14 Ch 14: I’m serious; not even cooking

"Have you heard from Isaac?" "He's been in touch," Dylan replied with a smile. "He said he hadn't had a signal wherever he was." He saw Maya relax again, then when she looked for her phone on the bedside table and was about to grab it Dylan stopped her.

"Don't bother; he didn't try to call you. I don't know what happened between you, but he told me a few hours ago that he was giving you space. Didn't seem at all happy about it though." For a moment Maya didn't speak, and when she did there were tears in her eyes.

"I saw him with his ex Dylan," she began. "They were out together one night when I took the girls for ice cream." "Oh…" Dylan said knowingly. "Well I don't know what to say, but I'm sure there is a good explanation for it. Isaac's a top bloke, and he would never intentionally hurt you; believe me.

Anyway, you get some sleep; your sister will be around to fetch you tomorrow." "Did he say when he would be home?" Maya asked him as he was about to leave.

"Flights are set to resume in a few days," he replied, then left the room. As sure as Dylan had said, Naomi brought Isabella and Samantha to the hospital to fetch her and take her home the very next day.

She was ecstatic to see her beautiful daughters, and after seeing the obvious concern on their faces she assured them that she was fine. "Exhaustion," Naomi said. "That's what the doctor's calling it. You really shouldn't work yourself into such states. He's prescribed you sleeping pills and booked you off for a week." "I've just taken a few days off," Maya protested.

"I can't take more days off; not now." "This is sick leave, Maya, it's not the same. Besides, its doctor's orders." Maya was too tired to object, and she let her older sister take her home and get her into bed.

Naomi had bought her a few new DVD's and some books and gave Isabella specific instructions to call her if her mother went back to work.

"And no hard labor," Naomi said, but Maya rolled her eyes. "I'm serious; not even cooking. You have two able-bodied young ladies who are master cooks thanks to you, you do not need to exert yourself; they can look after themselves."

"I know," Maya smiled proudly, ruffling Samantha's hair when she sat down on the bed next to her mom. Naomi had helped the girls bring the television and DVD machine into Maya's room, not without objection from Maya though.

"I'm not dying," Maya had said, but Naomi had ignored her, and her daughters insisted it would be fun to watch movies with her in her bed.

And so that night they watched DVD after DVD until finally, they had all drifted off to sleep. Isabella made spaghetti for the three of them, and then after locking all the doors and closing all the windows, she made sure her mom took a sleeping pill.