JUNE 21 2020

CO. WICKLOW, IE

POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES: 25,379 CASES

DEATHS: 1,715

"Swim, swim, swim!" Finn giggled from the back seat as Cassie turned onto Andrew's street. 

It had been a nonstop swimming discussion since they left the house an hour beforehand and Cassie was just about ready to dump her son off at the side of the road, if only to get five minutes' peace. 

I knew I shouldn't have told him where we were going, she groused internally. 

She pushed her sunglasses up her nose and slowed down at the turn off for Andrew's back driveway. The sleek black gate appeared in front of her and she lowered her window to push the button on the intercom that stood at the side of the driveway. A slight buzzing noise met her ears over the sound of traffic going by behind her car.

"Yes?" Andrew's voice sounded tinny coming through the small intercom speaker.

"Yo, its us," she replied, one arm dangling out of the window. 

"Ah! Come on in," Andrew said as the gate buzzed to life and began sliding out of the way.

"Cheers, see you in a sec," she replied.

She put the SUV in drive and proceeded up the driveway. The trees had really filled out and stretched over top of the gravel drive, creating a dapple effect with the sunlight. Andrew greeted her at the end of the drive, arms outstretched in greeting. She parked and looked around, realizing that she and Finn were the only two other people there.

"What, no Alex?" she asked as she got out of the SUV.

Andrew shook his head as he walked toward her. "No. He's off with his family. They've...they've had a loss," he said quietly, glancing behind her in Finn's direction.

Cassie felt her heart drop. "Oh, no. That's too bad. Is there anything I can do to help out?"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his messy bun. "Ehm, not really. But I suppose you could send flowers or something."

"Who was it?" she asked. 

"A cousin, I think," Andrew said. 

"Swim, swim, SWIM!" Finn shouted from the back seat. He punctuated each word with a swift kick to the back of the seat in front of him.

"I should probably get him before he roasts," Cassie remarked, turning back toward the vehicle. "C'mon, Bug," she said, hoisting him out of his car seat.

No sooner had she put him on the gravel drive did he make a mad dash for the back field, arms out stretched on either side in an attempt to balance himself as his little toddler legs navigated the slightly uneven terrain and taller grasses.

"Christ, did you give him meth before you left home?" Andrew asked, squinting into the sun to watch the child. 

"Shh. People will think I'm a bad mother," she quipped as she turned back to the SUV for their belongings. 

Andrew watched Finn do a full loop before turning back toward the house. He cringed slightly as the little boy tripped over something and disappeared behind the grasses. A moment later, a head full of blonde curls popped up and he righted himself onto his legs again. 

"I okay!" Finn called as he made his way back toward them. 

Cassie had unloaded several bags from the boot of the SUV and shut the tailgate by the time Finn came to a stop next to her, breathing heavily but with a bright smile on his face.

"Are you done running, Little Monster?" she asked, adjusting his shorts the right way around. He nodded emphatically. "Right, what are the rules of Andrew's house?" she asked, sliding her sunglasses up onto the top of her head and kneeling down in front of him.

Finn sighed heavily and looked to the side. "No wunning inside, no yewwing, and no swimming wifout a gwown up."

"10 points to Gryffindor," she said with a nod. 

"He's seen Harry Potter?" Andrew asked, slinging one of the bags over his shoulder and grabbing a second. 

Cassie shrugged. "I got desperate after the two hundredth episode of Peppa Pig. Don't judge me."

He chuckled and held the kitchen door open for them. "I'm not. There are worse things he could know about, given the way things are going at the moment." 

The house was cool, despite the bright sun streaming through the skylights above. Andrew's kitchen looked much the way she remembered it and she was pleasantly surprised to see several of her previous modifications to the worktop layout were still present. 

"So you can have your old room if you want to change or anything. Its all ready for you. I wasn't sure how long you were planning on staying or if Finn needed a nap, like," Andrew rambled. 

"Thanks, that'll be great. I'm sure he will need a nap. He'll probably exhaust himself in the pool," she smiled gratefully. 

"How was traffic coming out?" he asked, leading her through the house. 

Cassie took a firm hold of Finn's hand as they walked in an attempt to keep him under control. "It was so strange. I got so used to the streets being mostly empty, seeing traffic was such a shock to my system." They climbed the stairs to the second floor. She noticed that the table on the landing was still empty after Finn had broken the statue on it during their stay there. "That's part of why we're a bit later than I planned - I didn't account for the traffic."

He shrugged. "No worries. I was busy with work anyway." He set the two bags on the foot of the bed and rubbed his palms together. "Right. Well, I'll leave you to it. Just meet me downstairs when you're ready."

They swam for two hours before Cassie had to force Finn out of the pool for a break. Andrew furnished them with a late lunch of sandwiches and biscuits on the patio in the back garden. After lunch, Cassie put Finn down for a nap before joining Andrew in the kitchen.

"Is he out?" he asked, looking up from his phone.

She nodded. "Like a light. It almost makes me wish we had a pool at home. He'd go down to sleep this easily every night." She leaned on the island next to him. "So how have you been, really?" she asked. "Its weird seeing you all alone out here."

He  smiled. "I'm fine. Believe it or not, before all of this, I lived out here all alone for a while and did just fine."

"How's the dating situation going?" she asked.

Andrew looked away from her. "C'mon, Cass. There's a pandemic on. I'm not so desperate that I'm willing to risk my life for a fuck."

Cassie laughed and pushed off the counter. "Fair enough. Couldn't you do like a COVID test requirement? I was at a party in London with Will once and overheard one of the actors there saying how he did a STD test requirement for all of his hook ups."

"Then how is it a hook up then? Aren't they meant to be more...spontaneous?" he asked. 

She shrugged. "Dunno. Seemed to work for him, though."

 "How often...how often were you at parties and stuff like that with - with Will?" he asked, shifting on his feet.

"Not very often. Between his training schedule and my work, we were usually too busy to go. But occasionally he was expected to be somewhere, so I'd inevitably end up there with him," she explained. "I'm sure you've been to some wild parties in your time."

"More than I should have during my first album cycle," he admitted. 

"Did you have the celebrities who would come over to you and act like they were your biggest fan just to get a photo?" she asked. "I was at an event after one of my books went viral on Instagram and Taylor Swift came over and got pictures with me. For those three seconds I was her best friend in the entire world," she added with a fake wistful tone.

Andrew laughed. "Not that many these days, to be honest. One of the perks of living in the countryside and having very little to do with the fame side of things ninety percent of the time."

"Lucky bastard," she joked. She tapped the worktop with her fingers. "How are your parents keeping? And Jon?"

"They're actually coming for dinner tonight. You're welcome to stay, if you like," he offered. "I'm sure Mum would get a kick out of meeting Finn officially."

"I do owe you a lasagna, don't I?" she smirked.

"I wasn't going to say anything," he started, holding his hands up in mock innocence. "But there is the matter of your pool rental fee," he joked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," Cassie began opening drawers and cupboards in search of the materials used to cook with. "One lasagna, coming right up."

"Do you have everything you need? I can run out and get something if you need it," Andrew offered.

She surveyed the contents of his refrigerator and pantry. "No, I think you've got everything. I had some stuff left over the last time I made it here." She moved to the sink and began washing her hands. "C'mere. I'll teach you how to make it so you don't have to create reasons for me to do it for you. You can impress your next date."

He scoffed. "Yeah, my date a decade from now, sure."

"Oh please. Stop that shit," she laughed. "The second this pandemic is over, you'll be lousy with women. You'll be beating them off with your Takamine."

The image made Andrew laugh. "Sure, right."

"Hey, do you think I could pay the ESB with lasagna?" she joked.

"If I worked for them, I'd allow it," he shrugged. "Seems a fair trade-off." 

Cassie walked him through the process of making the lasagna. It wasn't a complex one, but it did have lots of steps. He listened, dutifully following her instruction. An hour and a half later, a freshly-made lasagna was steaming on the worktop and Cassie was scrubbing the sauce pot in the sink. 

"I found this lurking in the corridor upstairs," Andrew said, swinging Finn up onto a bar stool at the island. Peals of Finn's laughter bounced off the high ceiling. "My parents said they'll be here in half an hour. Are you OK if I go get cleaned up?" he asked.

"Oh - uh, sure," she answered.

She looked down at her t-shirt, splashed down the front with water from the sink. The leggings underneath it didn't add much to the outfit. Suddenly, she felt a bit self-conscious about her appearance. 

Why do you care? she asked herself. You've met Raine before and spoken to Jon on the phone. Its not like they'll be dressed up or anything. Stop being absurd.

She shook her head to clear it as she placed the now-clean pot on the drying rack next to the sink and dried her hands on a tea towel. Finn was watching her when she turned around.

"Did you have a good nap, Bug?" she asked. He nodded. "What do you think about us staying for dinner?"

Finn's face lit up like a flamethrower. "Weawwy?!" 

"But, you need to be on your best behavior because Andrew's family is coming, too," Cassie started. "And we won't be doing any more swimming." His face fell just as dramatically as it lit up. "We did enough swimming today. We can come back another time and do more."

He sighed as though the weight of the world had just been placed on his shoulders. "OK."

She chuckled and ruffled his curls. "I think if you spent any more time in the water, you'd turn into a fish, Bug." In an effort to make him feel better, she made a big show of looking at a spot on his neck and gasping. "What's this? I think I see a scale right here!" Finn burst into laughter and wriggled as she tickled him. 

Thirty minutes later, the kitchen door opened and the sounds of guests arriving drifted out to Cassie's ears on the patio. She took a quick drink from her wine glass and stood, smoothing her shirt and tidying her hair as best she could. 

"Finn! Come here, please!" she called across the garden where Finn had been closely examining a tree.

He trotted over and stood next to Cassie, fussing slightly as she attempted to straighten his clothes and tame his curls. After a moment, the voices got closer to the patio and Jon appeared in the doorway.

"Ah! Cassie! Lovely to meet you, finally!" he greeted her warmly, opening his arms for a hug. She allowed him to hug her lightly, keeping a firm grip on the collar of Finn's shirt to keep him from dashing away. "And you must be Finn," Jon said looking down at him. Finn looked up at him with wide eyes. 

"I think it's the height. You're all giants," she explained lightly. 

Jon laughed and turned back toward the door where Andrew's father was making his way out to the patio on a pair of elbow crutches. "Oh, here, Dad. I've got that," he said quickly. He hurried to help him down the small step.

Cassie felt Finn step back in fear as he took in the crutches extending from the older man's forearms. "It's OK, Bug. They help him walk," she said softly, leaning closer to his ear. 

"Finn!" John said jovially. "How are you, lad?"

Cassie nudged him in the back with her knee. "H-hi," he replied softly, eyes still wide.

"Cassie, in the flesh, finally," John added with a smile. "Lovely to meet you officially." With some effort, he got himself to a chair and sat down heavily. She stepped forward and took his crutches from him before they fell over. "Oh thank you, my dear."

"No problem," she replied. "It's nice to officially meet you as well," she added with a light chuckle. "I feel like there's been a lot of 'official' meetings these days." 

Jon took the crutches from her and leaned them up against the house. "We owe you a bit of thanks, though, Cassie," he said. "For getting Dad matched up with Tadgh."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it. It was nothing, really. Tadgh's son goes to school with Finn. It really wasn't a big deal. I was happy to be helpful," she explained. "Besides, Raine already thanked me enough," she added with a laugh. 

"A cake was not enough of a thank you," the older woman said, appearing at the door with Andrew behind her. "If you hadn't connected us with him when you did, John would have been waiting for weeks to get any sort of treatment. It took them that long to get themselves organized."

"It was just a happy coincidence, I suppose," Cassie allowed. "Either way, I'm glad to have been useful."

"Speaking of useful, the lasagna is Cassie's handiwork, as well," Andrew said, setting down a large bag next to his father. 

"Oh it smells delicious," Raine said. "Here, let me help get it ready," she made a move to go back inside. 

"Oh, that's alright. I've got it," Andrew said quickly. "We'll manage. You guys relax."

"Finn, do you want to stay out here?" Cassie asked. He nodded without looking up at her. "Remember the rules, please," she told him quietly before walking away.

Christ, don't let him make me look bad, she willed into the universe as she followed Andrew into the kitchen.

He gathered plates and cutlery while she sliced and served large pieces of lasagna. A salad materialized on the plates from the refrigerator and she helped carry the plates out to the table. To her surprise, Finn was sitting in the chair next to John.

"Mama, did know John's wegs don't work wight?" he asked excitedly.

Balls, she sighed heavily and winced out a smile. "Sorry," she said softly to everyone else. "He's nearly three and has no filter."

"That's alright," John said with a smile. "I'd rather he be curious than scared of me."

Her heart slowed slightly and she set down two plates. Andrew followed with four others. 

"Can I get anyone anything to drink?" he asked, wiping his hands. 

"I'll take a beer, if you've got any in," Jon said, leaning back.

Cassie moved to retrieve it but Andrew stopped her with a hand on her elbow. "Go sit. You've done enough," he assured her. 

She picked Finn up and sat down in his seat, settling him into her lap. "How have you all been keeping?"

"Now that things are opening back up again, pretty well," Jon said. "The lads and I have managed to meet up for actual pints instead of sitting in our pants on the sofa with pints at home."

"Impressive," she laughed. 

"What's a pint?" Finn asked.

The table broke into laughter as Andrew set a beer bottle down in front of Jon.

"It's a drink, Bug," Cassie explained carefully.

"I want one!" Finn exclaimed, looking around.

"In due time, my friend," Jon chuckled.

"No faiw!" Finn pouted.

"I'll get you a pint, Finn. Hang on a second," Andrew said, disappearing back into the house. A moment later, he set a tall glass of milk on the table in front of the toddler. "The finest pint, right there," he gave Cassie a knowing smirk before sitting at the far end of the table. 

"Cassie, I must say, this smells and looks fabulous," John said, picking up his fork. 

"Well, I've taught Andrew how to make it, so now you can badger him for it at the next family meal," she answered with a smile. 

"Much appreciated," Raine said. "Now the biggest challenge will be to ensure he actually shows up at a decent time."

"Ha ha," Andrew rolled his eyes at the good-natured jab. "I'm not that bad when it comes to going places on time."

"Son, you very nearly missed your own leaving certs," John reminded him. "I'm not entirely sure you can be fully trusted to arrive anywhere on time, let alone with a fully made meal in tow."

Andrew chewed on his tongue and smirked. "Yeah, yeah."

The sun had begun to descend toward the horizon, casting long shadows over the back garden. Cassie was pleasantly surprised at how easily the conversation flowed. Andrew eventually opened a bottle of wine and offered everyone a glass, though his mother declined. They spoke of how things had changed since the pandemic began and things they wanted to do. Eventually the conversation turned toward Cassie and her work and she did her best to answer politely. Even Finn seemed to be on his best behavior, though Cassie suspected it was because he enjoyed the attention he was getting from the adults. 

"I brought dessert," Raine announced as Andrew stood to begin clearing the table. "I'll help."

The sun had very nearly set by then and Finn was rubbing his eyes and yawning in Cassie's lap. "I'm not sure we'll be staying," she began.

"Oh you should. It's Mum's chocolate cake," Jon suggested next to her.

Finn perked up considerably. "I wike chocowate cake!" he said, sitting up straight. 

Cassie sighed and glared slightly at Jon. He shrugged obliviously. "What?"

"Hey Finn, d'you think you could get my crutches for me?" John asked, a sparkle in his eye. 

Finn nodded enthusiastically and slid down from Cassie's lap. "O'couwse."

Cassie watched Finn run over to the crutches and carefully pick one up. "So Jon, how is the film coming? You're starting shooting soon, aren't you?"

Jon nodded. "Yeah. Just wrapping up a few more pre-production bits and bobs and we should be good to go in about two weeks, assuming nothing falls apart, obviously." He took a long sip from his water glass. "Have you ever considered getting any of your books turned into a film?"

Cassie kept one eye on Finn as he trotted back to retrieve the other crutch after delivering the first one. "Uh...I haven't really given it much though, to be honest. It sort of makes me nervous, I think."

"Why?"

"Well, I'm not really sure I trust anyone else to do the story justice, y'know?" she answered. "Also, I don't think there's a lot of interest to make anything into a film."

"That's not true," Jon chuckled. "Your first book is absolutely massive. I'd say that's cause for considering it."

Cassie shrugged. "I'm not really sure how I'd feel about it, either. A film is a big project and every time I've seen a book turned into a film, it never seems to go well. So it's probably best to just let it be."

Andrew appeared in the doorway, tea towel in one hand and Cassie's cell phone in the other. "Cass, your phone was ringing. I think it was Elijah," he called.

She pushed back from the table and stood. "Thanks. I'll phone him back. Don't wait for me to start." 

John had gotten his crutches situated and stood as well, meaning to head inside for the toilet. She waited for him to get inside before taking her phone from Andrew and walking through the house to the front room. She saw the notification from Elijah's phone call as well as several text messages with a sense of urgency about them. She sat on the sofa and started a call with him.

"There you are! I've been trying to get you for like, an hour!" Elijah exclaimed by way of greeting. 

"Sorry! I've been at Andrew's with Finn. We were swimming and then -," she started before he cut her off. 

"Dad's tested positive for COVID," he interrupted. 

She felt her heart drop into her stomach and the blood drained from her face. A flashback of the fear and exhaustion she felt when she'd had COVID blew past and she had to dig her fingernails into her palm to keep from jumping into panic. 

"W-what?" she asked. 

"Dad's got COVID. He's at home, but his doctor said he should be extra careful because of his asthma," he explained. 

"But what about Bethany? And the kids? Are they all positive, too?" she asked, running her hand over her face. 

"So far, no. But he's isolating," Elijah sighed. His face was screwed up in concern. "It's really just a matter of time at this point."

Cassie felt her chest begin to tighten and she gripped the edge of the sofa cushion with her free hand. "Uh...is...can I do anything?" she asked. 

He sighed. "I don't think there's anything you can do from there. He's in good spirits though, according to Beth, so it must not be too bad yet. Or maybe he got lucky and he's got it easy. I don't know."

"When I had it, it took me out like a freight train, 'Lij," she said softly. "And I have two fully functioning lungs. This shit doesn't play."

"I know. I know," he replied. "Look, I'm gonna leave tomorrow morning and drive down, OK? Sam's parents said I could stay in their rental down by the river. I'll check things out and see where we go from there. The doctor told Beth to monitor Dad's breathing and make sure he's taking everything he can for his asthma. If it gets bad, they'll take him in to the hospital."

"Christ, Elijah!" Cassie shouted, her voice echoed off the ceiling. "If he goes into a hospital, he might not come out!"

"I know, alright? I know. But right now, its the best they can do," he assured her. "Look, I need to pack and get things set up for when I leave. I'll let you know when I'm on my way and keep you updated on everything. I'm gonna try to go straight through, so I should be there by the evening. I'll call you then, OK?"

She felt panic rise like bile in her throat. "Please be careful," she whispered. 

"I will," he answered. "Everything will be fine, alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Talk to you later."

Elijah ended the call and Cassie found herself sitting in silence, with the sound of Andrew and his family drifting in faintly from the open kitchen door. Her ears were ringing and she sat on the sofa for several minutes, trying to slow her heart rate. 

"Cass?" Andrew's voice made her jump. "You alright?"

She inhaled sharply and swallowed before standing. "Uh...yeah." Her voice came out slightly strangled.

He was standing hesitantly in the doorway, a questioning look on his face. "What did Elijah want?"

She cleared her throat, trying to push the panic down. "It's just my dad. Elijah said he'd gotten COVID."

Andrew's face creased in concern. "Oh, Cass, I'm so sorry."

"We should - we should get back, right?" she said, blinking rapidly. Her eyes were burning with the threat of tears. 

"Are you - are you OK?" he asked, catching her arm as she tried to push past him. 

She sighed and clenched her eyes shut, trying to keep the tears from falling. "I'm fine, OK? Let's just...let's just get back outside," she insisted.

Andrew moved aside, allowing her to pass. She could feel his presence looming behind her as she took several deep breaths and tried to rearrange her face into a pleasant expression. 

"Mama!" Finn trotted over to her and ran into her leg with so much force that she had to take a step back to steady herself. 

"Everything alright, Cassie?" Jon asked.

"Oh - uh, yes. Yes, everything's fine," she said, forcing a smile. "Let me help with the dishes," she said, gently moving Finn aside and stepping toward the table. 

"Oh, you don't want dessert?" Raine asked. "I cut you a slice. It's the same as the one I made before."

"Y'know, Raine, I'd love to, but I'm just super full right now," Cassie said, setting her hand on her stomach. "Too much lasagna, I think," she added with a light chuckle. 

"Oh, well, maybe you could take it home. I'd hate for it to go to waste," the older woman suggested. 

"Oh, definitely," Cassie answered, noncommittally. 

She grabbed two dessert plates, smeared in rich chocolate frosting, and carried them in to the sink. She set them on the bench top and turned to go back outside, but ran into John.

"Oh - sorry, John. You go first," she gestured for him to pass through the door ahead of her. 

"Cassie, I don't mean to pry, but I overheard your phone call just now," he said softly, tilting his head. "I hope your father is doing alright?" he asked. He shifted his weight on his crutches slightly as he surveyed her.

She looked away and nodded. "Thanks. Yeah, I suppose he's doing as well as can be expected, given the way things are." His eyes were Andrew's eyes, penetrating and sharp. 

He nodded and turned toward the door again and she spun to face the sink as Andrew entered the kitchen with another armful of dirty plates and forks. 

"I think you should stay here tonight, Cass," he said softly. "It's late and I don't think you should be driving. Or that you should be alone."

"Andrew-," she protested. 

"No. Stay here and leave first thing in the morning if you want," he pressed. "But you shouldn't be alone." He deposited the pile on the worktop next to the sink.

Cassie turned and faced him, inhaling shakily. Suddenly, she felt as though all of her energy had been completely sapped. Her head felt heavy on her shoulders, her arms dangled limply at her sides. She didn't have the energy to fight him on this. 

"Sure," she sighed. "Finn'll love it."

Andrew's face eased into a soft smile. "I'll fish him out of the pool in the morning for you, don't worry."

His smile eased her anxiety slightly and she relaxed against the edge of the sink. "Thanks. I'll owe you."

Jon appeared in the doorway, causing Andrew to take a step back. "Right, that's me off," Jon said, opening his arms for Andrew to hug him. 

"And where's my kid?" Cassie asked as the two men embraced. 

Jon waved his hand dismissively over his shoulder. "Oh he's...out there...somewhere."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Helpful, thank you."

"What? It's fenced," he shrugged. 

"Nice to officially meet you," she said, forcing a smile. "We should definitely get together here soon and you can tell me more about the script process."

He embraced her as well. "Definitely. Let's connect in a week or so and we can set something up?"

"Deal." Her attention was drawn past his shoulder and out into the dark garden. "I've gotta go child-hunting. I'll talk to you later," she said, walking past him and out into the cool night air. 

Cassie let the silence of the evening envelop her as she stood outside. Her heart was racing and for the moment, she was grateful for the solitude. It gave her a second to think. She brought her hand to her stomach in an attempt to stop it rolling. She heard Finn shouting gleefully as he ran past her, the sugar from Raine's chocolate cake taking full effect. His voice became muffled as she blinked away tears. The ringing in her ears intensified as her throat began to ache with tears. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively and blinked rapidly.

Stop this, she told herself. He's just sick. Loads of people are sick. The odds are that he will be just fine in a week or so. You and Finn were fine. Dad will be fine, too. As long as he stays at home and Beth takes care of him, everything will be okay.

You should be there, too, another voice in her head whispered. He's gonna die and you're not going to be there.

Her heart picked up speed like a runaway train and she felt her breath catch in the middle of her throat as the voice repeated itself and grew louder.

He's gonna die and you won't be there. He's gonna die and you won't be there. He'sgonnadieandyouwon'tbethere. He'sgonnadieandyouwon'tbethere! HE'SGONNADIEANDYOUWON'TBETHERE!

"Cassie?" a hand at her shoulder made her jump out of her skin. She whipped her head around to see Andrew standing next to her, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly before nodding her head. "Yes," she replied softly. 

"Please don't lie to me," he said. "You don't look alright."

Just then, Finn came running up to her, panting heavily. "Mama, did you see? I was wunning so fast!"

"Yes you were, Bug!" she exclaimed, making an exaggerated happy face for his benefit. "You did so well. Did you have fun?" 

Finn nodded enthusiastically. "I wanna do it evewy day!"

"Oh, I don't know about that!" she said. "Come on. We should get you cleaned up and ready for bed." She hoisted him onto her hip. 

"Cass-," Andrew started. 

"Later," she said pointedly as she walked into the house.

As she bathed Finn and got him ready for bed, her mind was elsewhere. She was so distracted that Finn had to remind her to wash the shampoo out of his hair before taking him out of the bath. When he was tucked into bed, she stood in the hallway outside his door, struggling to tame her racing thoughts.

The sound of running water and dishes clinking below brought her back to reality. She took the stairs slowly, as if in a trance, letting her palm slide across the smooth polished wood of the railing. She found Andrew in the kitchen, washing dishes from dinner. A pair of empty wine glasses sat on the island next to an unopened bottle of red wine. She slid into one of the bar stools and rested her head on the cool granite, enjoying the way it slowed her pulse. She raised her head as the water stopped. He wiped his hands on a towel and walked over to her. 

"Is he down?" he asked. She nodded, keeping her eyes trained on the work top. "Cassie, I-," he started, but she didn't hear the rest. 

Cassie launched herself against his chest, clinging on like a monkey to a tree branch. After a moment of hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her, his hands settled on her back. She burst into tears, unable to hold them back any longer. Her sobs were muffled against his t-shirt and each time she drew a ragged breath, it felt like he held her tighter. His chin rested on top of her head as she relaxed into his solid form. 

She'd forgotten what it felt like to be held by someone else like that. To feel another body, solidly against her own, reminding her that she was, in fact, not alone.