“Nice. You didn’t overcook the bacon, did you?”
“Why do all of you doubt me? Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice everyone brought Lydia food, but I know how to cook.”
Hailey giggled. “I don’t doubt you, brother. I’m sure everyone wanted Lydia to know that she’s loved and they wanted to help her.”
That was what I was trying to do. I wanted her to know I would be there for her, no matter the circumstance. If I contracted the flu while I was here, it didn’t matter. All I cared about was making sure she got better.
“Is she improving at all?” Hailey wondered.
My focus caught the medicine bottle on the kitchen counter. I remembered seeing her take cold meds earlier and put the bottle in that exact same spot.
“Uh,” I said, grabbing the bottle. “I would say yes, but I think there might be a problem.”
She gasped through the phone. “What? What happened?”
I held up the bottle and laughed. “It looks like she took the nighttime formula this morning by accident.”
Hailey burst out laughing. “She’s going to be a zombie.”
Just then, Lydia walked into the living room, her feet dragging across the hardwood floor and making a swishing sound. Her wet hair was wrapped in a towel, and she was wearing red-and-black plaid pants and a red T-shirt that saidThis is my Christmas movie watching shirt.
I am so sleepy,” she said, yawning with her eyes half-open. “I thought I’d be over the fatigue right now.
“That’s because you took nighttime medicine this morning,” I teased.
She yawned again. “What? There’s no way.”
I showed her the bottle, and she groaned. Hailey was still on speaker and I could hear her laughing. “Tell Lydia she’s an idiot,” she said.
Lydia glared at the phone. “Hey, that’s not nice. I just made a mistake, that’s it. It happens.”
“Why don’t you take a nap?” I suggested. “The medicine will wear off eventually.”
She nodded and slowly headed toward the hallway. “I think I will. Tell your mean sister I said bye.”
Hailey giggled. “I love you too, Lydia. Get better.”
Lydia waved a hand in the air. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love you too.”
She disappeared down the hall and I heard her bedroom door shut with a light click.
“Hey, get me off speaker if you don’t mind,” Hailey said, her voice low.
I did as she said and held the phone to my ear. “What’s up?”
“I’m coming over. We need to talk.”
“Not a good idea, sis,” I told her. “I’m not sick but that doesn’t mean you won’t catch what Lydia has.”
She snorted. “I’m resilient. Anyway, we can talk outside. I’ll be there in a few.”
Once everything was put away in the kitchen, I grabbed my coat off the rack and went onto the front porch. Lydia’s grandparents used to sit in the rocking chairs out there for hours. I sat down in one and rocked for a few minutes, recalling my memories with them. Lydia hadn’t changed much with the cabin other than adding art pieces here and there.
About ten minutes had passed when Hailey finally arrived in Oliver’s truck. She hopped out and zipped her black coat up to below her chin. It was a cold day in Blowing Rock. I had a feeling we were going to have a white Christmas this year.
“Whew, it’s cold,” Hailey breathed, hurrying up onto the porch. She sat in the rocking chair beside me and pulled a pair of earmuffs from her pocket and slid them on.
“We could’ve just stayed on the phone, you know,” I told her.
