3
HYACINTH
That dratted man! He filled my waking thoughts and now he'd taken over my sleep as well. I moved about the kitchen setting the table for breakfast as if I had a boulder tied to my ankle.
“What's gotten into you this morning?” Iris asked, grabbing the plates from my hands and moving about with deft speed.
My motions were mostly left unobserved by everyone until Iris piped up. Miss Trudy turned to me with a frown and probably wondered if I were ill. I pasted on my usual small smile and responded to Lily's question. “I just didn't sleep well last night.”
“Hyacinth, you have a visitor on the porch,” Miss Esther called. Everyone paused in their actions and looked to me. Lily and Marigold tilted their heads to look out the back window. “It's Jackson,” they whispered to each other
