Page 75 of Absorbed

A lawn.

Behind him was the silhouette of a woman. The woman was pulling something on, wrapping it around her. A bathrobe?

Her mom.

NOT HOME!All that escaped her lips was a moan.

Gabe pulled Stacey out of the car. With her mom’s help, they dragged Stacey to the house.

Murphy’s loud bark echoed across the porch.

“Shhh.” Stacey’s mom pulled open the screen door.

As soon as they were inside, Stacey pulled away, hurling herself into the bathroom. She crawled to the toilet, retching up bitter yellow stomach acid. Each heave made her head explode with pain.

Murphy sniffed at Stacey as she gripped the cold porcelain.

“Thank you, Gabe,” Stacey heard her mom say.

She heard the front door close, then the sound of the lock sliding in the chain.

Stacey pushed away from the toilet and rested her cheek on the ground. Through the slits of her eyelids, Stacey saw Murphy settle by her feet, alongside the tub. Beyond that, her mom stood in the open doorway, biting her bottom lip.

A moment later, Stacey felt her hand being jostled. She opened her right eye a sliver.

“Take these.” Her mom pushed two small pills in her hand. She held a cup of water.

Stacey fumbled the pills onto her tongue. She lifted her face a few inches off the ground. Her mom held the cup to her mouth. Water drooled down Stacey’s cheek, but she got enough in her mouth to swallow the pills.

She laid her head back down. “Belv…deer.”

“What?”

“Bel-va-deer,” she mumbled, her eyes closed.

“Tell me about Belvedere later. I’ll be on the couch so I can hear you if you need me.”

Stacey felt the puddle of drool on her cheek as darkness spun in her head. She curled her knees up and surrendered to the swirling abyss.

Chapter Twenty

Stacey awoke on the cool tile floor, shivering. She peeled herself off, desperate for water. The cup beside her was on its side and Stacey’s shirt was damp.

She pulled herself up on the lip of the vanity. Pain shot from her foot up her shin. She leaned her elbows onto the counter and lifted her foot. The faucet squeaked as she twisted the knob. Water flowed out fast. After several long, thirsty gulps from the spout, she mustered the strength to turn off the water. She pushed herself up to standing.

Looking in the mirror, she saw that her face was pale and splotchy. Ashy makeup was smeared under her eyes, with red lip stain on her left cheek and chin. She grabbed a washcloth and tried to balance on one foot as she scrubbed until her skin felt raw. She pulled the washcloth away. Her mom was by her side, offering a dry towel. Stacey accepted it without looking into her mom’s eyes.

“Let me help you to the couch.” She draped Stacey’s arm over her own shoulder, and gripped around Stacey’s waist. They inched their way to the living room.

Stacey fell onto the couch and pulled the blanket over her. The spot was still warm from her mother’s body. Stacey rested her head on the soft armrest and stretched her sore ankle to rest on the coffee table. Her mom propped a pillow under her foot. Beneath the filth and grime from the night before, the ankle was swollen and bruised.

“You need these,” she said, handing Stacey a warm can of 7-up and two more aspirin.

Stacey popped the pills in her mouth and took a swig from the can. Her mom draped a bag of frozen peas over her ankle, then sat on the couch beside her. The clock on the VCR read seven.

“What time do you have work?” Stacey asked. Her voice was hoarse.

“I called Yvonne from the salon. I told her to reschedule my first few clients. I don’t have to be there until eleven.”

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