Ascension of a Reborn Woman (Hiatus)

Chapter 4

"Um, Izzy, what the hell is all this?"

Looking at the people coming in and out of the house and the countless bags and racks of clothes and shoes they brought, Davina was speechless and turned to consult the most likely source of the mayhem.

Isabel was happily going through the numerous bags and packages together with Kelvin and Phoenix, trying on this and that while Kimberly was spectating on the side.

"Clothes, what else does it look like?"

"Lots and lots of pretty clothes." Phoenix squealed almost inaudibly while hugging a t-shirt with a unicorn on it to her chest.

"Obviously Isabel. What I mean is where did you get them? When did you find time to do this much shopping? How did you pay for all this?... You did pay for all this, right?"

It wasn't that Davina didn't think Isabel couldn't buy this much clothes for herself, but she knew that there was absolutely no way that Isabel could pay for this many high branded clothes.

"Don't be ridiculous Davi." Isabel laughed while posing in front of a brand new mirror and holding a red and black checkered top to herself. "Of course I didn't pay, Brycen did."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Kim and Davina both took on blank looks as they watched Isabel who was grinning while turning herself this way and that in the mirror.

Kelvin who was holding up a Ben 10 t-shirt with a small smile on his face suddenly scrunched his nose as if he smelt something bad and dumped the jersey on the floor, kicking it away for good measure. However, his actions went unnoticed by everyone else in the room.

"Daddy bought this?" Phoenix looked over with her clear eyes.

"Only his money was spent for it sweetie, mummy was the one who picked it out. Do you like it?"

"Mmm. I really like it. Can I wear it now?"

"Maybe a little later when we go out." Isabel patted Phoenix's head as the little girl posed in the mirror in front of her.

"Wait, wait. Isabel, just wait a minute." Waving her hands in confusion, Davina shook her head to clear it. "What do you mean Brycen paid? For all of this?"

"Yeah." Isabel nodded. She picked up a medium length, tutu skirt near her foot and threw it over the back of a chair before dropping down into the sofa. "I never used it before, but Brycen did give me a black card back then."

"I worked my ass off for more than five years for his sake and got nothing in return besides what I looked for myself." She pulled Phoenix who was climbing her legs into her lap and hugged her. "Now that things have reached the end, I'll obviously take my own reward."

"Mommy, look, look. They match."

"Yeah, I know."

Davina and Kim exchanged glances while smiling helplessly at Isabel who was now squealing together with Phoenix over their matching tutu skirts.

This was Izzy who both they and the world loved. She was cute, playful, funny and unfettered, she didn't worry about anything except her kids and didn't let anything bother her; and it would seem that even ousting her twelve year flame couldn't make her burdened.

If Isabel only knew what the two were thinking, she would smile wryly while crying her heart out on the inside. Did others also have this perception of her? Then she surely let down many people when she lost her mind over Susan and Brycen in the last life.

Sitting by the foot of the love seat sofa on the floor, Kelvin who heard every word of the three women's conversation looked at the Ben 10 t-shirt he had kicked away with wrinkled brows then moved forward to pick it up.