Voice in the Thunder

21

"Alright, what's up with you?" Lori asks, plopping into the lounger beside mine. Layla is splashing around happily in the pool with Molly and Jessie. I'm drinking one of Lori's margaritas, flanked by her and Sharon on either side of me. Stevie is somewhere on the other side of the house with Karen and Mary, doing who the hell knows. We haven't really talked since last night. I felt her settling into bed around five in the morning, and I pretended to be asleep when she whispered my name. I got up with Layla a few hours later, and haven't really seen her all day.

"I don't know," I sigh, pulling my legs up into the chair, crossing them.

"Well, you look hotter than usual, and you're pissed at Stevie. Which, if I know anything, means you're trying to make someone regret something. Spill."

I look down, fixing the tie on my white bikini bottoms, taking another sip of my drink.

"I don't know. I'm not that mad about the Don situation anymore. I don't know why I'm frustrated with the situation. I guess I had just assumed that she would be as mad about him just showing up as I would, but she wasn't. And I get that she's trying to keep the peace because he's her friend, I get that, but after everything... I don't know. That and the fact that she didn't come to bed for hours when she said he'd be gone in ten minutes. The fact that she didn't exactly stand up to him... Everything, I guess. I'm not mad, just," I sigh, shrugging. Lori gives me a sympathetic nod, and looks over the top of her sunglasses at Sharon.

"Anything to add, peanut gallery?"

I snort, a little bit of margarita going up my nose.

"I mean, besides the fact that you almost just killed her," Sharon laughs, patting my back when I cough. "Do you want to talk to her about it."

"Not now. I don't even know what I would say. I just need to get my thoughts together first, you know?"

She nods, squeezing my shoulder.

"Mommy!" Layla yells, shivering as she runs towards me.

"Oh, my little mermaid," I coo, wrapping her in a big fluffy towel and pulling her into my lap. I hand her her water bottle, giggling when she gulps it down. "Do you want lunch?"

She nods, her lips almost blue.

"Okay, you sit here in the sun and warm up and I'll bring you a sandwich, okay?" I ask, kissing her chlorine soaked hair.

"Okay," She nods, her teeth chattering.

"My poor baby," I frown, rubbing her arms to try and get her warmed up a little before heading inside. I make her her favorite sandwich, salami and cheese, and add a handful of chips to her plate. I grab her a juice box and head back outside, letting her sit in my lap again while she eats.

She passes out in my arms after about thirty minutes, and I cover her with the towels surrendering my chair to her. Lori and Sharon are sitting on the edge of the pool with their legs dangling in, and I take advantage of the free real estate on the unicorn pool float. Something about seeing the Mediterranean Sea from a pool on a cliff in Italy really calms you down, I don't know.

"What the hell is she doing?"

I look over at Sharon, who is squinting up at the balcony. I follow her line of sight and see Stevie huddled on the couch, wrapped in a cashmere blanket with Sulamith in her lap.

"It's a billion degrees out here," Lori complains.

"You live in Phoenix and you can't deal with this?" Molly laughs, making me snort.

"Yes, I live in Phoenix. In my air conditioned house, thank you very much," She retorts, shading her eyes and looking up at Stevie.

"The woman is always freezing, are you really surprised?" I ask, looking up at Stevie again. She's staring blankly out at the ocean, and I sigh, pushing myself out of the pool. I dry myself off, grabbing my newly refilled margarita and heading into the house.