"Give my cousin a hug from me and let him know I'll see him soon," Kira said as she stood up from the table, eager to leave before Tesah and Lexington arrived. It felt strange that after years of friendship between the two men, she had almost run into Tesah in their family home for the first time. Then again, before her accident, Kira had rarely visited the house. She had always been unhappy there. She hated how strict their grandparents had been—how she and Lexington were never allowed out past seven on a school night and nine on weekends, even when they were older. Lexington had always been the obedient one, while Kira was the rebel, constantly getting scolded by their grandparents.
As soon as she turned eighteen, Kira left home and moved in with a small group of fellow bakers while attending a baking class at the University of Median City. Her decision had disappointed their grandparents, and every time she came home—usually because Lexington insisted—she would end up arguing with them. Eventually, she started making excuses not to visit. Now, she regretted that.
She walked over to hug Becky, who was still cursing over her burned onions, then quickly left before Becky could try to convince her to stay.
Tesah parked his car in front of the large, old house at the same time Lexington pulled up in his older, well-used Ford. Tesah grinned when he saw his friend, and Lexington responded with a wide smile as he got out of the car.
"Hey, how's it going?" Lexington greeted, giving Tesah a quick handshake before pulling him in for a one-armed hug. "Good to see you, man. Ready for the match tonight? Barcelona is definitely going to crush Real Madrid."
Tesah laughed, shaking his head. "Stick to basketball, my friend. You clearly don't know anything about football."
Just like that, their conversation picked up as if they had seen each other only yesterday. They continued joking as they walked into the house and into the kitchen, where Lexington greeted his fiancée with a warm kiss, and Tesah followed with his own friendly greeting.
This place was the closest thing Tesah had to a real home in this country, and he valued these relationships deeply. The thought of how badly things could have gone with the whole situation involving Kira still made him uneasy. He knew he was lucky that, despite everything, his friendship with Lexington had survived.
With a beer in hand, he leaned back, ready to enjoy the meal and the company for the evening.
A month later, Lexington sat across from Kira during dinner, his expression serious. "So, what's been going on with you lately?" he asked. "We haven't seen much of you since you got back from Medina."
Kira sighed, pushing her food around on her plate. "I've just been really busy with work. And I can't seem to shake this annoying bug. I feel like I've been sick forever."
Lexington frowned as he studied her. "You do look paler than usual."
Kira rolled her eyes. "Did you have to add 'than usual'? You make me sound like a ghost or something."
"She does look a bit like a vampire, doesn't she?" he said, turning to Becky.
Becky nodded with a teasing smile. "Definitely."
"Is 'vampirical' even a word?" Kira asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If it's not, it should be," Lexington said with a shrug.
"I think I'm just tired. And honestly, the constant rain isn't helping. It's been coming down for days now," Kira said, glancing at the bucket in the corner, which was filling up with water from the leaky roof. The gloomy weather had caused floods, accidents, and illnesses. She couldn't remember a winter being this miserable before.
"Are you still dealing with the same illness from last month?" Becky asked, concern evident in her voice.
Kira nodded. "Yeah. It's nothing serious, just an upset stomach and occasional dizziness. It comes and goes."
"There's a stomach bug going around," Becky said. "If dizziness and nausea are all you have, consider yourself lucky. It's been awful at work. We've had so many cases this week."
Lexington groaned. "Becky, we're eating."
She grinned unapologetically. After leaving the hospital a couple of years ago, she had started working for a private doctor. The hours were better, and so was the pay.
"Sorry," she said, though she didn't look sorry at all.
Lexington just rolled his eyes. He could never stay annoyed at her when she smiled like that.
"You have lost some weight this past month," Becky said, her tone serious again as she looked Kira over. "You really can't afford to lose any more. Have you been throwing up a lot?"
Lexington sighed, setting his napkin aside and standing up. He began clearing the table, stacking the plates and taking them to the sink.
"Not that much," Kira admitted, ignoring her cousin's obvious frustration. "Just a couple of times a day, really."
"Headaches? Fever?" Becky asked.
Kira shook her head. "No, not really. Just the stomach issues."
"Well, make sure you're staying hydrated," Becky advised. "And if it keeps up, you should probably see a doctor."
Lexington made a frustrated sound but didn't say anything. Kira knew he was worried, but she also knew he wouldn't push the issue—at least
not tonight.
She just hoped she would start feeling better soon.