You're sweeter than a peach

 

It was just one of those days when Crystal felt the day was already lost. Why even try? She'd received an unsettling text from Cedric about her sister Connie, who was in Vegas. She was not doing well on her own. 

And to think Crystal's Saturday night had gone so well when Darry hosted game night. There was talk of their road trip to Iowa to the haunted house. She even volunteered to drive. Last week had gone so well with CW, too. He was managing the kitchen well, thanks to a few tricks she'd shown him on prep work and cleanup. All that felt washed away now, thinking of the bad memories of the years of putting up with her sister's substance abuse. She didn't know she could feel this sad. 

It felt as if she was dragging, and she might be ready to collapse. Maybe she just needed sleep, but she knew she would be thinking about her sister.

"What's going on?" CW wanted to know.

"I guess I'm just under the weather." She was still at home in her pajamas. She promised to take him to the huge grocery store out in Shadow Lake so they could look for spices and other autumn treats.

"Do you have the flu?" They were supposed to get their flu shots in a couple of days. The coffee shop was covering the cost.

Crystal shook her head, no, and let him in. She put on the electric kettle. She needed a cup of strong coffee to wake up, perhaps. Finally, she fessed up about her sister Connie over coffee and a few graham crackers with peanut butter.

"My cousin Cedric adopted her baby. She wanted to be a showgirl, or something," Crystal shrugged.

CW nodded. "Are you going to go see her?"

"Heavens no," she winced. "I've been down that road with her several times. I just can't anymore."

She sighed as if maybe she needed a breathing exercise and everything would be OK. It was nice to see CW. She didn't want to let him down. She liked having someone to go places with. He was good company, even if he could be a little grumpy sometimes.

"Let me get ready," she said as if maybe today wouldn't be a struggle after all. "We'll go grocery shopping." Crystal kept him busy on his phone to find out if there were any special prices at the various pumpkin patches around. Maybe they could spend the day there some other Sunday.