Re: The woods
"That's why Santa broughted me Sparrow, because I'm reps- repsonbibble," Stella told him, seemingly complete unaware of his inner turmoil, and then she was in the living room, even more unaware of his inner turmoil at seeing the version of Wren asleep on the couch. The little girl didn't even seem to hear his insistence that he had to go, not when she was focused on the ringing phone and what that meant for her impending teaparty.
Wren, this version of Wren, was obviously trying to juggle whatever Silver was saying in her ear, and she was trying to make sense of Stella's rambling. Stella's fingertips were on her cheeks, and she was speaking very, very close to her mother's face, as if that might change the outcome to something she wanted. It was the mention of Rhett eating shoelaces that turned Wren's grey gaze to the little boy on the floor where, as Stella had said, the little boy had the corner of one shoelace shoved in his mouth alongside his pacifier.
Wren laughed, and she motioned to one of the chairs in the living room, and Stella practically howled with pleasure at her success. "Silver, it's fine. They're both here. It's fine. The door wasn't open, okay? The alarm system must be malfunctioning. What? Oh, no, that was just Mr. Anderson. Something got delivered there by mistake," she said, obviously unaware of the tiny camera above the door. And, for whatever reason, it seemed Silver wasn't inclined to contradict her or tell her that he knew it wasn't Mr. Anderson in his living room. "Yes, I promise, we're fine. No, you don't need to- Silver, you're not due home for- This meeting is a big deal for the business." She sighed. "Okay, okay. We'll see you tonight."
Wren set the cellphone down a moment later, and she tipped her head to the side as she looked at him, as if she was deciding something. Stella was bouncing around the living room, her hands in a steepled prayer motion, and Rhett was just trying to reach the real puppy now, the squirming one.
"Hi," Wren finally said, shy and familiar. "Sorry about that. I'm not used to her being able to unlock the door yet. Oh, sorry, do you want to-?" she asked, motioning to the puppy crate and indicating that Luke could put Sparrow away. "I would, but bending isn't something I'm really good at these days," she explained, standing. She looked to be in her third trimester, and her hand went to her belly unthinkingly. "See, there's this dollhouse, and I was trying to put it together, but sitting on the floor isn't really great either, so I put everyone down for a nap. You must think I'm terrible," she added, tugging Stella against her side and smoothing down one pigtail. "And I'm rambling, and my manners are gone. Sorry." She paused, and she held out a hand. "Hi, I'm Wren. Are you new in the neighborhood?" she asked, obviously trusting the security that was so touted in the community.
Stella chose that time to break away, and her mischievous grey eyes said she'd decided to sneakily assure herself a teaparty, because she ran out of the room and up the stairs without another word, not calling out, "I'm starting the teaparty," until she was upstairs, and until she would need to be chased down to be talked out of it.
Wren laughed, and she shook her head. "She doesn't get to see many people but me and Rhett. Sorry about that," she added, and she glanced out the window and over his shoulder. "Is that yours?" she asked of the white van sitting there, but then Rhett was crying, and she gave Luke a sheepish look. "Can you? He's not as light as he used to be. His room's just upstairs. If you could just put him in his crib?"