“How’s our girl?” she asked with a worried tilt of the head.
Our girl.
“She’s okay. This fever is intense.” I rubbed the back of my neck. My whole body felt wound tight and like I could sleep for a day straight, but I wanted to check on her again in a few hours.
“Hopefully, that means it’ll pass quickly,” Janice said.
I yawned on a nod. I could hardly stay upright.
“You were really great today, darling.”
I made a sound somewhere between a thanks and a grumble.
“It’s so nice to see you out and about again. So many people came up to me to mention you today. They said you were great with the band too.”
I blinked in surprise. She was probably used to the people in town approaching her for different reasons. At least I could be a source of pride for her for once. “They’re good musicians. Mari is a great teacher.”
“That she is. But you are good too. It’s great to see you helping Cath and this town. Mari.” She said Mari last, purposefully.
“I’m still not sure what Mari thinks I can do for Cath. This arrangement seems like...”Another way I will fail. “I just don’t see how I can help. But she’s so determined I can.” I shook my head.
My mother glanced to the side, her brows crinkling in concern. I shouldn’t have burdened her with my fears. My job was to take care of her now, after she’d taken care of me my whole life.
“We all believe in you,” she said as I was about to change the subject. “Don’t put so much pressure on it. Just try to enjoy being out and about again.”
“Yeah, okay.” But it didn’t feel that simple. I kept waiting to understand how I’d gotten caught up in this turn of events but couldn’t find any answers. The only thing in my life that made any sense was being around Mari. That felt necessary, orinevitable. “I’m just gonna take a quick shower.”
“Good night, son,” she said.
“Good night, Mom,” I said with a wink, and she smiled.
Mari
I had survived.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed. I slept on and off for what could have been a day or weeks. Probably somewhere in between.
Leo came to check on me often. He provided cool compresses for my head and forced soup down my throat—metaphorically—when I was well enough to sit up. Being conscious never lasted long, and our brief conversations faded like dreams upon waking.
“What’s it like on the outside?” I asked during one of those visits. The blinds were closed. The house was quiet. There was no way to tell what time it was.
“The world is still spinning,” he said in a deep, sleepy voice.
“You’re not sick?” I found his face in the dark and pressed my hand to his forehead.
“Nope. And neither is Janice.” He grabbed my hand from his head and brought it down, but didn’t let it go. “A few of your students were out sick.”
“Ah, ’tis the season.” I squeezed his hand, and he squeezed mine back.
When I woke again, the room was brighter, but the house was still silent. I was a new person. The fever had left, and I didn’t have any residual pain, except the general weakness that came with too much sleep and not enough food. I couldn’t find anybody at home to ask, but a text from Leo told me where the linen closet was and to help myself to whatever.
He was off somewhere, and I only felt the smallest pang of loneliness. Not that I’d expected to wake to find him holding vigil at my bedside. That would be silly.
In the bathroom, I was mortified to find my gaunt, pale face and greasy, tangled hair staring back at me. A mysterious, unpleasant odor that came with fever sweats permeated me. Leo had seen me in the disgusting condition I’d been in, and that was mortifying.
I took the best shower of my life in the guest bathroom. As I let the steam revitalize me, I thought about how this was for the best. The kiss at the Rage Room was by far the most exhilarating intimacy of my life. Which may be pathetic, but true.
Leo was a rock star. That kiss probably didn’t even make his top twenty list. None of it mattered. It was an emotionally chaotic release of tension. I wouldn’t worry about it. And I definitely was not. Now that I felt better, it was the furthest thing from my mind.
