Thirty-four unread texts. She’d never received that many at once, not even on the day Sadie had learned how to send GIFs.
Her finger paused over the screen as Anne went suddenly cold with pure terror. Something horrible had to have happened for Hal to text her that many times. Was Sadie all right? Had she had some kind of medical event from all the stress?
Before she let herself corkscrew any further down that spiral, Anne pressed the green badge icon and clicked again to bring up the series of texts from Hal. Scrolled up to the top.
When she read the first message, the fear left her fast enough to make Anne slump with relief.
Today 1:32 PM
I’m so angry at you
I’m so angry at myself
Today 1:48 PM
Are you all right?
Please let me know if you are
Currently defining “all right” as fewer than three glasses deep, if you need a metric
Today 2:01 PM
For your information my weighted blanket is on the bottom shelf in the hall closet
There’s nothing like it for crushing panic right out of your bones
Or maybe I’m the only one panicking currently
Today 2:08 PM
Trying very hard to remember how much wine is in your house
Today 2:14 PM
Weighted blankets don’t give you hangovers
Today 2:31 PM
Anne you had no right to compare me to Fred like that
No right at all
Being angry is not an excuse for you to hurt me
There’s nothing wrong with me taking some time to think
Can’t you see that?
Today 2:48 PM
I just imagined a text from you
Would you like to know what it said
Today 2:53 PM
Fine, fine, I’ll tell you