The Suffering Of Fools (IJ Fanfic, Sal Vulcano X Brian Quinn)

Part 24

She listened down the line as it rang off, and waited for the prompt to begin.

'hi, you've reached the phone of Sal Vulcano, please leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can' and then the ominous beep tolled against her ear, and she took a deep breath.

"Hi Sally, it's only me again. Hope everything's OK - it's just that you haven't been returning my calls or anything, and I'm getting kinda worried. I really miss you, Sal, but I've got something I need to talk to you about, as soon as you can; It's really important. Anyways, love you, miss you, and hopefully see you soon. Bye babe."

She exhaled slowly, and came back into the living room from the kitchen.

"Did Uncle Sal answer?" Jamie asked in his innocent chimes, standing to cuddle his aunt.

"No, not yet. Hopefully he'll phone us back soon, yeah?" she smiled, running her hand through his hair and holding him close.

She sat down on the settee, closing her eyes with her hand resting across her stomach; gently rising and falling with her breathing.

"Are you OK now, Aunt Clarabelle?"

"what's that?" she asked, opening her eyes and rolling her head to face him.

"You said you didn't feel well, earlier. You're not sick, are you?" he asked, with slight panic in his voice with his last clause.

"Oh, no darling, of course not - I'm fine." she hushed, sitting up, and gesturing for him to sit with her. "Have you ever missed mummy or daddy so much that you've felt sick; because you know you're not going to see them again, not in some time?"

He nodded mutely.

"Well, I just miss your Uncle Sally loads, that's all." she whispered, as he cuddled his face into her shoulder. "I'm not going to leave you, don't worry. I'm here, Jamie... I'm here."