5.Fog

The plane had touched down, and so had its passengers. But the woman who had put her foot in that airport itself, just more than a day ago, was distinctly different from the one who now emerged.

Blue of course didn't know about that at all. All she'd known was frantic phone calls and a sudden visit from Ray's family.

She never minded visitors, except in occasions, like that one time. Her son was home with another woman, and she'd had to take up the role of a nagging mother, muttering nasty words in his ears until he'd taken the liberty to take his wretched tool of fun outside to do the deed, not the nasty of course, but the screaming and the so called heartbreak, and then come back once he'd been rid of his latest conquest to wherever he'd gotten her from.

But it was a little embarrassing that day. Her assistant-slash-future-doctor-slash-beloved-almost-daughter, who was currently daydreaming while walking by her side, had gone missing that morning. She'd been reprimanding her son, apologizing to the woman clutching satin sheets over her body and asking her nicely to make herself scarce, while gesturing her boy to whisk her away before her husband got wind of it.

The woman, shocked to see her one night stand's mother standing outside the door, expecting them to be alone, was by now red with embarrassment, and, like in this case, shocked to her core to even move a muscle. Blue was in the middle of making her son dress the skocked woman up, when the doorbell had rung.

Not used to visitors that early, she'd been a little wary, and had opened the door to come face to face with Ray's sister, whom she recognized first, then her parents. She didn't know what the issue was, so taken aback, she'd asked them to wait downstairs and had gone upstairs to let her son know that he'd have to keep himself and his conquest in his room till told otherwise. Muttering a tired sigh, he'd closed his door on her face.

She'd literally flown down the stairs, to find Ray's family in a state of shock and nervous energy - something she'd recognized the moment she'd seen them. 

Not a second later though, Ray's sister had spilled the not so good beans. Ray had gone missing. Getting broken pieces of what had been happening the days prior to Ray's vanishing act, she'd realized she hadn't even known about it.

Slowly coming to terms with the missing report of her assistant, somebody she considered almost like her daughter, she'd finally understood the state of Ray's family. And what could be the state Ray was in.

She had really wished she could help the poor girl, but she could have done that only if she'd known where Ray was. Not having found Ray and unable to help her visitors who'd thought Ray could have been with her, she'd asked Ray's family to inform her of every new development in Ray's case.

And now as she thought about the first phone call from Ray, it still had her as worried as she'd been then. Her heart had jumped out of her throat, the moment she'd recognized her voice. And then she'd felt it. That voice, those emotions, everything had her ready to jump and protect her only daughter.

Almost, the word was almost. Though she sometimes wished she had her in every real sense, though she didn't love her son any less.

Emotions were complicated, the doc in her reminded her. The woman in her agreed, repeating the phrase in thousand different tunes.

But she had to keep the woman in her locked away, before the woman jumped up and claimed her first, and embraced the girl walking by her side, and became all mother hen over her.

No, seeing the state Ray was in, the first look had the alarm bells ringing. And not just that, it was the professional bell that was ringing, that sat on her desk even now in her chamber here in Zircon.

Though Ray had first looked like a woman who'd hit rock bottom in her life when she'd seen her, the one walking beside her didn't look like that at all. She looked so normal, it was hard to understand whether Blue had imagined those phone calls and had imagined herself going to pick up a ghostly looking Ray.

But while walking up to the cab she'd called to pick them up from the airport, she could feel the 'prick' in her, as she was called by a lot of people for her profession, scrutinize the moments Ray had spent under her eyes, when they'd been meters up in the air on a plane.

Things had changed in those few hours in the plane, she was sure of that. But what kind of change, that she had to find out.

Blue had discreetly called up Ray's mother, to let her know about their arrival. She'd decided to take Ray to her apartment, like she'd told Ray's tearful mother, who couldn't wait to see her daughter. The address was now blinking up at her from her mobile screen, making her think of how she could work out the situation in her hands.

Once the cab dropped them, Blue let Ray take her to her apartment, she was here for the first time anyway. But when the elevator pinged before the end of even a minute, and Ray had started talking to her about how she couldn't wait to show her where she lived, Blue knew she had to do something before the situation got out of hand.

"Ray? Did I tell you your parents are here?"

Ray abruptly stopped in front of a door and turned back to her.

"Really? You should have said that before?! Why didn't you tell me anything?"

Since Ray had taken the news well, Blue decided to go along with a roughly created story. A part of her had been worried that Ray would not take it well, wanting to be alone and all, making her uneasy about the presence of her parents, maybe even lash out.

"Oh, yes, Ray. Well, I wanted to darling, but they wanted to keep it a surprise."

Ray smiled at Blue and rung the bell.

"So they didn't go back?"

Blue stood beside her, while a lock clicked open on the other side of the door.

"No. Your mother was a little worried about you both, your sister and you, after the accident - oh look, here they are!"

Scarlett had opened the door, her mother behind her, her face betraying her emotions, struggling to pull Ray into her arms. But Scarlett was holding her at bay, a strength in her eyes, Blue didn't know she would possess.

"Hello, sis. Welcome home."

Ray hugged Scarlett and then kissed her mother on her cheek, then pulled her companion inside.

"Hi! Look who's here with me! This is Blue Andrews!"

Ray smiled and pulled her mum forward, introducing Blue to her family, while Blue silently conversed with Mrs. Cole, trying to convey through her eyes, hoping they'd understand, that they were doing good.

Introductions pushed aside, Blue knew it was time to have a talk with Ray's family. Mr. Cole had joined then between small talk and tight smiles, doing his best to help Ray's mother keep her emotions in check.

Mr. Cole, tactfully pulled Ray aside and asked her to go and get some rest. After much persuasion, she nodded her head like an obedient child, and waved at Blue, a small goodbye.

Blue asked Scarlett to double check, to see Ray remained out of earshot. Once satisfied, Blue asked everybody to sit down, while she sat down and crossed her legs, eyes trained at every face.

"Ray's going to be a little difficult. I'd say keep up the act, and keep giving me the details of what she says, her behavior, every single details, anything you find different from normal, anything. I want to be updated. I'll try helping you as much as I can. I can only give you one piece of advice. Give the girl some time. I'll show myself out, it was good meeting you."

Placing her hand on Mrs. Cole's shoulder and squeezing it slightly, Blue nodded at Mrs. Cole, who looked up at her tearfully. Scarlett walked up to the door and opened it for Blue. Blue nodded at Scarlett, then walked out of Ray's apartment.

While going back home, Blue let the sympathetic loving woman in her loose. Her motherly instincts took over, hands itching to hold Ray and comfort her. Did Ray become what she was now, not being able to take in the reality, where Shayne was absent?

Was the self imagined world much more comforting, a world full of make-belief? And if it was, how long would that world keep Ray sane?

Blue called up her receptionist to let her know she would resume taking appointments from the next day.

Blue felt her heart grow heavy, Ray's loss pulling it down.

Ray was going to marry him. Blue knew it. Everybody close to the pair knew it. They didn't want anybody to know about it, but it was evident enough. A small stretch of time later, and he would have been her husband.

The pair had been so close to their heaven.

But the world worked differently, didn't it? And the girl wasn't ready to accept it right now.

Entering her home, Blue walked up to her room, closed the door, and keeping her accessories, she moved in to her bathroom.

Washing her face and cleaning up the traveling-grime, Blue dressed in front of her mirror, looking at her face while applying moisturizer.

Re-tying her hair, Blue got her laptop out, the professional in her wanting to keep track of things.

Screaming inwardly at herself for even thinking about making a case file on her daughter, Blue bit her lip and typed those three letters, adding up a file to her listed patients.

Blue had always been a little emotional, so she felt her eyes water. She typed up what she'd thought, what the doc in her noticed.

Once done typing, Blue shut her laptop and watched the night sky from her window.

Admitting to herself how late it really was, Blue went out her door and walked those steps that lead to her son's room, a reluctant habit that had nudged her muscles to work, and to go kiss him goodnight like a newborn boy.

And just like everyday, her not-so-newborn son rebuked her motherly advances, asking her to do something about her clingy nature.

At times like those, Blue really wished her womb hadn't been empty, and Ray would have been her daughter.

Only in those times.

Cause she loved her son to death. And her son didn't have an ounce of respect for her presence, forget about accepting her selfless love.

Blue, being a strong believer of The Lord above, did a small prayer, before slipping under cold bed-sheets, awaiting her husband's late arrival.

She wondered whether the fog that hung in the air over Zircon meant seasonal change, or it mocked the fog blurring Ray's eyes from harsh reality.

Blue patted the empty place beside her, her heart feeling alive at the thought of her husband, letting her eyes close to catch a small dose of sleep before she was roused by him.

~*~

Hi loves.

Well, tell me if anyone was surprised to find the chapter written under Blue's perspective.

Cause I was, when I thought about it. I thought, woah, you're crazy for even thinking about it, and even crazier to act on it, since you're not gonna be able to make it work.

So, dearest readers, tell me if this made sense - this chapter, will you?

Thank you again😘

And we all know the woman up there is Sophie Turner, the lovely engaged actress playing our not-so-engaged protagonist.

Love,

Orlena