The Bath || Stenbrough

1985

"We're here sweetheart." Bill shakes me softly awake, giving me a half-hearted smile.

I sit up and grab my bag from under my seat. A voice comes on the speakers, so loud it almost gave me a heart attack. "You may now exit the plane, and again, thank you for flying with Delta!" The woman on the speakers has the energy of a pre-school teacher, the annoying fake-happy that makes me cringe. 

Bill stands first, I follow after him. I want to hold his hand, as a way to ease the stress I'm feeling, but I know two men holding hands is highly frowned upon. Instead, I discreetly brush my arm against his, only him knowing it was purposeful. I walked behind him across the airplanes aisle, looking out the windows along the way. The feeling of summer in my home state feels calming, yet terrifying all at once. The memories of riding my bike across the sidewalk around my house as my mother scolded me to slow down, but also the memories of staring into the terrifying depts of the sewer drains, begging Bill to come home and play ball instead. We exit the plane, my sneakers brushing against the awful texture of the carpet. The baggage carousel is filled with luggage that all looks the same, but I easily find ours because of the purple string tied to the handle. I begin rolling it across the airport but Bill takes it from my hands. 

"I can take it." He half whispers, since the whole airport is quiet, full of groggy vacationers. 

"Thanks." I flash him a loving smile. 

Later, we get a shiny rental car, much newer than our own. Bill drives, insisting I should rest. I argue that I've gotten enough rest on the plane but he strongly disagrees. He places his large hand firmly on the steering wheel and begins to drive. 

"Bill?" I mumble after about 10 minutes of painfully awkward silence.

"Yeah?" Bill replies, his gaze never leaving the dark roads of Maine. 

"I'm scared." I confess, sending a small tear down my cheek.

"Me too, but it's going to be okay. We did it once, we can do it again. I'll be there the whole t-time, alright love? I'm going to be here, I always am. I promise." My husbands comforting voice sends waves of calm through my body, but the bliss doesn't last long.

"What if someone dies?" My worries come into my brain and straight out through my mouth.

Bill looks away from the road and back at me, his eyes growing wide with dread. "Listen to me. We're going to be fine. I promise."

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Bill holds my hand as we walk through the doors of Derry's local Chinese restaurant. The friendly face of an old lady I could've sworn would be dead by now greets us. He rubs my knuckles softly, as panic surges through my heart. 

"Table for two?" The wrinkled woman asks.

"We were supposed to meet a friend here, Mike Hanlon?" Bill says calmy, even though his hands are sweating like crazy.

"Ah yes, Michael, fine young man." She smiles reminiscently at the mention of the man. She leads us to a small secluded room, where Mike immediately attacks Bill and I with tight hugs. We both flinch awkwardly at his sudden shows of affection.

"You came!" He exclaims. "You both came! Oh, I knew you would!" 

"Yeah, losers got to stick together, I guess." Bill smiles gawkily.

I nod, tapping my thigh with two fingers.

A short man walks through the door next, telling a waitress all about his allergies. I wouldn't have recognized him if not for his fast speaking and his obvious fear of getting sick. The man, who is Eddie Kapsbrak, has wide eyes as he stares at me, Bill, and Mike.