Pearls, Pumps, and Pigs

"Bella, darling, what happened to you?!" Colette cried out the moment Bella found her in the dinning room.

She blushed immediately, catching a glimpse of herself in one of the decorative mirrors. Her knees were all scrapped up, a twinge of red coloring them from fresh little scratches after her fall. Her skin was already a little pink, her accidental adventure leaving her out and exposed in the sun a bit longer than she had intended. "Oh, I'm fine. Just had a run in with the dogs."

Colette immediately ran to her, cupping her round cheeks in her hands. "Oh you poor thing!"

"Auntie," Bella whined, her face smushed.

She gave her a worried frown but let go. "I'll make sure Amon puts them back in the pasture They need to be with the goats anyway."

"Its alright. I think James put them back up."

Colette's mood instantly shifted. "You met James?" She said with a big grin.

Bella nodded softly. "He helped get the cover up back from the dogs. Oh! And he invited us for dinner."

"Wonderful! I've got a bread pudding in the oven. It was supposed to be a surprise, but we can bring it with us for dessert."

Her face lit up at the mention of her favorite dessert. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble!"

"Nonsense," Colette said, waving a hand to hush her, but she was beaming. "You've been doing so well. You need a treat."

Bella hugged her tightly. "Thank you."

The crimson haired woman just smiled as she ran her fingers through her niece's long, silky blonde hair. "Of course, darling. Now go get washed up. There's some antibiotic cream in your bathroom. Don't forget it," she said before planting a gentle kiss on her head.

"Thank you, Auntie."

"And Bella, darling?"

She looked up at her. "Yes?"

"The Thomas family are very, well, casual. Just keep that in mind when you're picking out what to wear," she smiled.

Bella nodded. "Of course. I'll dress down."

Colette grinned, gathering up her cleaning supplies. She nodded happily at the young girl before heading off to the kitchen.

Bella walked off to her bathroom, quickly shutting the door and starting a bath. She added a bit of rose water to the mix before stripping down to her underwear. She stood in front of the mirror, sticking her hands in her hair as she stared herself down.

Things had changed since she left the castle. For starters, she stopped taking care of herself. She hadn't hardly been eating, much less following her daily routines and exercises. She had lost her drive, her motivation, most of the time even her will to leave her room and socialize. As hard as it was, she was trying. It was what Peter would have wanted.

Her chest immediately felt tight the moment she thought about him. No. She thought to herself as she shut her eyes tightly and let her hands fall from her hair. Not today. You're going to have one good day. You have to, Bella. For Peter.

She took in one deep breath before opening her eyes again. Ever so slowly, she slipped out of her underwear before lowering herself into the warm bath and turning off the faucets. All of her little scrapes burned at contact with the water, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Part of it was almost even pleasant. She had felt numb for so long, she almost welcomed the sharp sensations as she sank lower and lower into the water.

After her bath, Bella dried her hair and walked to her room, wrapped tightly in a towel. As she stood in front of her wardrobe, staring at her large collection of dresses, blouses, and skirts, she realized that dressing down was going to be a bit more difficult than what she originally anticipated. She didn't really own a pair of pants, much less jeans. They simply weren't her style. It took a few indecisive moments, but she eventually settled on a simple, pale blue sundress. She put on her silver locket she always wore and began French braiding her hair over her right shoulder. Once she slipped on a pair of flats, she made her way down the stairs.

"So, should I bring New Castle or Blue Parachute?" Amon asked, holding up a case of beer and a bottle of wine.

"Bring them both!" Bella giggled as she joined them in the foyer.

"Young lady, you aren't getting any alcohol," Colette frowned.

Amon laughed at his wife. "Maybe another time, Bells. We aren't bringing enough to share with all you young ones."

She couldn't help but to smile as she grabbed the other six pack of New Castle. "Well, I'll at least help carry it."

"Go on then and help your Uncle put it all in the truck. I'll grab the bread pudding and meet you out there," Colette instructed, strolling off before either of them had a chance to get in a word otherwise.

Amon opened the door after stashing the bottle of white wine in the decorative whiskey cabinet. "You and I, later," he whispered with a wink at Bella before guiding her outside.