Tell Them This When I Die

A perfect Attendance Will Save Your Life

Eris is making breakfast when she gets a call from Caledon. She puts the avocado down and picks up the phone. Answers.

"Hi, Eris," Caledon says. "I heard something."

"What's that?" Eris says. She turns her back to Adam, who's on the couch.

"Heard you've been hooking up with a cop."

"You have a wife, Caledon. Don't think it should matter to you." She puts the phone in between her shoulder and ear.

"Come on, Eris. Don't you think it's a dangerous game?"

Eris chops the avocado, glancing at Adam, who spins a cracker on the coffee table, watching the bottle of gin that still hasn't gone down.

"No," she says. "Why are you calling?"

"I'm calling because I'm nervous. You're playing games with our stability here."

Eris has never known Caledon to act like this. "Hang up, Caledon. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"I want to see the stores, Eris."

Eris barks out a laugh. Adam looks up from his cracker to her.

"I'm serious. Stores, so I know you're not leaving me dry when you go to prison."

Eris sighs, abandoning her avocado. She taps her finger on the counter. Caledon, asking for the stores. He's a good man. Has a wife. He's probably not up to anything but what he says he's up to. But then again, Eris doesn't eat eggs.

Eris sighs. Caledon is just being nervous. "I'll take you to the stores, Caledon," she says. Her gut has never been wrong before.

At her words, Adam looks over at her again.

Caledon lets out a long sigh. "When?"

"Next week."

"That's too far away."

"Don't get jumpy now. Stores next week, final offer."

Caledon glances over at his wife, making a batch of soy-milk cookies because she knows regular milk hurts his stomach. "Fine," he says.

"Fine," Eris replies. Hangs up the phone. Caledon wants to see the stores. Eris doesn't eat eggs.

Adam reaches for the gin.

"Wilkes called your phone yesterday while you were asleep," Eris says. She stabs a piece of avocado with her fork. Adam takes his hand away from the gin.

"Figured I shouldn't answer it," Eris says.

Adam is glad she didn't. He's on a month-long hiatus. Mental health. Wilkes thinks Adam is staying with Sarah and Daphne at home.

"He's going to want to talk about you going back," Eris says.

Adam eyes the gin. He can't live with Eris once he goes back to work. One step at a time.

"Eris," he says.

"Adam," she answers. She cleans the knife in the sink.

"Can you..." He trails off. She dries the knife. Glances at him.

"I mean, have you spoken to Sarah?" he asks.

Eris puts the knife away. "Yes," she lies. Sarah still thinks Eris is luring and holding Adam hostage. Sarah doesn't understand the long game. Doesn't understand that people don't get sober until they decide they want to get sober.

"Daphne—"

"Daphne doesn't want to see you," Eris says. She fills a glass with water. "She said you scared her when you yelled that night."