Point of Retreat

probably in her forties...her short black hair is traced with grey. She’s petite, shorter than Lake. I try to smile, but I don’t think I do. She frowns and glances over to Caulder, who is passed out on the other couch. I notice a bottle between her hands when she passes through the living room and walks into the kitchen. I hear her opening drawers, and she comes back with a spoon.
     
    “This will help. Layken said you guys were sick, too.” She pours some of the liquid into a spoon and bends down, handing the spoon to me.
     
    I take it. I’ll take anything at this point. I swallow the medicine and cough when it burns the inside of my throat. I reach for a glass of water and take a sip. I don’t want to drink too much, it’s just been coming right back up. “What the hell is that?” I ask.
     
    She looks disappointed at my reaction. “I made it. I make my own medicine. It’ll help, I promise.” She walks over to Caulder and shakes him awake. He accepts the medicine as I did without question, then closes his eyes again.
     
    “I’m Sherry, by the way. Kiersten’s mother.”
     
    That explains it.
     
    “She said you guys ate some rancid meat.” She makes a face when she says the word ‘meat.’
     
    I don’t want to think about it, so I close my eyes and try to put the thought out of my mind. I guess she sees the nausea building behind my expression, because she apologizes.
     
    “Sorry. This is why we’re vegetarian.”
     
    “Thanks, Sherry,” I say, hoping she’s finished. She’s not.
     
    “I started a load of laundry over at Layken’s house. If you want, I’ll wash some of yours too.” She doesn’t wait for me to respond. She walks down the hallway and starts gathering clothes, then takes them into the laundry room. I hear the washer start, followed by noise in the kitchen. She’s cleaning. This woman I don’t know is cleaning my house. I’m too tired to object. I’m even too tired to be pleased about it.
     
    “Will?” She walks back through the living room. I open my eyes, but barely. “I’ll be back in an hour to put the clothes in the dryer. I’ll bring some minestrone, too.”
     
    I just nod. Or, at least I think I nod.
     
    ***
     
     
     
    It hasn’t been an hour yet, but whatever Sherry gave me already has me feeling a little better. Caulder manages to make it to his room and passes out on his bed. I walk to the kitchen and make myself a glass of sprite when the front door opens. It’s Lake. She looks as rough as I do, but still beautiful.
     
    “Hey, Babe.” She shuffles into the kitchen and wraps her arms around me. She’s in her pajamas and house shoes. It’s not the darth vader ones, but still just as sexy.
     
    “How’s Caulder feeling?” she says.
     
    “Better, I guess. Whatever Sherry gave us worked.”
     
    “Yeah, it did.” She rests her head against my chest and takes a deep breath. “I wish we had enough couches in one house, so we could all be sick together.”
     
    We’ve brought up the subject of living together before. It makes economic sense; our bills would be cut in half. She’s only nineteen, though…and she seems to like having her alone time. The thought of taking such a huge leap makes us both a little apprehensive, so we agreed to wait on that step until we’re certain about it.
     
    “I wish we did too,” I say. I naturally lean in to kiss her, but she shakes her head and backs her face away from mine.
     
    “Nuh-uh,” she says. “We’re not kissing for at least twenty-four more hours.”
     
    I laugh and kiss her on top of her head instead.
     
    “I guess I’ll go back now. I just wanted to check on you.” She avoids my face and kisses me on the arm instead.
     
    “You two are so cute!” Sherry says. She walks through the dining room and places a container of soup in the fridge, then turns and heads into the laundry room. I never even heard her open the front door…much less knock.
     
    “Thanks for the medicine, Sherry. It really helped,” Lake says.
     
    “No problem,” Sherry says. “That concoction can knock the shit out of anything. You two let me know if you need more.”
     
    Lake looks at me and rolls her eyes. “See you, Babe. Love you.”
     
    “Love you, too. Let me know when Kel feels better, we’ll come over tonight.”
     
    Lake leaves and I take a seat at the table and slowly sip my drink. I still don’t trust ingesting anything at this point.
     
    Sherry pulls out the chair across the