Page 261 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
“That isn’t funny.” Her face certainly doesn’t think so. “I think we’re due for another storm.”
Leaving the pillow behind, she grabs her bowl, then reaches for mine, but I pull it away, reminding her that she shouldn’t get close to my germs. “I was just gonna take them out.”
I force myself to my feet, taking my own bowl to the kitchen and washing it, ignoring all her objections.
My reflection in the window catches my eye. I look like death.
“As soon as you’re done, back to that sofa. You’re on bed rest. I’ll get you a different pillow. I know you won’t want the one from the floor back.”
I’m glad she has something to keep herself busy with. It means she doesn’t see me here, leaning over the sink like I’m about to collapse. If she had, I’d be on that sofa for the rest of the week, and all for suffering from a head rush.
I splash my face, the water doing nothing for my senses, as I scrub my hands down my face.
Dollie returns in my peripheral vision, a big smile on her face and her favorite pillow clutched to her chest, Duggan there, too.
She can’t loan me those things.
Not when I feel like this.
Not when my nose isn’t clear enough to smell the scent of sweet chocolate all over her stuff.
Disappearing into the living room, she doesn’t return.
I steady myself against the counter, my breathing raspy and my vision blurring as I try to focus on the colorful features of the kitchen.
It’s just a head rush,I lie to myself.
The room comes into view. It’s nice that no one has vandalized our home for quite a few weeks now, I think, as I wobble to the refrigerator and pull it open to get a drink.
Sweet treats greet me, suggesting that sugar will help.
I shake my head because who the fuck keeps chocolate in the fridge.
Moving to a cupboard instead, I find my secret stash, hidden at the back behind all the boring cans of food that everyone buys but no one really wants to eat.
Hiding food is kinda sly, but everything I buy gets raided by Shane before a crumb of anything decent passes my lips.
I collect my stash, remembering how Mom dealt with lightheadedness—a single piece of chocolate that she’d suck until it disappeared.
Me I’m taking the whole share-size bar. And popcorn, too, along with the sodas I’ve already collected.
I don’t really feel like eating more than I already have, but I hope doing so will make me feel better.
I step back into the living room. Dollie has turned the lights up too brightly, and I immediately dim them down a little.
Dollie hates the dark, and despite it being early evening, there’s no light outside the window. For that reason, I keep them on, even if on low. Rain and gray clouds cast shadows all over the overgrown yard.
“You brought popcorn, which is great, as I figured we could watch a movie together?” She lifts a tablet from under the table, like we don’t have a TV on the wall.
My mouth opens, partly through surprise that she wants to do something with me, and partly because I want to object.
“I think we need some brother-sister bonding time.”
Brother-sister bonding time?
Is she trying to make me feel better or worse?
“Sit,” she demands. “I need this.”
