Cimarron, Denver Cereal Volume 4 Read Online Free Page B

baby.”
Valerie’s face clouded again. “If we have the baby.”
    Jill hugged Valerie. Sighing, Valerie pushed
her sadness away.
    “ When I get back, I can
help run the household. If Delphie’s not better, we’ll need to
plant the gardens, mow the lawn, take care of the maintenance,
and…”
    “ Delphie does a lot for
us,” Sandy said.
    The women nodded.
    “ We need to do this for
her,” Jill said.
    “ We can do this,” Honey
said. “I’ll get everything organized. Maybe I’ll ask Blane if he
could cook Sunday dinner.”
    “ That’s a great idea,”
Sandy said. “We can have everyone here for Sunday dinner. I’d like
that.”
    The women nodded in agreement to Sandy.
    “ We can do this,” Jill
repeated.
    “ I wish we didn’t have to,”
Honey said.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Sunday afternoon — 2:45 P.M.
     
    “ You know you’re alive,”
Celia chided Delphie.
    “ I know nothing of the
kind,” Delphie replied.
    They were sitting outside on a small patio.
Delphie had begged for some time to herself. Sam had helped her to
the patio and left her to herself. She’d spent most of her
meditation arguing quietly with Celia.
    “ Can you feel pain?
Sadness? Rage?” Celia asked.
    “ Yes,” Delphie
said.
    “ Then you’re alive,” Celia
said. “Why would you want to be dead?”
    “ I’m dead like you,”
Delphie said.
    “ Then why can Sam see you?”
Celia asked. “Talk to you? Hold your hand?”
    “ What are you? The alive or
dead police?”
    “ I’m your best friend,”
Celia said. “I want you to live every moment of this life to its
fullest. It’s a miracle that you’re still alive.”
    “ No, I’m not.”
    “ It’s unlike you to be so
stubborn. What’s going on with you?”
    Delphie looked at the apparition of her best
friend, her beloved Celia. She had no logical response to Celia’s
sincere and loving question. Delphie’s mind drifted to the crushing
moment when she felt completely alone. Lying on the Castle living
room floor, Delphie knew she would be alone for an eternity. Losing
everyone was the most horrible thing that had ever happened to her.
Delphie shook the loss from her head.
    “ Why is it better to be
dead?” Celia asked.
    Like a tiny spark, her mind replied: ‘I
can’t lose them again.’ The spark was gone before Delphie was even
aware it.
    “ It’s not better. It just
is,” Delphie said.
    Celia laughed.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Sunday evening — 5:15 P.M.
     
    “ But why can’t I take out
Melinda?” Nash whined. “Dad would let me date.”
    Nash had returned from snowboarding angry
and ready for a fight. He’d been needling Sandy for weeks about
dating. Tonight he would not let up. Noelle had tried to intervene
but finally gave up and went to her room.
    “ Your father is not here,”
Sandy said. “Get dressed. We’re leaving in a few
minutes.”
    “ You think of me as a
child!” Nash shifted into a full blown rant. “You want me to be a
little itty baby. I’m not a baby. I have a job! I want to have a
girlfriend! How hard is that?”
    “ Nash,” Sandy touched the
boy’s shoulder. He shrugged her off. “Why are you so angry
tonight?”
    “ Why do you care? You just
want me to do what I’m told and shut up. Well, I’M NOT GOING TO
SHUT UP.”
    With all her might, Sandy wished Delphie was
here. Delphie always knew how to handle Nash when he was angry.
    “ Good to know,” Sandy
said.
    “ I HATE you” Nash gestured
at her with his cast. “And I HATE this!”
    He stomped down the hall to his room. The
apartment vibrated when he slammed his door. Sandy plopped down on
the couch. She heard Noelle try to talk to Nash. He screamed at
her. Dressed in her best dress, Noelle came out to sit on the couch
next to Sandy. The little girl and the woman sat on the couch
staring at nothing for few moments. Sandy sighed.
    “ I better go talk to him,”
Sandy said.
    Sandy went down the hall and to Nash’s
bedroom. Opening the door, she found him lying face down on the
bed. She sat