Page 3 of Once Bitten

“When are you back?” She asked, going into my kitchen and grabbing two plates.

“I’m away for a week, but my Mom’s gonna drop by and take care of Tommy as usual.” I took a sip of the hot green tea and watched her tip out the food onto the plates and arrange them as if we were sitting downstairs in her restaurant.

“That is amazing, have the best time, ok? And um...” She stopped, trying to find the right words.

“Wha-at?” I asked, warily.

“When you come back...maybe...you’ll have time to meet my cousin?”

“Er, no.”

“Why?”

“Is he a multi-millionaire who can buy me a private jet to take me to Vietnam just to eat Phở whenever I want?”

“You DO eat Phở whenever you want!” She gestured to the take out box with the noodles and broth.

“You know what I mean.”

“No! All I’m hearing is ‘I want to be a middle aged spinster eating out of cardboard boxes and setting unattainable expectations on men, slurp slurp’.”

“Well, then working in that loud kitchen has obviously affected your hearing,” I pouted and went back to my food.

She grinned at me and threw a napkin at my head and headed for the door. “Fine, we’ll talk about it when you get back, I’ll just hold your orders until you agree.”

“Bitch!”

“Whatever! Just don’t fall in love with any millionaires before you get back,” she taunted me before she closed the door behind her.

I snorted, the green tea going up my nose, “fat chance of that happening!”

***

The phone woke me up 20 minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I murmured into my pillow as I fumbled in the dark for my phone charging on the night stand.

“Humphhhhhmmmwhatmm?”

“Cheery.” Larry replied.

“Yeah. Bye.” My finger hovered over the hang up button.

“No, wait, I called for a reason. Firstly, everyone’s ok.” He spoke slow and calmly.

I sprang up, suddenly alert. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, like I said, everything’s ok...but Mel and I are at the hospital. With Dean.”

I sucked in my breath, their son Dean was always getting into trouble.

“He’s ok, but he had a pretty bad fall and they’re running some tests on him now and, well, we don’t know what’s going on yet.”

I wanted to freak out, but for Larry’s sake I tried to keep calm by asking questions. “How’s Mel doing?”

“She’s...doing as well as a mother who has a son who’s getting a photo of the inside of his brain to check for bleeding could be doing.”

“And Dean?”

“He’s Dean. He thinks this is all a fun game.” Larry sighed.