pressed the bills into his hand. “Take him to a bar and have some drinks. He needs to blow off some steam.”
Tony handed the money back to her. “You don’t have to pay me to take him to a bar. I’m just glad he’s finally ready to go out for a little bit, you know. He’s gotta take care of himself, too.”
Alice Torre bit her lower lip and scrunched her eyes. “The thing is, he doesn’t know I called you over. I want you to go in there and convince him to get out of the house for a bit.”
“Oh boy. This sounds like a forced blind date.”
She placed her hands on his back and guided him to the back bedroom. “Go.”
Tony knocked on the door. Brian said, “You can come in, MIL. We’re just watching TV.”
He opened the door and was stunned by the appearance of his two closest friends. Cassandra was in bed, eyes closed as usual, but her skin color was off, a shade between gray and yellow. The flesh of her face had been pulled tight until she looked like a tribal death mask. It scared the hell out of him, seeing her that way.
Brian was no better. He’d lost weight. His eyes were ringed by dark circles and it even looked like his hair was thinning. If Tony didn’t know better, he’d swear Brian was the one who’d been in and out of the hospital.
“Holy shit, what are you doing here?” Brian said.
Tony couldn’t tell whether his friend was happily shocked or perturbed. Maybe both. He pulled him in for a hug, felt the new frailty in Brian’s frame.
“I’ve come to whisk you away for the night, bro. Mrs. T has the graveyard shift. I’ve met a lot of people who need a drink, and none of them needed one as bad as you do. Come on, we’ll head over to Doug’s and have a few.”
For a moment, a frightening pall washed over Brian’s face. He looked like an animal trapped in a corner. Then it was gone, replaced by a skeletal smile that would scare the pants off of little trick-or-treaters.
“I don’t know if I should,” he said.
Tony clapped him on the shoulder. “You should and you will. Now go make yourself presentable. Can’t believe I have to say that when I’m taking you to Doug’s dive.”
Brian’s shoulders sagged and he nodded. “You’re right. I’ll just be a minute.” He left to head to the bathroom.
Tony looked down at Cassandra and his heart broke. “What’s happening to the both of you?” he whispered.
Something flickered out of the corner of his eye and he turned to face an empty room.
He bent forward and kissed Cassandra’s forehead. “I promise not to have him out late tonight. You get better. We all miss you.”
Brian woke up in the middle of the night with an aching bladder. It was nice, Tony taking him to Doug’s, but the beer was crying to be let out. Getting off the air mattress and erect was no easy task. The room spun in a half circle and his temples felt like firecrackers had exploded beneath the surface.
He stumbled around Cassandra’s bed and made it to the bathroom, each step an angry punch to his dehydrated skull. Not trusting his aim, he sat on the toilet, dropping his head into his hands.
They had run into a bunch of people he knew at the bar, including Andi, Cassandra’s friend from the office who’d been in their wedding party. For brief moments, he forgot about Cassandra and the boy, but no amount of beer could take him completely away from his troubled thoughts.
Shambling back into his room, he collapsed on the mattress. It made a ton of noise but Cassandra didn’t move.
Settling back to sleep, his ears still rang from the loud music at the bar and everyone shouting to be heard above it. A little white noise always worked to take his mind off it so he could sleep. Tonight, it was too quiet to drown out the whining in his ears.
Wait, why is it so quiet?
He shot up on the mattress and it felt like his head took an extra second to catch up with the rest of his body.
Looking over the
Tony handed the money back to her. “You don’t have to pay me to take him to a bar. I’m just glad he’s finally ready to go out for a little bit, you know. He’s gotta take care of himself, too.”
Alice Torre bit her lower lip and scrunched her eyes. “The thing is, he doesn’t know I called you over. I want you to go in there and convince him to get out of the house for a bit.”
“Oh boy. This sounds like a forced blind date.”
She placed her hands on his back and guided him to the back bedroom. “Go.”
Tony knocked on the door. Brian said, “You can come in, MIL. We’re just watching TV.”
He opened the door and was stunned by the appearance of his two closest friends. Cassandra was in bed, eyes closed as usual, but her skin color was off, a shade between gray and yellow. The flesh of her face had been pulled tight until she looked like a tribal death mask. It scared the hell out of him, seeing her that way.
Brian was no better. He’d lost weight. His eyes were ringed by dark circles and it even looked like his hair was thinning. If Tony didn’t know better, he’d swear Brian was the one who’d been in and out of the hospital.
“Holy shit, what are you doing here?” Brian said.
Tony couldn’t tell whether his friend was happily shocked or perturbed. Maybe both. He pulled him in for a hug, felt the new frailty in Brian’s frame.
“I’ve come to whisk you away for the night, bro. Mrs. T has the graveyard shift. I’ve met a lot of people who need a drink, and none of them needed one as bad as you do. Come on, we’ll head over to Doug’s and have a few.”
For a moment, a frightening pall washed over Brian’s face. He looked like an animal trapped in a corner. Then it was gone, replaced by a skeletal smile that would scare the pants off of little trick-or-treaters.
“I don’t know if I should,” he said.
Tony clapped him on the shoulder. “You should and you will. Now go make yourself presentable. Can’t believe I have to say that when I’m taking you to Doug’s dive.”
Brian’s shoulders sagged and he nodded. “You’re right. I’ll just be a minute.” He left to head to the bathroom.
Tony looked down at Cassandra and his heart broke. “What’s happening to the both of you?” he whispered.
Something flickered out of the corner of his eye and he turned to face an empty room.
He bent forward and kissed Cassandra’s forehead. “I promise not to have him out late tonight. You get better. We all miss you.”
Brian woke up in the middle of the night with an aching bladder. It was nice, Tony taking him to Doug’s, but the beer was crying to be let out. Getting off the air mattress and erect was no easy task. The room spun in a half circle and his temples felt like firecrackers had exploded beneath the surface.
He stumbled around Cassandra’s bed and made it to the bathroom, each step an angry punch to his dehydrated skull. Not trusting his aim, he sat on the toilet, dropping his head into his hands.
They had run into a bunch of people he knew at the bar, including Andi, Cassandra’s friend from the office who’d been in their wedding party. For brief moments, he forgot about Cassandra and the boy, but no amount of beer could take him completely away from his troubled thoughts.
Shambling back into his room, he collapsed on the mattress. It made a ton of noise but Cassandra didn’t move.
Settling back to sleep, his ears still rang from the loud music at the bar and everyone shouting to be heard above it. A little white noise always worked to take his mind off it so he could sleep. Tonight, it was too quiet to drown out the whining in his ears.
Wait, why is it so quiet?
He shot up on the mattress and it felt like his head took an extra second to catch up with the rest of his body.
Looking over the
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