“Where’s my basket?” Casey calls to Isabel after shutting her car door. “By the way, I’m assuming I should lock it, right? Then again I’ve been trying to talk Michael into a new car for years so I’m gonna leave it open and hope one of your loony friends has the good sense to hot-wire it and go AWOL.”
Isabel laughs and inhales the smell of Casey’s shampoo as she hugs her. “God, I’ve missed you!”
“I’ve missed you, too, kid, but if you don’t let go of me your doctor will start saying things like ‘Isabel, I find it interesting that you chose not to tell me about your homosexual tendencies’ and that’s about the last thing you need right now, girlfriend.”
Isabel links her arm through her friend’s, turning her to the unit.
“Now, remember I told you about how weird it is here,” Isabel warns Casey. “You sure you’re up to this?”
“Are you kidding me? I’ve been scraping macaroni and cheese out from under the stove for the past three years. This is the most exciting thing I’ve done in, like…well, ever. Where’re you taking me? They gonna do a cavity search on me or something? If so, could you make sure it’s a guard who looks like Tom Cruise?”
“Julie, this is my friend, Casey,” Isabel says as she reaches for the clipboard to sign her in. “We’re just going to be out on the lawn.”
Julie looks at Casey’s empty hands and then says that would be fine.
“Why’d she look at my hands? She wondering if I’m single? She’s cute. For a price I could be.”
“I’m insulted. You won’t be my lesbian lover but you’d take Julie, who still wears headbands? She’s checking to make sure you aren’t smuggling in any contraband,” Isabel answers, opening the door to the outside again. “No razor blades, nooses. You know. Just your basic suicide-ward security.”
“Honey, I’m less worried about you now than I am about me,” Casey sighs, settling into a chair. “I almost put my head in the oven yesterday, I swear. Michael’s driving me insane. Come to think of it, I wonder if they have any rooms available here. We could bunk together. Braid each other’s hair. It’d be just like old times.”
Isabel soaks up Casey’s energy as if basking in the sun.
Casey looks at her. “Seriously, you look too thin. Are you eating?”
“Don’t start.” Isabel senses the conversation is turning serious.
“I know, I know. You can take the mom out of the suburbs…” She trails off and surveys the grounds. “Pretty nice digs. How is it really?”
“If I told you you wouldn’t believe me. But it’s fine. It’s good now, actually. I think I’m doing better.”
“You look like shit, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“You really need to form some opinions, Case.”
“What is it? You having trouble sleeping, too?”
“Casey?”
“What, honey?” Casey’s face studies Isabel’s.
“Um. It’s just. Well. I just don’t believe you’re really here. I can’t believe you came to visit me here.”
“You can’t? You’re the best friend I’ve ever had.”
“But…but, I dropped the ball for you. I wasn’t there for you when you were having your biopsy.” Isabel stops fighting her guilty tears and lets them roll down her cheeks.
Casey takes her hand. “But you wanted to be.”
“But I wasn’t there for you,” Isabel sniffs.
“Look at me.” Casey squeezes her hand. “You wanted to be.”