Rome & Julie

Chapter 8

“Julie!”  Maggie cried, giving me a huge hug as soon Rome and I walked in the front door.  He was ‘seeing me in’ as he’d said it, whatever that meant.  “And Rome!”  Maggie went to hug Rome too, in which he returned with a heartwarming smile.  “You’re both alive!”

                “Aunt Maggie, I called you every day.  Chill,” I said, beckoning Rome forward so he and I could take my luggage to my room.  He followed me, carrying three of my bags behind him.

When we reached my room, I flipped on the lights, momentarily caught up in my home and feelings of nostalgia.  As sad as it was to leave the Caribbean, it was nice to be home.

“Just sit them somewhere.  It doesn’t really matter,” I said, leaving my bags in the middle of the room, flopping onto my bed.

“Julie… what about Max?”  We’d stopped by Rome’s house before we came to mine, for the sole purpose of dropping Max, my new and perfectly adorable puppy, there.

“What?  I set up his food bowl and everything.  It’s all cool.”

“Where does he sleep?”

“In your bed with you.”

“Hell, no.”

“Hey!  Watch your language, young man.”  Rome chuckled, shaking his head.

“Seriously, Julie.”  I raised my eyebrows at him.

“What is so complicated about having Max stay at your house?”  Rome didn’t answer.  “What?  Do you want me to stay at your house tonight?”  Rome stayed silent.  “Rome, I can’t.  Maggie won’t let me.”  Rome nodded.  “You’ll be okay.  He’s just a dog.”  I said.  “A puppy.”

“Okay.  We’ll I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.  I have some business to discuss with you.”  Rome said, starting to leave.

“Way to make me look forward to seeing you, Rome!”  I yelled after him, and I heard him laugh to himself.  Sitting alone in my room made me feel weird.  I couldn’t put my finger on it, but it was similar to that emotion after you get home from vacations, and you really aren’t sure what to do.  It was nighttime, so I decided to do the normal.

I decided to go to sleep.

When I woke up, I realized my bags were no longer in the middle of the floor.  I assumed that Maggie had come in and put my stuff away for me, along with my suitcases.  And suddenly, I noticed something a little off.

I felt bad.  Like sick.  Seriously, sick.  Like the flu.

“Maggie!”  I yelled, surprised when my voice was weak and scratchy.  Maggie came in a few seconds later, holding a pan.

“What?”

“I feel like crap,” I muttered, clearing my throat, which felt like it was on fire.  Maggie came in and felt my forehead.

“You’re hot,” Maggie said, observing me, as if deciding what to do with me.  “Well that’s unfortunate, because the Maddens called this morning to request you to come to dinner at their house tonight with Rome.”  I froze, staring at up Maggie in trepidation.  “I assured them you’d be there, because they wouldn’t stop telling me how important it was, and Elizabeth was beginning to get on my nerves.”

“Well then,” I said, feeling sick for a completely different reason now.  “I guess you’ll have to make me better before tonight then,” I said, knowing that for the sake of everyone’s sanity, I had to go to that dinner with my fiancé and future parents in law.  Maggie nodded, going over to my window, and opened the blinds to reveal the morning snow that lay on the ground.  Ugh.  I hated winter.