Blister in the Sun

When she got home, Lewis noticed that she had a little problem. The farmer stopped in her tracks when she saw the car on the dirt path to her house. Her face dropped.

Oh no…

The farmer picked up the pace towards that bright red sports car. She shook her head when she got closer. She grabbed her hair.

“Damn it!” Lewis muttered. She ran straight to the house. The farmer ripped open the door. There she was. Kat lifted her chin.

“Auntie,” she said. Lewis narrowed her eyes.

“You… What are you doing here?” she asked. Kat dropped her shoulders and sighed.

“It didn’t work out with Paul,” she said. Her aunt had a confused look on her face.

“What happened to Kyle?” she asked.

“That was last year,” Kat said. “I met Paul over Christmas.” Lewis could already see where this was heading.

“Oh,” she said in a flat tone. “And I suppose you want to stay here for a while.” Her niece stared at her with big eyes.

“H-H-How did you know?” she asked. Lewis rubbed her forehead.

“You always come here when things go sideways,” she said. Kat ran over and hugged her aunt. Lewis rolled her eyes. Why couldn’t she say no?

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Nicholas and Kay walked down to the Sunny Plum café. This was one of the rare times that they ever went out. Kay cuddled up to her husband. Nicholas kept his eyes on the lookout around him. Where was Clyde? She had to be around somewhere. He bit on his lower lip.

“Hello!” Kay said in a sing-songy voice. Tucker and Annie looked up. The latter perked up.

“Hello!” she said. “Kay’s been so long!” Kay walked over and hugged that other woman. Tucker nodded at Nicholas.

“How are you doing?” he asked. Nicholas still looked nervous.

“She isn’t around here, is she?” he asked. “She isn’t hiding waiting to pounce on me?”

“No…” Tucker said. “I haven’t seen her all day.” It took a moment for Nicholas to relax.

“Okay, good,” he said.

“Can we sit down now?” Kay asked.

“Go ahead,” Annie said. The couple sat down at one of the tables in the middle of the room. They picked up the menus and started looking at them. Nicholas looked behind him the whole time.

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Around ten, Lewis and her friends sat in the living room. The three old bides sat on her couch. The farmer stood in the doorway.

“Who did she break up with this time?” Aisha asked.

“Paul,” Lewis said. The other old biddies looked up with strange looks on their faces.

“I thought she was with Kyle,” Muriel said.

“They broke last year, apparently,” the farmer said.

“Oh,” the other three said.

“Yeah,” Lewis said, nodding.

“What she gonna do?” Clyde asked. Aisha frowned as she smacked her in the head.

“Ow!” the dirty old biddy shouted. The farmer shrugged and shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she said. “But she can’t stay here.”

“She’s your niece,” Aisha said.

“I know that,” Lewis said. She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

“Auntie! You’re out of soap!” Kat yelled from down the hall. The farmer sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Coming,” she muttered. She turned towards the hall. Lewis turned back to her friends and mouthed, “Help me” at them. The farmer disappeared down the hall. Aisha, Clyde, and Muriel all looked at each other.

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Meanwhile, William awoke to a nasty surprise when there a knock on his door. He lowered his fork and looked in the direction of the sound.

“Huh?” he asked. He got up and walked over to the front door.

“Uncle?” Clover asked. William opened the door and poked his head outside. His face dropped.

“Oh…” he mumbled.

End