Page 33 of The Weight Of It All

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Deal. Will you be at your sessionwith me in the morning?

Ugh, gym. How much would be a significant bribe to get me out of it?

Two citrus tarts.

I smiled, despite the pain in my head.

Did you know fire ants vomit lava?

Um, that’s random, but no I didn’t know that.

True. They’re inside my brain right now.

Vomiting lava?

Feels like it.

Oh, poor you.

I only have enough lemon butter for one citrus tart.

Then one will have to do.

I tried sitting up in bed and fell back with a groan.

Nope. Can’t even sit up. I think fire ants vomit lava and wield tiny swords.

LOL

Still not funny.

Go back to sleep Henry.

Thank you.

I rolled onto my side, threw my phone onto the bed beside me, and let the fire ants stab my brain.

I walkedinto the gym right on eight o’clock the next morning with my sunnies firmly in place. “Here he is,” Reed greeted me cheerfully. “I wondered whether you would show today.”

The lady at the counter with Reed, who I now knew to be Emily, smiled at me. “Reed told us about the hashtag Pray For Henry.”

I nodded. “Did anyone hold a candlelight vigil for my brain cells that died?”

Reed snorted. “Should we have?”

“Yes.”

“And what about the lava-vomiting, sword-wielding fire ants?” Reed asked.

“Evil little fuckers.”

Reed and Emily both cracked up laughing. Then Reed asked, “Gonna take those sunglasses off?”

“I wasn’t planning on it. Can I claim photosensitivity today?”

“Nope.” Reed reached over, and using both hands, he gently removed my sunnies. Both he and Emily recoiled. “Ew.”

“My eyeballs need cutting and bleeding.”

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