Connexion

Part 70

Sophie dashed another tear from her cheek. "Everyone is going to know the wedding is off when the engagement party doesn't materialise. I'll be a laughing stock. Dad said it would take time to get everything organised for a big wedding, and I agreed," Her forehead furrowed, "but now I think he was just giving Isaac a cooling-off period."

"Do you need a cooling off period?"

Sophie shook her head. "I love Isaac. That isn't going to change."

"But he doesn't jump when you say so? I assume this is not the first time that he has not jumped when you say so?" Jena asked gently. She looked over to Sophie, and quirk her eyebrow and Sophie nodded as she remembered the times when Isaac had allowed her to get away with things and other times when he called her out. Jena smiled gently, "Isn't that good?"

Then a mobile phone rang. Jena knew it wasn't her phone as the muffled ring tone was a man's voice: Isaac's voice, saying 'Hon, it's me' over and over.

"Are you going to get that?" Jena asked when Sophie retrieved the mobile from her bag and just stared at it.

Sophie braced then switched it on. Jena headed for the kettle as Sophie answered the call.

"Hi." Sophie said quietly. "Yes, I'm fine." She stated inaudibly. Waited for Isaac's reply. "I'm at Jena's. Close to the By Design office." Sophie's lip's trembled but her voice sounded calm. "I told her it's off." Isaac replied. Sophie bit her lip and continued to listen. "Not yet. I know." She said inaudibly. "Yes. Yes. I am so sorry too." Tears tracked down her cheeks as she listened. "Yes." She chewed on her lower lip as she listened. "Of course. You're right. No point." The silent tears raced freely down her cheeks. "Yes. I'll tell them this evening. Yes. Bye." She clicked the phone off. She dashed at the tears running down her cheeks.

Jena placed a box of tissues in front of her.  How did a stupid argument result in this? Of course, both Isaac and Sophie would have to take responsibility. But surely, they wouldn't give up on each other, so quickly. What is going here? What happened to conversation? Sitting down to rehash stuff. Reach a compromise? Talk to each other, see what is the problem? Surely they expected arguments in their marriage, little things, like where to have their holidays, or the linens in their bedrooms, or the décor of their home? Yet, as soon as they hit a buffer, they threw the towel in. This is nonsensical. Sophie and Isaac were not normally foolish.

Sophie mumbled to herself. She wiped at the tears again, but the tears wouldn't stop. "He said he was going to tell his folks. Said to tell my family." Sophie looked up at Jena, took a breath. "You are wrong. There is no next. " Sophie sniffled.

Jena went through the conversation that she heard between Sophie and Isaac. "You didn't tell him." She looked at Sophie with a question in her eyes. 

"What?" Sophie had a baffled look on her face.

Jena folded her arms, and wondered if this couple had unhinged their relationship simply because they were being obstinate and intractable. "Why didn't you tell him that he was more important than the wedding? That you want to talk. To step away from the cliff instead of teetering at the edge." Jena said more firmly, "You are not timid! So why didn't you tell him?"

"It is too late. He sounded resolute. He can be so inflexible! Bloody obstinate!"

"Like you?"

Sophie nodded. The tears increased in frequency as Sophie started to sob as her situation took reside in her head and heart. Jena walked round the breakfast counter and wrapped her arms around Sophie as Sophie started to bawl.

Despite having Sophie in her arms, Jena said firmly. "You need to stop being a stubborn mule! And he needs to stop being an ass!"

Sophie stopped crying and laughed through her tears. "You really are blunt. More than Isaac or Caleb!" It was interesting that her bout of crying didn't elicit the normal reaction. Jena was not swayed by her tears and didn't reply in the way Sophie expected. Jena gave her a hug, but pointed out the problem with Sophie's actions and statements while hugging Sophie! That was new for Sophie. Someone who acknowledged the situation but was not covered by sympathy.

"Yes. True." Jena stood back, and looked at Sophie, "You and Isaac are inflexible and I honestly don't understand why you and Isaac are at this stage. You love Isaac and Isaac loves you! Surely anyone with any sense would pause, take a breath and look at the situation not just walk away at the first impasse!" A frown appeared on her brow. " You or Isaac do not want to be the first to apologise! Instead, you both jump off the cliff! That is not the way to manage a good relationship. And you have stashed your feelings for Isaac in a remote area in your brain and he is ignoring how he feels about you."

Sophie pouted. "Like you and Caleb!"

"Me and Caleb? A, we do not have a relationship. And, b, your brother does not harbour feelings for me!"

"What about you?"

"Me?" Jena blinked.

"Yes, are you harbouring feelings for my brother!"

Jena huffed. "Sophie, as you know, your brother is, shall we call it, honesty, kind of blunt. So let me tell you, he told me he does not fancy me! So why would I harbour feelings for someone who is not interested in me and has no compunction to tell me that, to my face? And if someone hears that, and continues to harbour feelings which would suggest a fool! Trust me, Sophie, I am not a fool." Jena turned away, because she was sure her eyes might contradict her verbal statement. She put her cup in the sink, and opened a tap and rinsed her cup.

"He told you that? Caleb told you? When?" Sophie was sure that Jena had misunderstood Caleb. And Sophie knew, she and Isaac had both said they thought Caleb fancied Jena. They saw the signals in her brother's eyes and his behaviour and reactions to Jena. And both, Isaac and Sophie, recognised that as chemistry.

"Does it matter when?" Jena did not want to rehash the Melanie situation.  

"Well, I think you are wrong. He was flirting with you, when I first met you at your office, he was definitely flirting with you! Even Isaac said that."

Jena rolled her eyes. "I guess your brother had an epiphany moment! And failed to tell me he has changed his mind about me!"  And definitely time to move this conversation, so Jena reached for a tea-towel and wiped her hands before turning around, only to find Sophie at her shoulder. Jena took a step away and said, "Sophie, from my position, you and Isaac are being bolshie! Wilful! And stupid!" Jena said as she walked away to pick up another tea towel to wipe her teacup. While Sophie rinsed her teacup and placed her tea cup beside Jena's cup.

Sophie wasn't used to this type of hard-love advice! Sophie couldn't help the laugh, "You really don't pull your punches!"

Jena shrugged. "Unless there is something that you have not told me about? That this recent kerfuffle is just the tip of something else?" Jena's home phone started to ring. "Excuse me."

Sophie reached for the tea towel and started to wipe the cups.