch onto his muscular frame. Sighing, she touched the softness of the bed sheet and remembered the shock of yesterday's news. She choked back a small sob as she flopped back against her own pillow, knowing that she would never feel his body against hers ever again. Tears streamed down her face against her will, but before she could resign herself into a sobbing fit, she was shocked to hear pans rattling in her tiny kitchenette and the smell of frying bacon lingered through the house. Before she could sit up in bed she heard a soft knock as the door opened. She closed and opened her eyes again, squinting them to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Wyatt stood in the doorway carrying a tray full of food in his arms. He sat down on the bedside table and sat down gently on the bed beside Mabel. He looked at her with his soft brown eyes and asked, “How are you feeling?”
Mabel hesitated and looked at the tray then back at him and shut her eyes, remembering the meals she shared with Jacob. “I'm just tired.”
“I know. I thought I'd make you breakfast before I went to town. There are a few things I need to pick up and you need some things for the house also. Try to eat something if you can.”
Mabel sighed and rested her head back on the pillow. “I'm not hungry.” Wyatt knew exactly the pain that Mabel was feeling. He hadn't had much of an appetite since hearing the news of Jacob's death either, but hated watching her suffering. He hoped that soon she would rise and resume her normal activities, but he also knew that she needed some space and his support as well. “Well, I most certainly understand that. If you eat you'll feel better later in the day. It's like my mother used to tell me as a boy. There's no heartbreak that cannot be overcome with the right amount of sleep and bacon drippings. It's how I got my manly figure.” Wyatt patted his stomach and Mabel feigned a slight smile in response. She knew in her heart that Wyatt meant well, but she just felt like if she moved somehow that would tarnish the memory of the time spent with Jacob. She was afraid if she didn't think about him over and over she would lose all memory of him within a few weeks. Wyatt sighed and kissed Mabel on the forehead without warning only saying, “All I ask is you try. I'll be back this evening.”