Be all in or nothing at all

 Caitlin couldn't sit still when she heard the news about Melvin. Of course, Cori called Megan, and Megan could not shut up about the COVID thing.

Caitlin would just go over there and clean up Melvin's place and wait for him was the first thing she thought. And she was going to do just that when she got to the pizzeria.

"No, you can't!" Cori never sounded this angry before. "We just need to keep going."

She guessed it was too early to close down the pizzeria, but Cori said Melvin hadn't been here in over a week and he hadn't seen him since the holidays.

Caitlin wondered if she might be sick too. Although, they hadn't seen each other in ages.

"What about Tori?" Caitlin wondered if she should be tested for COVID.

"Megan will tell her," Cori told her to calm down. Nothing was certain as of yet. It felt as if they were on a see-saw that might collapse and they would all fall into a sea of misery.

"Fine," Caitlin made herself at home behind the counter after she washed her hands. She could at least man the phones and the register. 

Cori looked at her as if he never expected it, but he gave her a nod and went to check on the pizzas.

She looked over her shoulder at the guy with the black mask on who was cutting pizza and boxing it.

"Who are you?" She wanted to know.

"Deano," she thought she heard him say.

The name sounded funny to her, but he worked and he wasn't all that talkative. Still, he was different from Wade. Deano moved with ease, a worker who kept going as if he could adapt to a dance of whatever the day might bring.

Still, Wade was on her mind. Or was that Melvin. Naturally, Cori didn't give her any details. What if Wade was just saying this stuff and he was kidnapping Melvin. Maybe he was thinking of going to Mexico. Oh, her mind spun with so many mysteries. 

She couldn't say she thought Wade was the best friend in the world to Melvin. It wasn't possible. 

Caitlin kept busy, trying not to think Wade was doing something horrible to her so-called friend Melvin. Of course, the baggie of ganja was in her coat pocket. She wanted to give it back to Melvin, but it was too late.