Page 31 of Locked Down In Watch Hill
Social distance.
I couldn’t think of a more dystopian term, two little words I’d come to hate since the pandemic began. Everywhere we went, people were “social distancing” as if that were something cool and interesting to do. And there were signs all over the place—on the highways, in stores, in restaurant windows. I even hung some up around Watch Hill Pizza, mostly as a signal that my staff was willing to do whatever it took to defeat the virus. And while I wanted to be a good citizen, I’d come to hate the term social distance, and all that it stood for. Humans weren’t made to social distance—they were made to be together. And God, it had certainly been nice to have this connection with her, no matter how small and fleeing it was.
“I don’t want to socially distance from you,” I said. “I don’t. I want tobewith you.”
Ashley regarded me for a beat. “I don’t see how we can. Not now, and not the way things are. If I’m sick, and you’re sick. I don’t see how this can work.”
I took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m really sorry, Ashley. I get it. I’ll go. I’ll leave.”
TWELEVE
ASHLEY
Here I was again.
In line for a COVID test. Another one. A few days earlier, I would have expected this to be the COVID test that would have been the one to free me from quarantine, the one that would have cemented my ability to leave my apartment for the first time in a week and a half.
But now, with Kyle’s news that morning, I wasn’t so sure.
“You don’t have symptoms, right?” Bridget asked over the car phone system in my sedan. “None at all.”
“Not one.”
“You’re probably fine. I bet you don’t have it.”
“I can’t be sure.” A lump formed in my throat. “I shouldn’t have invited Kyle over that night. I should have made sure I followed the rules to the letter...”
“You did the best that you could. That was all you could do.”
“I just feel so bad.”
She sighed. “You know, I didn’t tell you this, but the other day, I got an email from building management here saying that the super tested positive for COVID. I saw him near the mailboxes, but I didn’t come close to him, so I figured I was okay. I was at least six feet away from him, and maybe more. So, I didn’t bother getting tested. That’s probably how it is with you. I doubt you got it from ordering pizza or spending time with Kyle.”
“Which was a mistake.”
“Was it?”
