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She smiled. “I’m here.”
I drew her to me and hugged her, picking her up and spinning her around. The sound of her laughter filled my heart with so much joy.
“Is everything okay at home?”
She nodded. “Well, at your mom’s birthday party the other day, your Aunt Nancy showed everyone her flamingo dance. She truly is convinced she was one in a prior life. She even asked me if I read tarot cards and could tell her if I saw her in another life.”
I rolled my eyes.
“Come on, I’m taking the rest of the day off. You’re probably exhausted.”
She smiled slightly and said, “Yeah, I could try and eat something. I haven’t been feeling all myself lately.”
With her hand in mine, we walked through the tent. “What’s wrong? Stressed about the move?”
“No,” she chuckled. “It’s not that.”
We had to stop a few times in order for me to introduce Hollie to some people, and when we finally got to the rental car I’d been driving, I could tell Hollie was about to pass out.
“Did you not sleep on the flight at all?”
“I slept some.”
Hollie walked to the wrong side of the car and laughed when she opened it. I held open her door. “Wait, where is your luggage?”
“It’s already at the flat. I stopped there first.”
“Perfect. I’ve got some stuff to make something to eat, or we could go out.”
“Let’s stay in,” she said.
“That sounds like a plan.”
As we drove down the winding road, I kept noticing Hollie put her hand up to her neck or her stomach. Shit, I really hoped she wasn’t coming down with something.
The moment I pulled into the driveway, she jumped out of the car and rushed to the front door. I had to jog to catch up to her. I unlocked the front door, and Hollie pushed past me and ran to the bathroom, and I followed.
“Hollie, are you okay…? Oh, gross!” I said as Hollie leaned over and puked. And puked. And puked some more.
Then she stood there, leaning over the toilet with dry heaves.
I had run and gotten a washcloth and handed it to her. She placed it over her entire face as I rubbed her back.
“Did you eat something bad on the plane, you think?”
Hollie slowly stood. She rinsed out her mouth, then took my hand as I led her straight to the bedroom, where she promptly crawled onto the bed.
“No, it’s not that.”
“The flu?”
She shook her head.
I felt her forehead; no fever.
“How long have you been sick?”
“Oh, awhile.”
