Holt:Ok
Ziggy:Am I annoying you? Ok is what you say to people when you want them to go away.
Holt:No
Ziggy:That’s all you’re gonna give me?
Holt:Yes
Ziggy:At least you have a very comfortable house. I’m breaking in the oven. Also, my mother insisted on sending her cleaning crew over. And her yard service.
Holt:I have a yard service
Ziggy:You haven’t met my mother. I love her, and I have met her, and for your sake, I hope you never do.
Holt:Ok
Ziggy:How’s your lacrosse camp?
Holt:Fine
Ziggy:Good. It would be terrible if it was less than fine.
Ziggy, four days later:FYI, I was hearing noises from your bedroom, so I went in to investigate, and it turns out the hallway toilet is having some issues. Weird that the sound came from your room—at least, I assume that’s your room?—but that’s how I found it. The plumber turned off the water supply to that whole bathroom. He thinks you should move up the renovations so he can get in there and make sure there aren’t bigger issues. Also, the tub has arrived, so he can.
Ziggy, twelve hours later:In case my last text didn’t come through, the plumber needs to talk to you about the hallwaybathroom. He’s been trying to call, which I’m sure you’ve seen, but he asked me to reach out again too.
Ziggy, eight hours after that:Not to be a pest, but you usually answer within an hour or two no matter what time I send you a message. Are you okay?
Ziggy, four hours later:I know I’m basically just your house sitter, but if you could let me know that you’re okay, I’d be grateful. I’m getting worried about you. Oddly enough, I do know how to file a missing persons report in four European countries. But I don’t actually know which country you’re in or what part of that country, and when I googled lacrosse camps, I couldn’t find any for adults. It turns out I worry about people when I’m living in their houses, which is the only reason I looked it up. And I could just have bad google skills. Or didn’t actually know what I was looking for. Sorry to be a bother, I’d just really appreciate knowing you’re okay.
Ziggy:Hello?
Ziggy:I really hope you’re not dead. And I sincerely wish I could drink wine right now.
7
Ziggy
Sleeping is impossible.
One, it’s hot and the air conditioning is good, but it just can’t keep up with the early August heat.
Two, I’ve been eating a mostly potato diet, and while I’m keeping more of my meals down, I’m having a bad morning sickness day.
Three, I finally broke and agreed to let my stepdad hire me to work in the office for the Pounders, his rugby team, until after the baby’s born.
Four, I accidentally heard that Abby Nora was supposed to be induced today, and I can’t stop wondering if she’s had the baby yet and if I’ll hear about it from my mom, who willdefinitelyhear about it in the neighborhood, and when I’ll finally have to tell her that Abby Nora and I aren’t friends anymore.
And five, every time I close my eyes, I picture Holt with abroken neck on a lacrosse field, or mangled in a car accident on the autobahn, or kidnapped by someone for some reason.
And that’s the current life problem that my overactive brain is dedicating the most energy to.
None of my texts to Holt in the past day and a half show as read.
It’s not like European cell towers are down. I’ve been texting with Francesca regularly.
Maybe he lost his phone and hasn’t gotten a new one yet or he had to get an all-new number because he was replacing a phone in Europe and he didn’t have my number saved and his cloud back-up glitched.
