Saturday, January 8, 2022

Just one more problem

 

Mario didn't want to ask too many questions.

"It's not your fault," he told Bren. Of course, a part of him didn't really want to know anything about this Gonzo guy. Maybe they would have been better off to have called the cops, he now thought as he looked back at the situation. He'd told Rico to take Liv to their Dad's while he figured out the situation at Bren's apartment. 

Bren was upset in the worst way, he told her to stay at his place. He knew she couldn't say he was a neusiance. How long had she let this happen? But he wouldn't let himself get angry. That would not do. It was time for a change. Especially for Bren. Yet he felt himself changing the most. It was bitter yet he knew he couldn't let it grasp him.

"You wouldn't get in a fight with him, would you?" She was serious, but she could barely look at him. "I mean, I wouldn't want you fighting over me." She shook her head, yet he knew she was sad and worried.

He'd only smiled back. It was true she probably had the heart of a second-grader. He'd put his hand on the top her head. "It'll be fine."

And maybe it sort of was. He went in and woke up Bren's old boyfriend who was snoring in her bed. He also had a cough and probably a fever.

"You need to get up now," Mario turned on the bedroom lights and pulled back the covers. Of course, he cringed at the thought of the bare naked body. "Are you kidding me!"

Finally, he got a reaction as if maybe Gonzo thought he might be in the wrong apartment. He hurried to dress and scurried away.

"You'll be better off not coming back!" Mario found himself yelling at him. Of course, now he thought that took a lot out of him. Mario wondered if he'd made himself sick by doing that in the heat of the night.

Still, Mario was in line at the drugstore now to get a take-home COVID test. Luckily, Bren got the sheets washed. Of course, they were up practically all night, drinking coffee and eating leftover fudge. Liv finally got home and safely to her room. There was a moment or two he thought his brother might still be with her, but he didn't know for sure.

Suddenly, Mario felt he needed to protect Bren as if he wanted to be with her every minute of the day, but then again he didn't want to drive her crazy either. After all, what if they were all infected with COVID. He calculated the days. He had already scheduled an appointment at the CHI clinic, but he couldn't get in until a few days from now. He'd made an appointment for Bren too. There was such a surge in the virus these days. 

"That guy has no respect for you," he said when he got back with a couple of take-home tests the drug store would give him. "You deserve better." Of course, he knew the true answer. Hopefully, she'd figure it out.

She looked the box over, reading the instructions. When she looked back at him, her smile was a little sad. But when she hugged him, he knew she thought so too.

12 comments:

  1. Have a great 2022.

    I hope everything turns out okay with Bren.

    Ann
    https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/

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  2. Uy los problemas empiezan te mando un beso

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  3. Not all of them are for us and you have to accept it.

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  4. Great post! - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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  5. Sometimes it is hard to know what is the right thing to do. Have a nice day!

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  6. Hope these things dont drive them mad!

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  7. It's bad enough to find a stalker ex in your bed, but a stalker who might have COVID?! Talk about a real nightmare! I cringed when I read the part about Gonzo having a cough and a fever. Yet all the craziness seemed to bond Bren and Mario. I so love the way you wrapped this one up: "She looked the box over, reading the instructions. When she looked back at him, her smile was a little sad. But when she hugged him, he knew she thought so too." Now let's just hope that those tests come back negative!

    Ok, so your last comment was hilarious: "Funny, someone got in trouble at work for talking about someone's butt (the new guy). I was kind of shocked somebody had so much to stay about it. Oddly, I have had dreams about him doing surgery on books, but I didn't see his butt in my dreams." The butt thing is entertaining enough, but the book surgeon dream clinches it. You have an imagination like no other!

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  8. Great description! I could place myself in the story.

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