City of Fear by Larry Enmon

Author:Larry Enmon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

20

Rob got home that Friday evening a few minutes after six. As usual, the start of the weekend traffic made the drive to Mesquite just a little more challenging. He dropped his keys in the tray on the table and listened. The house was dark and quiet except for muffled voices coming from the family room. He sniffed—no sign of cooking.

Rob followed the sound around the corner and found Carmen lying on the couch watching the evening news. Only the fading light through the blinds outlined her body under a blanket. At first he believed she was sleeping, but the closer he got, the more apparent it became that her dark brown eyes were open. He squatted down in front of her.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” A quick grin moved across her lips.

The place had a stale, musty odor. Rob gently raked her black hair to one side and gave her a kiss. “You feel okay, babe?”

“Just tired—no energy.”

Rob looked around the room. “Eaten anything today?”

Her eyes narrowed and the lids fluttered a second. “I think I ate lunch.”

Rob stroked her back. “Can I get you anything?”

She shook her head. “Nuh-uh.”

He made his way into the kitchen. A pile of dirty breakfast dishes lay in the sink. No sign of any lunch dishes. He checked the daily pill box he’d bought her. All four pills of today’s medication were still there. He exhaled and his fist tightened. Didn’t know whether to be angry with him or her. She should have remembered. But he’d been so busy he hadn’t thought to call and remind her. Shit.

He shook out three pills and poured a glass of water. She sat up as he approached. “You forgot, again,” he said, holding out the pills.

She gave her scolded puppy look. “Sorry.” She downed the pills with one gulp of water.

Rob flopped on the couch and she snuggled closer, laying her head on his chest. No one spoke for several minutes, but Rob’s mind ran a hundred miles a second. Would the depression ever stop? Would the doctors ever find the right combination of medications? Would Carmen ever remember to take them?

After a half hour, his stomach rumbling gave him an idea. Going out wasn’t an option, he didn’t want to leave her alone and get takeout, and they both hated delivered pizza for dinner. “Hey, what say I boil a few hot dogs, toast some buns, and dig out the diced onions and relish? I could open a can of chili and it would be just like an evening at the ball park.”

“Umm, sounds delicious.”

Rob shifted to stand, but Carmen held him tight around his waist. “Can we just lie here a few more minutes?”

“Sure, babe.” For her, he would stay there forever.

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