uninvited

chapter four

It made absolutely no sense, but she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

They walked into the house hand in hand.

Her aunt screamed once again. This time Jess's name.

Dread blossomed in her chest when she saw her mom collapsed in the hallway and her aunt sitting next to her, tears running down her face.

She froze. All the signs had been there. She'd been tired. Pale. They were all tired and pale, but her mom had seemed weaker. More worried.

Her mom. Her mom would be next. How could she bear that?

Jess looked at her aunt. She was sobbing hysterically. Mumbling that she couldn't lose another person.

She turned and saw her sister crying in the doorway.

They were falling apart.

Julian kneeled beside her mom, so he could feel of her then looked at Jess.

He didn't have to say it. She already knew. "Take her to her room. Aunt Sarah, help him. Mel, run and get all the folded towels and wash rags on the dryer."

Not her mom. Please God no.

Everything she knew about fevers ran through her head. She helped with Julian's parents and with Danny and Michael, but her mom and Aunt Sarah had done most of the hard stuff.

Funny dependable mom.

Fever. Vomiting. Until the body couldn't take any more.

Her mom was the strongest person she knew but this virus would steal her strength from her. Then it would steal her from them.

Jess moved on autopilot, trying to get her mom as comfortable as possible. "Mel, come here. We will soak these rags and placed them on her forehead and neck." Her mom was already so hot. Too hot.

The woman who's always taken care of her when she was sick.

"I think she's unconscious, Jess." Julian was trying to sound calm but was failing.

"I'm going to change her clothes and bathe her. Can you help Aunt Sarah prepare Uncle Chad?"

"No, Jess. I won't do it. I won't put him in the ground."

"Aunt Sarah, remember what mom said. Time will not make it any easier. Uncle Chad would want us doing everything we can do to take care of mom. To do everything we can do to make sure Mel doesn't get sick. That means we bury Uncle Chad and we get that room cleaned out as soon as possible."

"I can't. I won't."

Sarah Cudd was ten years younger than her sister and only ten years older than Jess.

Right now, she looked younger. Scared.

Her mom was beautiful. Aunt Sarah was breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair the darkest of black. Whiskey-colored eyes. That's what Uncle Chad always said.

She was taller than her sister and her niece and thin. Model thin.

Her uncle said that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. It had taken him six years to convince her of that.

She had been happily single. A new boyfriend every week. Wrapped up in the restaurant she had just opened.

Hard to catch, yes but she had made up for it by being completely devoted to her husband and kids.

She looked at her niece, her eyes begging for help. Her hair a limp mess, her eyes shrunken in.

"Aunt Sarah, you just need to rest a little. You must stay strong. Julian will see to Uncle Chad. We'll wait till morning before we do anything."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Why don't you go rest in Mel's room?"

Her eyes were full of tears. "I should stay with Charlie."

"We'll take turns. Mel and I have her for now."

With a half nod, she left the room.

"Julian_________."

"I'll see to it."

He tried to take her into his arms, but she moved away. She couldn't take the comfort he wanted to offer.

Jess would have to do what her mom would do if she wasn't sick right now. Be strong. Do what needed to be done.