Keeping a steady hand for a smooth eyeliner sweep was difficult on a regular day. Tired and wound tight made it almost impossible. She smudged the bold stripe at the corners of her eyes with her ring fingers. She pulled back from the mirror, blinked, and decided it looked okay. Okay had to be good enough. She needed to get back to Carly.

Carly had stayed in the car with the painting because they both didn’t want it to be left alone out in the open. Which was absurd. The more she thought of it, the worse she felt. What was Carly going to do if there was a problem? And why would there be a problem?

Paranoia had seeped into their waiting, and they were both trying to plan for every bad thing that could possibly happen—Carly by babysitting an inanimate object and Marcelline by painting her face as if it would level a playing field that clearly wasn’t. There was no controlling this, only rolling with it.

Marcelline crooked an arm around the bottles and tubes and their wrappers and plowed the whole lot into the plastic shopping bag. She had a last look at herself and didn’t feel as familiar with the reflection as she should. She scratched a tousle into her hair to stand in for something that looked like being at ease. It would have to do.

•  •  •

A mist of sweat surged over Marcelline’s body and she broke into a run when she saw no silhouette in the passenger side of the car. Carly was gone. Marcelline flinched automatically to check the back seat for the painting.

It was there, disguised in its bland bundle, and with a sting of guilt for what should have been her first concern, she turned a sweep for Carly. But like the painting, Carly was there, too, absolutely fine. She came across the blacktop with a small white bag from the party-supply place that bookended the run of stores at this end.

Marcelline’s heart surged, then paced down from booming panic to a merely headache-making bang.

“What are you doing?” She met Carly halfway so that she was close enough to hear a lowered voice.

“I’m sorry! I had to go to the bathroom. I picked the closest place. I could still see the car from the counter. I was only away from it for a minute. Everything was okay, so I bought some gum. My stomach hurts. I thought it would help. Do you want some?”

Marcelline had a hint of old pennies on her dry tongue. “Yeah, thanks.” She took the gum. “Come on. We should get going.”

•  •  •

“You should let me go in with you,” said Carly.