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“I thought you said you were feeling better,” she said. “Why no coffee or dessert?”
“Just not feeling up to it. Since the soup made me feel somewhat better, I’d rather not chance messing it up.”
Charli seemed to accept that response, so Janessa picked up her glass of water and sipped that while the rest enjoyed their after-dinner coffee. It was weird to not drink coffee or have dessert when it was available, but the knot in her stomach was still there, and her desire for sweets was pretty much non-existent.
This might be a good way to lose some weight, except she wasn’t really wanting to do that. Hopefully, her appetite would return soon. Gareth would insist she see a doctor if it didn’t.
Being like this annoyed Janessa because it was entirely her own fault. However, she couldn’t seem to just talk herself out of what she was feeling.
As Will prepared to leave a little while later, he said, “I hope you’re feeling one hundred percent tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I’m moving in the right direction.”
He smiled. “That’s good. Let me know if you need more soup.”
“I will. Please thank your mom for me. It really was delicious.”
“Guess I’d better go,” he said. “I need to swing by the store for some groceries, then get home to prepare for tomorrow.”
“Thanks for coming by.” Even though it had been hard to see him so happy, she’d still enjoyed the fact that he’d thought about her and brought her soup. “I hope you have a good rest of the week.”
“You too.” Stepping out onto the porch, Will then turned back to face her. He seemed about to say something, then hesitated before giving her a soft smile. “Goodnight.”
Janessa gripped the edge of the door as she watched Will jog down the steps, then head toward his car. The night air held a chill, but she didn’t close the door until Will’s car had pulled away.
The kitchen was quiet when she walked back into it. Gareth and Aria had gone upstairs to sit on the couch on the landing, which was their nightly habit. Charli had taken Layla to their bedrooms to get her ready for bed.
They’d lingered over supper longer than they would have had it just been her, Charli, and Layla. Because of that, some remnants of the meal still sat on the counters in the kitchen.
Trying not to dwell on the evening with Will, Janessa put the last of the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. But as she transferred the leftover soup from the pot into a container, she sighed.
Will had always been a great guy. He wouldn’t have ended up as Jay’s best friend if he hadn’t been. So, him being nice to her wasn’t a huge revelation. It was just that now, her heart wanted to attach all sorts of interpretations to his kindness that just weren’t there.
Turning on the faucet, she filled the pot with water and some detergent to soak, then wet a dishcloth and squeezed it out before going into the dining room to wipe down the table. She was back in the kitchen, washing the pot, when Charli returned a short time later.
“You should have left some of the clean-up for me to do,” she said.
“You cooked,” Janessa said. “And Aria and Gareth cleared off the table. I’m just finishing up.”
Charli plopped down on one of the stools, leaning her elbows on the counter. She propped her chin in her hands and said, “Did I tell you that Will texted me last night to check on you?”
Janessa glanced up from the pot. “What?”
“He said you’d mentioned not feeling well at the meeting, and I guess he just wanted to make sure that you had someone looking out for you.”
Janessa wasn’t sure what to make of that information. “That was nice of him.”
“It was, wasn’t it?” Charli smiled. “He’s such a sweetie. Daphne was an idiot for letting him go.”
“Maybe,” Janessa said. “Or maybe if neither were truly happy in the relationship, it was for the best.”
“What I meant was that she was an idiot for not appreciating him. But seeing who she’s with now, I guess she never would have been happy with Will.”
Turning her attention back to the pot, Janessa nodded. “So it’s probably good that he’s dating again and can find the person he’ll be happy with.”
The words just about choked her, but she got them out.
“Interesting thing, though,” Charli began. “He said he hadn’t set up another date with the woman.”
