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Brody walked out of her room and Lou closed the door behind him She took off her clothes and walked into the bathroo beneath the spray of the shower The heat pounded the tension from her body and eased the strained muscles of her shoulders and back She ca like some of the stress of the day had been washed down the drain She brushed through her wet locks with a wide-toothed co pajama pants

Lou opened the screen door and flopped down in the rocker outside her roo her hair over the back of the chair to dry She absently chewed her fingernails

Then she heard a sound coain The catch of someone’s breath? The rocker squeaked and then there was a sniffle, followed by so his nose

“Brody?” The squeaking rocker stopped “Brody? Is that you?”

A muffled voice called back “Yeah It’s me”

“Are you okay?” she asked nervously

“I’ okay”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, Lou,” he sighed “Just go to bed”

She got up slowly and walked across the porch on bare feet She could see hi down his face, a full glass in his hand

“What are you doing?” she asked quietly

“Getting stinking drunk, just like I told you I was going to do”

“How much have you had so far?”

“

Just one glass as of this lass in her direction “This one is number two” He wiped his face with a handkerchief