Cradle Creek

Chapter 67, Bad Day

Katie's gentleman's farm was surrounded by a three-rung white ranch fence. She owned a couple of acres that she barely maintained, mostly growing wildflowers and cultivating butterflies. In the middle of the property stood a honeycomb yellow two-story Victorian house facing west with a massive front porch. Whomever built the home had been serious about watching sunsets.

It was mid afternoon when Emmie parked her car in front of the house. The leaves carried brilliant cherry and citrus shades in the late sun. Katie had been waiting for her at the window and threw open the front door when she saw Emmie's car and tumbled down the wooden stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Katie asked in a concerned octave. "I tried calling, but it went straight to voicemail and then your voicemail was full."

Emmie raised the left side of her mouth and said hesitantly, "I threw it out the window on the interstate."

Katie stopped in her tracks, as if a glass wall appeared in front of her. Her arms waved forward, keeping her from losing her balance.

"What?"

"I threw it out the window. No one I wanted to talk to."

Katie saw her naked left hand, the bag in the backseat and her niece standing before her.

"Are you taking your medicine? Keeping your appointments?" Katie, ever the pragmatist and always direct.

"Of course, and I'm fine. At least on that front I'm fine. Doing great. Doc thinks I can start shifting off the medicine in a few months and we've scaled back our appointments. Can we not talk about this right now? Oh my God, Katie. He fucking cheated. Cheating."

The color drained from Katie's face, down her neck and rested somewhere in her toes.

"He's been with another woman for years, Katie. Years. What in the hell am I going to do?" Emmie stood by her car, the sob in her throat broke free and again, tears. Crying. Crying for a lying, cheating man. Stupid. Emmie cursed herself.

The glass wall broke free and Katie ran toward her niece, grasping her once more, being the life raft she needed.

Katie put an arm around her, walking her to the house. Leaving Emmie on the porch, she went inside, grabbed the bourbon bottle and two glasses. Returning, they sat and she poured two large shots.

"Drink," she said.

Emmie didn't have to be told twice. She pulled it back and clinked the glass on the table in front of her. Katie poured her another, nodding at her to drink again. Emmie took it back, shivering. Flipping the glass upside down, she returned it to the table. Katie took her drink fast and they both sat back, the dark liquid warming their bodies.

"Years?" Katie asked.

"Years." Emmie confirmed.

Damnit. Bastard. Katie muttered.

"Okay, he cheated. We can't change that. What can we do?" Katie asked.

"We can get drunk," Emmie said.

"Oh, we're gettin' drunk. You can count on that. We're going to find the bottom of a bottle. Let's get to tomorrow and we will make a plan."

"Sounds fucking fantastic."

—

The reality was they didn't drink much more than those shots on the front porch.

Katie took Emmie's bag to the guest room and was surprised to find an old prom dress as she pulled things out for her. Emmie laid on the couch in the den listening to her aunt move about and the noises a house makes as it settles into the evening. Emmie never really slept, but drifted into and out of realms of resting her eyes. When the sun moved around to the other side of the house, Emmie found a feather down covering her and Katie sitting in the chair beside her drinking coffee.

"I guess I slept?"

"You fell asleep a few hours ago. Brush your teeth. I'll fix you some breakfast and then we'll talk."

Sitting across the farm table from her aunt, she pushed the eggs around not eating more than a few bites. Bile swirled in the back of her throat and she begged the nausea away. Recounting what she walked into yesterday to her aunt was painful yet cathartic.

"I've been thinking and, uh, Katie, I am going to need to get an STD test."

Katie felt her stomach creep up her throat at the realization of the repercussion that could come with a cheating partner. Jesus she breathed. Keeping her horror hidden behind a stellar pokerface, she nodded and said, "We can go to a clinic. I don't know much about..."

Emmie shook her head, "I'm going to get a shower and go see Drew. His office is about twenty minutes from here."

When Katie asked if Emmie wanted her to ride along, Emmie shook her head, continuing to push her eggs around.