Chapter 8 Epic Fail
Epic Fail
Odette
My mind was hazy as I woke the first morning in America.
I looked around the minimalistic bedroom where I nodded off.
Isla’s style prevailed. Even five years after her death, it looked chic.
I had to hand it to the woman; she could design a space.
It wasn’t lived in like our chateau—the one I still didn’t actually live in, but Wyatt bought for me.
I assumed this room was never touched as guests rarely stopped by.
My feet touched the plush rug. I pulled on the robe loaned from June over my borrowed fuzzy pink pyjamas.
I’d fallen asleep so quickly that I didn’t know what to do.
My head buzzed and throbbed. I prayed some coffee would make a difference.
I looked around to see if Wyatt brought my bag back by some miracle.
It was nowhere to be found. Instead, his casual leather shoes sat by the bedside where he slept. I’d missed everything.
Downstairs, the family talked and laughed. Rebecca’s husband joined. Theo ran around like his legs were on fire. Wyatt was his most domestic, making waffles in the cast iron press on the stove. I never saw anything like it.
“Did you sleep well, honey?” June asked.
“Like the dead,” I laughed. “How is everyone?”
“Good,” Rebecca said.
Wyatt gave me a quick kiss. “No dice on the bag. We’re working on it. They say it’s in Tampa and they’re trying to fly it back. I got the confirmation they should deliver it tonight.”
“Oh, thank God,” I sighed sheer relief. “They can tell you that?”
“They say it’s coming in by 4. But I’d plan to buy a new dress for tonight just in case. They said it will absolutely be here tomorrow.”
Wyatt was taking me out on a big date to a restaurant he and Isla invested in. It was run by a local guy who did fabulous farm-to-table cuisine. It was Wyatt’s favourite place, and he swore it had the best views of something called The Arch. I was curious but had little to wear now.
“If they cannot get my dress here—”
“They will,” Wyatt promised. “We will figure it out, otherwise.”
“Wyatt, this is why I said I wanted to bring it in my hand luggage.”
“I know. You were right,” Wyatt said. “But if we’d flown private—”
“I’m not a private citizen, Wy,” I groaned. “And we took that thing to St. Bart’s and they lit us on fire. I have to be careful for a bit.”
“You’re right. I don’t want to argue. I’m… well, sit. I will bring you what we call a Belgian waffle, but it’s anything but Belgian, I guess.”
I didn’t argue. I just wanted to eat. My schedule was completely screwed up. With delays and chaos, I was so tapped out. Traveling with a small child wasn’t easy, either. I had no idea how Wyatt managed doing it on his own.
“It smells amazing,” I said.
“I aim to please, Odie,” Wyatt said.
“We’ve got coffee.” June knowingly poured me a cup.
Theo, by now, was on his uncle’s phone explaining some YouTube person who liked trains.
“We’re going to take you shopping,” June said.
“Yep. Shopping and lunch,” Rebecca said. “I’m so excited you are here. I know we all just can’t wait to show you around.”
I smiled. “Sure. That will be fun.”
I sipped coffee, ate my waffle, and tried to ground myself; but all was not okay.
What I didn’t tell anyone was that the sudden reshuffling of my luggage led me to pack my supply of mood stabilisers and anti-anxiety medication in my checked bags.
That meant, the medicine I needed to function was off in Miami.
As such, I was in withdrawals from my Lamictal and wondering how much longer I could survive.
I didn’t want to alarm anyone if I could just get a dose that afternoon.
All would be fine in an hour, and I’d return to my normal, mellow self.
“I think Sak’s is our best bet,” Rebecca declared as we packed off. She’d been kind enough to loan me a sweater and leggings.
“Is that good?” I asked. “What is that?”
“A nice department store,” June said. “The fanciest here, I think.”
“Brilliant,” I agreed. “I just need a dress for dinner. It doesn’t have to be super posh, just smart.”
Sak’s was a big American department store with many labels I recognized.
I suspected Alexandra would have turned up her nose at some of the offerings.
It wasn’t Paris, but would do in a pinch.
I grabbed a couple pairs of jeans, a sweater dress, pumps, and a cute blue fit-and-flare number for dinner.
Overall, I couldn’t complain. This would work out.
After lunch at a place called the Cheesecake Palace where I ate my weight in a burger, fries, and slice of the stuff, we went home. By now, it was getting late and I hoped my bag arrived. Unfortunately, I was out of luck.
“I just called them,” Wyatt explained before I even had time to ask.
I winced. “And?”
His expression said it all. “Well, it’s gotten mixed up. It made it to St. Louis, but it was mis-delivered to an address in Columbia. They’ve gone to pick it up, but—”
“The country?” I panicked.
“No! The city. Columbia is a college town like two hours from here,” Wyatt said.
I took a deep breath.
“It won’t probably show up until the morning. They said the bags were all fine, just… they fucked up a little,” Wyatt said.
June rubbed my back. “It’s going to be fine. You have a beautiful dress. And we have a surprise!”
I wasn’t sure what that surprise was, but I knew it wouldn’t make up for the two days of missed medication—rolling into three.
I’d never skipped multiple days of my pills.
I was a good, compliant person who did not want to ever end up seeing the wrong side of psychosis again.
I wanted to be healthy. However, this withdrawal was getting to me. I felt dizzy and out of it.
The surprise was a very nice bottle of champagne for me to drink while I got ready. However, I didn’t want champagne. It turned my stomach to think about it. I wanted to take my medication and feel better.
“I know it’s not what you wanted,” Wyatt said as I unpacked the small amount of clothing I now owned. “But the dress will be here tomorrow, and isn’t that what matters?”
His sweet face and kind voice told me I could make it another eighteen hours. I knew I could.
I gave him a kiss. “Of course, baby. As long as we’re together, right?”
“Yeah. I cannot wait to take you out to this place. We’re going to have a great time!”
His excitement carried me through. I only hoped I didn’t ruin it by feeling so off. I got the feeling everyone worried I hated this place. I couldn’t say whether I liked St. Louis. I would have enjoyed everything more on my regularly scheduled medication regimen.