Zelda:Want some company?
I frowned, but before I could wonder too long, there was a soft knock at the front door. Grinning, I jumped up from the sofa and sprinted to answer it.
“About time, woman! We’re freezing our very fine asses off out here.” Zelda pushed past me into the house, followed by Gia, who stopped long enough to give me a tight, if slightly damp, hug.
“What’re you guys doing here?” I stood back and gave them both room to take off their coats, hanging them on the hooks just inside the front door. Gia raked her fingers through her cap of black hair, sending droplets of water all over both Zelda and me.
“Hey, shaggy dog, watch it there.” Zelda frowned and stepped away, wrinkling her nose. “Not bad enough I have to run through the deluge, but then I have to get shaken on in here.”
Of course, Zelda herself looked impeccable. Her long white-blonde hair was twisted into a knot on the back of her head, and her makeup was not the least bit smeared. If anything, she looked dewy and perfect. If she hadn’t been one of my best friends, I might’ve hated her.
But instead, when she hugged me, I hugged her back, fiercely. I loved this quirky, stand-offish, hard-to-read woman who’d lived with me for four years. Zelda wasn’t easy—not at all—but once she’d decided someone was worth the risk, no one could be a more ardent supporter.
“We’re here for you,” she said, releasing me and shooting me a megawatt smile as she answered my earlier question. “We’re here because the Rebels are playing in Philadelphia tonight, and we knew your mom and Nate’s parents and everyone would be over at the game. So Gia and I decided to surprise you with a girls’ night.”
“That’s about the best thing I’ve heard in weeks.” I led them into the living room. “I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve seen you both.”
“Hey, I was here ...” Zelda cast her eyes up, thinking. “God, it’s been almost three months, hasn’t it? Shit, I’m sorry, doll. I meant to be a better friend than that.”
“You still got me beat. I haven’t seen Quinn since she and Nate moved down here.” Gia reached over to squeeze my arm. “I kept thinking I would, but ... it’s hard.” She lowered her voice, looking around before she spoke. “I wasn’t sure I could handle seeing Nate. Not after everything else that’s gone down in the last year. I’m a wimp and a lousy friend. I’m so sorry, Quinn.”
“Hey.” I covered her hand on my arm with my own. “No apologies necessary. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters. God, I’ve missed you two.” I pointed to the sofa. “Sit down. I’ll grab us some beers. I was going to make chili for dinner. How does that sound?”
“Like heaven.” Zelda checked out the TV. “Still a little while before kickoff. How about we help you get the chili on, and then we can sit in front of the game while we eat?” Her gaze wandered to the hallway. “Is Nate ... sleeping?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I think he might be down for the count tonight. I said something to him about making chili, but I’m pretty sure he only eats now to appease me and make his mom feel better. I don’t think he’ll be upset about missing the game.”If he even remembered it at this point.I sighed, and Zelda wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
“I’m sorry, doll. It’s been tough, hasn’t it?”
I gave into the rare treat of leaning on someone else for a change, resting my head on Zelda. “Things have changed a lot since you were here in August. Then, he was up most of the day, talking to us, and nothing felt that much different. We could sit on the deck, and we watched movies ... but now, he mostly sleeps. And when he wakes up, he’s sometimes disoriented. Almost like he’s been somewhere else, and he’s surprised to find out he’s back on planet Earth when he opens his eyes.”
Gia’s forehead crinkled. “Is that normal?”
I nodded. “The hospice people say it’s part of his process. He’s slowly ... letting go.” I held up one hand in a fist and then raised my fingers, one at a time. “Like when you’re holding onto a bar on the jungle gym, and you release your grip.”
To my surprise, Gia’s eyes filled with tears. “How can you stand it?” she whispered. “Watching him ... seeing him get ready to die?” Her small frame shook.
“Gia.” I slipped away from Zelda and wrapped my other friend in a hug. “Don’t cry, sweetie. Please don’t, because if you do, so will I, and then I’m not sure if I’ll be able to stop. And Zelda will ditch our sorry asses, because you know she doesn’t do tears.”
Gia gave a half-snort, half-sob as she buried her head in the crook of my neck. “It’s so hard. And I think about Matt all the time, you know? Like ... was it like this with him? Was he getting ready to die the last time I saw him? Did I miss it? I gave up on him, Quinn. I broke his heart, and I walked away, because I couldn’t bear to watch him self-destruct anymore. So he did it anyway, but he did it alone. I wasn’t there. No one was. I’m not as strong as you are. I couldn’t sit here and watch him leave me, bit by bit. I couldn’t say good-bye. I couldn’t handle it.”
My throat swelled as I tried to blink back the tears that were so close all the time these days. “I’m not that strong, G. I’m just getting through, one day and sometimes one minute at a time. I’m not doing anything heroic.”
She leaned back, pulling away and wiping her eyes. “I’m sorry again. Sometimes I think I’m getting better, getting over everything, and then ... God, I’m making this about me, and we came here to be with you. Ignore me, Quinn.”
“I’m going to ignore you both and start cooking.” Zelda rolled her eyes at us. She paused to point one manicured finger at Gia. “And if you start getting weepy again after your first beer, I’m cutting you off. Got it?”
Gia nodded, but the minute Zelda’s back was turned, she stuck out her tongue, murmuring, “She’s not the boss of me.”
“I heard that, and I totally am the boss of both of you. Get your asses in here. I’m assigning jobs.”
“Just like old times.” I grinned, my heart lighter than it had been in weeks, and followed my friends into the kitchen.
“I think this Rebels team has given Philadelphia more of a run for their money than they expected, Joe. What do you think?”
The other commentator grinned into the camera. “I’d say you’re right on, Carl. Here we are in the middle of the fourth quarter, and Philadelphia’s fighting for every yard, with Richmond only one touchdown from a tie.” He paused, and his voice dropped a little. “Philadelphia lines up on their own forty-two-yard line. It’s third and seven ... Calvert’s back, and he’s looking, he’s looking for an open receiver, but the Rebels are all over this, and ... sacked! Calvert’s sacked for the second time today, and that’s going to bring on the punting team.”
“It’s so weird to be cheering against Philadelphia.” Zelda tipped back her third beer. “I spent my whole life rooting for this team. But I never knew anyone on it who’d fucked one of my best friends.”
