The second I hopped in my car, I felt worse. All I wanted to do was get home and go to bed.
16
LYDIA
Ifelt like I’d been run over by a truck and then dragged down the tracks by a train. My muscles were sore from shivering, and I went from sweaty to cold every few minutes. The flu was the devil.
It was Monday morning, and I knew there was no way I could go to work. Groaning, I reached for my phone on the nightstand and my fingers brushed against my magical mistletoe.
“At least I know wearing you doesn’t make me immune to sickness,” I grumbled.
I grabbed my phone and hit Violet’s number.
“Good morning,” she answered.
“No, not good morning.” My voice was raspy and dry; it didn’t even sound like me.
“Girl, you sound like a demon. What’s wrong with you?”
“Well,” I stated, ignoring the demon comment. I was too tired to think of a comeback. “Yougot me sick. Thanks for that.”
“You could’ve gotten it from anyone, Lydia. It’s going around like crazy.”
Which was true.
“Still,” I added. “It’s more fun to blame it on you.”
Violet sighed. “I’m sorry, sis. You stay home and rest and I’ll handle everything at the gallery. Ben’s stopping by so I can always get him to help if needed.”
I tried to swallow but my mouth was so dry my lips stuck together. I needed water desperately.
“Thanks, Vi.”
“No problem. I’ll check on you later, okay? I might even make you some brownies and leave them on your front porch.”
It hurt to even smile.
“That would be awesome. You’re the best.”
She giggled. “Yes, I am. Talk to you later.”
We hung up and I laid my head back on the pillow for only a few minutes before my phone vibrated in my hand. It was my mother.
“Hey,” I answered.
“Oh honey, you sound horrible. Violet just called me and told me you were sick. I’m going to make you some soup and drop it off in a couple of hours.”
“I should get sick more often,” I teased.
My mom laughed. “Drink plenty of fluids and get some rest, sweetheart. I’ll make you enough soup to last the week. And if you need groceries, I’ll get them for you.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
We said our goodbyes and I closed my eyes for one more minute before rolling out of bed. I grabbed my snowflake blanket and draped it over my shoulders. It took all my energy to slip on my fuzzy pink bedroom slippers and walk to the bedroom door.
With my phone in hand, I trudged down the hallway and into the kitchen. I fetched a bottle of water from the refrigerator and opened the cabinet that had all the various types of medications a person could need. I found a bottle of cherry-flavored cold-and-flu medicine and took a dose. Knowing I probably wasn’tgoing to get off the couch anytime soon once I sat down, I carried the medicine bottle over and set it on the end table with my bottle of water.
The second I flopped down on the velvety cushions, I heard footsteps on the floor above me. Through my sickened daze, I didn’t even think about Jake being in the house. I blamed it on the intermittent high fevers messing with my mind.
