To Light and Guard

Chapter Twenty-Two

The giggling of Rachel and Lana in the backseat, drunken and slurred and muffled into one another's mouths, made Mary Eunice's stomach flip. Barb had drifted off to sleep again, resting her head on Mary Eunice's shoulder. "Sorry," Lois said from behind the steering wheel. "She should've known that alcohol's a depressant. As tired as she was—she should've known it was going to knock her out." A little bit of drool trickled out of the corner of her mouth onto Mary Eunice's blue dress. The support there made Mary Eunice's stomach flush and fill with warm affection for Lois and somewhat for Barb as well, though parts of her were still intimidated by the short brunette.

The face of Lana's house had never looked so bleak and discouraging. Mary Eunice and Lois glanced in the rearview mirror to find Rachel pinned underneath Lana, their mouths latched onto one another. The skirt of Rachel's dress was bunched up beneath her buttocks, and Lana framed her face between her forearms. "Hey, girls," Lois called, "you're home." Rachel planted a hand on Lana's collarbones and pushed back, and they disentangled themselves from one another, Lana fumbling for the door handle. Dread pooled in Mary Eunice's gut as she reached for the door handle. "Sister?" Lois interrupted, peering past Barb. "You can come home with us if you want. We have an empty room. Those two aren't going to be off of each other for a few hours, and I'm sure you want to have somewhere to sleep."

Yeah, that would be nice. Mary Eunice closed her eyes. She couldn't abandon Lana like that; she couldn't bring herself to do it, not knowing Lana was intoxicated, uncertain about Rachel's trustworthiness. "I'll be okay," she murmured, not fully trusting her own word. "Thank you."

"Alright." Lois also didn't look completely convinced. "We'll call in the morning to make sure everything's okay. If something happens, call me. I'll come get you. No matter what time it is. Okay?" Mary Eunice nodded. Lois's insistence touched her. "Have a good night. Don't let the lesbians bite—you or each other." She winked teasingly as Mary Eunice blushed and crawled after Lana and Rachel.

She trotted across the dewy, dark lawn to the front door where Lana and Rachel deliberated. "Just open the door, babe, it's freezing," Rachel moaned.

"I'm too drunk to stick it in the hole!"

This sent Rachel tumbling into giggles. "I hope that's not true between the sheets—"

Mary Eunice's cheeks flushed when she realized what Rachel meant, and she shuffled between them, separating them with her body; she didn't want any neighbors to peer outside to see Lana kissing another woman on the front stoop. "Lana, that's your car key. Here, let me." She took the keyring from Lana's whirling hand and moved to the house key. As Lana reached past her for Rachel's waist, the pit of her stomach swelled with some terrible, sad emotion; she kept her eyes down to the keyhole. The freezing night air made her hand tremble. "Don't," she dissuaded. "Someone might see."

Lana rolled her eyes, callous and frustrated. "Good god, you sound like Wendy." The sharp remark branded Mary Eunice's insides, and she popped the door open. Lana dragged Rachel into the house, and Gus barreled toward them. "It's okay—he won't bite'cha." Lana managed these words before she flung herself at Rachel once more. Rachel bounced off of the wall where Lana slammed her, one hand sliding up her thigh, shoving the skirt of her dress out of the way; neither appeared to care the spectacle they made of themselves in front of Mary Eunice.

She locked the door behind her and whistled for Gus to distract him from where he tried to insert himself between Rachel and Lana. "Come here, boy." He whined when Lana ignored him before he followed Mary Eunice, and she filled his kibble bowl, where he bent and began to scarf down the meal. "Good." At her praise, he wagged his tail, enthusiastic, but he didn't lift his head from his bowl.