Enough to Miss Christmas

The next morning I awoke with sunlight flooding my room. I had no idea where I was, nor how I'd gotten there. I tried to see the clock radio but my head throbbed with such intensity I had to close my eyes and fell back asleep. By the time I squeezed my eyes open it was after ten A.M. I struggled to the bathroom, emptied bladder and stomach. There was a plane ticket shoved under my door for a seven A.M. flight the next day. I returned to my bed trying to remember what I'd said the night before and how I'd arrived in this unrecognizable room. It was ten-thirty when a bedside phone startled me.

"I'm in the lobby. Are you ready for breakfast?" Paul asked.

"Not if it contains food," I answered.

"I'll give you twenty minutes while I have a cup of coffee." I took forty minutes, showering and dressing in my new purchases, before I realized this was a different hotel and I struggled to find the dining area. Once there, I searched the room with blinking eyes and was startled to see Karen seated next to Paul. I slumped down beside them, embarrassed by my condition. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back.

"Good morning, Paul. Good morning, Karen. Please don't talk loudly. Whisper."

"Sarah was a tad ill last night but I'm sure she'll be better as the day goes on."

I was sick of lies and half-truths. "Sarah got drunk as a skunk and she has a world class hangover." I heard Karen snicker but I didn't see her as my eyes were squeezed closed. "Sarah doesn't do that often. Lately, however, there have been too many exceptions."

I was served toast which I nibbled on while Paul talked about Timmy's improving condition and the new woman hired to fill in for the now-stable, but seriously ill, Mrs. Doberchek. His daughter said nothing.

"Karen wants to go with you today," he said, raising me from my stupor. "Your mother said she wanted to meet her." It was the last thing I expected, or frankly wanted. I looked from one to the other with bleary eyes and noticed Karen was wearing one of the outfits I'd purchased for her. "The car is outside," Paul said as he rose and dropped a set of keys on the table. He kissed Karen on the forehead and me on the lips. As he was leaving, he added, "God, Sarah, gargle. You taste awful."

I closed my eyes again and when I opened them, Karen was still there. She hadn't uttered a word since I sat down, her face as unrevealing as the coffee pot. I poured a cup from the carafe and sipped it slowly, waiting for my head to clear enough to assess the situation. The fact she was saying nothing and doing nothing began to get on my nerves. There was an empty place setting on the table. I reached for the cup, filled it with black coffee and pushed it toward her.