you mini hooligan!” Beverly called out, further exacerbating the war going on in my skull.
Boy. Girl. Was there another option?
The spoon made a sticky squelching noise as Beverly moved the mac and cheese around. My eyes burned as I looked at the oozing meat still on the platter in a puddle. A raw odor hit my nostrils. The sound, the sight, the smell, all of it became too much for me to handle.
Oh, shit! I covered my mouth and made a beeline for the downstairs powder room. The door was closed and locked.
“I’m busy in here! Wait your turn!” Sarah’s muffled voice came from the other side.
I gagged twice and rushed for the front door. Bev’s concerned voice followed me, but her words didn’t register. I made it to the porch and hit a wall. Literally.
Strong arms came around me as I lost my balance. My head flew back, and I saw Owen’s face swim in front of me. He said nothing, but his eyes showed concern. I should have said something, I suppose, but I didn’t have time for niceties. I jerked away from him, leaned over the rail, and proceeded to embarrass the shit out of myself.
Two broad hands swept the sides of my face and gently pulled my hair out of the way. Shit! Owen was holding back my blonde mane while I was sick. The gesture was sweet. Still, it was humiliating that he saw me like this. Of all the people to watch me vomit up whatever I had left inside me, the last person I’d pick would be him.
“What the hell, Melanie? What’s wrong?” Bev rushed out to the front porch and handed me a glass of cold water. I kept my head down as I swished and spat. My temples pounded, and I grew dizzy. Fuck, is this what I have to look forward to for nine long-ass months? I pressed two fingers to my forehead and closed my eyes. I needed to tell my BFF what was happening. I needed to think about my life. I needed… I needed... fuck, I needed to sit down before I fell down.
The glass slipped from my limp fingers and broke into a thousand sparkling pieces on the porch. I followed it but didn’t hit the ground. Two strong arms scooped me up and cradled me against a hard chest. Passing out seemed to be my best option, so I went with that.
I didn’t know how long I was out. It might have been a few minutes or a few hours. I woke up to the concerned faces of Bev, Sarah, and Abby. The furnishings showed I was in the guest room, lying on the bed. Bev sat at my side and was stroking my hands. Abby was standing behind Sarah, holding the younger girl against her hips. A groan burst from my mouth as the memory of my gastric explosion and who saw it came back to me. I rolled over and wanted nothing more than to hide.
“Mom, what’s wrong with Melanie?” Sarah’s tearful voice tugged at my heart.
“I’m not sure, sweetheart. I think I may have an idea what it is, but Melanie will tell me when she’s ready.”
“Is she going to die?”
“No, she’s not going to die.”
“Is it brain cancer?”
“No, it’s not brain cancer. This isn’t any kind of cancer.”
“What is it?”
“Right now, it’s private. I’m sure Connor has the steaks ready now. You girls go tell him Melanie is awake and feeling better. I’ll come down soon. Make sure the boys eat. Abby, you take charge of cleanup. Sarah, you help her.”
“I wanna stay with Melanie.”
“Melanie will be down in a minute too. Just give her some time to get her breath and drink something. Now scoot.”
The two girls grumbled as they left the room, and Beverly tapped my shoulder. "Quit playing possum. The coast is clear for now. Sit up, drink this, and don’t argue. I already had to break up one fight tonight. Connor wanted to call an ambulance, and Owen wanted to put you in his truck and drive you to the hospital emergency room himself. It was a crapshoot to see which one would turn green and burst through his shirt. First time I’ve ever seen Owen get mad at anything. I convinced them at least for now that you aren’t in any immediate danger of dying.”
She handed me a glass of something carbonated, and I sipped at the liquid. The bright taste of ginger ale crossed my