* * *

The fasting was difficult for her that day, so by the time Cerise and Daphne arrived in the late afternoon, Sero was cranky. She helped them get settled in the theater room and, despite her reservations about losing her privacy, invited them to share the clothes in her dresser. By the time of the welcome dinner, Sero was famished. She served herself two portions of pan-seared halibut with lemon-herb crust, wilted greens and French lentils, and found herself spooning one bite after another into her mouth, without slowing down to think about the food. She just enjoyed the flavors and the fullness it brought to her, and soon this made her feel guilty. Compounding her sense of guilt was the presence of Ericka and Zoe, still in good spirits, who had decided to extend their fast to a second day.

After dinner, Micah stood up with his wineglass. “Cerise, you have already saved my hide several times with your amazing expertise in all things technical.” He bowed in her direction and Cerise’s dimples appeared. “I’m excited for everyone else to be around your beautiful energy.” Sero again felt an unjustified enmity toward Cerise, so didn’t even register what Micah said next about Daphne. They went around the table, everyone saying some nice words about Cerise and then Daphne, and when Sero’s turn came, even though she didn’t know either of them very well, she knew to do the same.

* * *

The next day, Serotina helped Chef Guy prepare a batch of spinach and cheese omelets for breakfast and handed a plate to Ericka, but she insisted she was still fasting and consumed only one cup of black coffee. Out on the patio, Cerise and Daphne ate heartily as they laughed and talked with the others. Seeing them, Sero was reminded of the fresh excitement she’d felt months ago when she first moved in. She placed the extra omelet on the table between them. “Go ahead, we have an extra,” she told the girls.

Daphne happily divided the omelet between their two plates. “Thanks, Sero. These eggs are delicious.” Sero knew they would need the energy for the long day ahead of them. She had been fortunate to work mostly in the basement the past few months, a respite from the hard outdoor labor. In the past week, the weather had turned summer-like, with the sun beaming down from a cloudless sky, and a stillness to the air. After breakfast, they all went out to the fields to join Ericka and Zoe, who were clearing old kale and chard. Some of the plants had grown to the size of car tires, with thick and tenacious roots.

Ericka was squatting, wrestling one particular plant from the soil. When it finally broke free, she fell backwards on the ground. Sero looked up as Ericka began laughing. She got back up to her feet, but wavered for a moment before falling again, sideways, her knees buckling under her. Sero ran over and crouched down next to her friend. There was a bright scarlet trickle of blood down Ericka’s forehead, where she had come into contact with a sharp branch on the way down. “Ericka? You okay?”