Julia

by Ashley Merrick

  The next morning, she went downstairs, hoping that Liam would already be up and back to normal, but her heart sank when she realized that wasn’t the case. She went through the normal morning routine, had a cup of coffee and then went to check on him.

  This time, at least, he responded the first time she called his name, but it wasn’t the response she was hoping for.

  “I’m sorry. I just can’t get up. It’s impossible.” He rolled over and then muttered something that she didn’t quite catch, but it sounded like, “Not worthy. Not fair to you.”

  “Liam, what should I do? Do you need a doctor?” Now she was panicking a little. Her charming, handsome husband was buried under a black cloud, unable to get out of his own bed.

  He rolled back her way and looked up at her with sad eyes. “The doctor can’t help me. I’m sorry.” He shut his eyes then and pulled the covers tight around him as if trying to block everything out, to escape.

  “Okay, don’t worry about it. I’ll figure something out.”

  It was still early and Julia decided it was time to call in an expert. She hitched up the buggy and drove as quickly as she could to Liam’s parents’ house.

  His mother heard the buggy coming down the drive and opened the front door as Julia drew closer.

  “Is everything all right? Is it Liam?” His mother had a look of concern, obviously sensing that something was wrong.

  “I’m not sure what’s wrong, but Liam isn’t himself. That’s why I came to see you.”

  “Well, come inside and tell me what’s going on.”

  Julia followed her into the kitchen and filled her in on Liam’s odd behavior.

  “And there’s no fever?” she asked.

  “None. He doesn’t seem sick. He just can’t get out of bed and is sleeping around the clock. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I have. Have a seat, my dear.” They both sat at the kitchen table and then his mother began to talk.

  “Liam’s father suffers from moderate to severe depression. I learned this soon after I married him, when something very similar happened. He was in bed for days, barely eating, and utterly exhausted. We were very lucky, though, that an Indian friend of his happened to come by the house during this time and saw him in bed and unresponsive. He knew instantly what the problem was and he had a solution. Many of the Indians have an understanding of natural medicine, how to treat different illnesses with herbs that heal. He suggested one, St. John’s Wort, and prescribed a tea made from the dried leaves.”

  “Is that what is wrong with Liam? Depression?” Julia was stunned. It had never occurred to her. She didn’t know anything about depression.

  “Yes, he suffers from it, just like his father.”

  Julia was still having a hard time wrapping her head around the idea of it. “But, he’s the most upbeat and cheerful person I know.”

  His mother smiled. “People with depression often hide it behind an outgoing personality. Liam is like his father that way, too.”

  “How often do episodes like this happen?”

  “Not often at all, as long as they have it under control. Liam hasn’t had an episode like this in years. I wonder if he stopped taking the herbs?”

  “I haven’t seen him take any kind of medicine or herbs since we’ve been married.”

  His mother frowned at that. “That’s not good. But still, it probably wouldn’t have set off an episode like this without some kind of a reason. Has anything happened to upset him? Have you noticed any changes in behavior at all?”

  Julia thought about that. “Not really, I know he’s been stressed about work, just tired, mostly. He doesn’t drink much, but he has had a second beer a few times this week. But that’s nothing, he never has more than one or two.”

  “He’s been drinking more alcohol? That could be it. The combination of not having his medicine and drinking more than usual, even just one extra beer, could trigger it.”

  “Okay, so how long do these episodes last? What can I do to fix it?” Julia was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. To think that her handsome, happy husband actually suffered from depression.

  “You’ve been covering for Liam at the pub, right?” Julia nodded and then wondered about the time—she should probably be on her way. Almost as if she’d read her mind, his mother said, “Why don’t you head out, then, and go to the pub. I’ll head to your house, check in on Liam and fix him a big, strong pot of St. John’s Wort tea.”

  “Thank you. That would be wonderful.”

  “It’s not an instant fix, you know,” his mother warned. “It will likely take several days for the tea to begin to work and for his depression to lift.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Julia stopped back at home again in the afternoon and brought more food with her. This time, Mrs. Johnson had made a beef stew. Liam’s mother was still there and had a pot of water brewing for tea. She poured them both a cup, which Julia welcomed. It felt good to sit and just be soothed by the warmth of the tea.

  “How is he?”

  “Probably about the same as when you left him. Although I did get a pot of tea into him. I steeped the leaves nice and long so he’d get a strong dose. He’s sleeping soundly, now.”

  “Thank you. Did he eat anything?”

  “No, but I’ll make sure he gets some of this stew down before I leave. Like I said this morning, it’s going to be at least a few more days before he is up and around. I’ll come by each day and I’ll bring him soup so you don’t have to keep running home mid-day.”

  “I don’t mind,” Julia said.

  “I know, but it’s too much. Especially if you have to stay and close up, too. You know, this might be a good chance for you to train that other fellow to close down, so he can cover for Liam. I know you mentioned that Liam was resistant to the idea.”

  “He has been, but he also trusts Billy and I do, too. I think that’s a great idea.”

  ###

  When Julia arrived back at the pub, as she walked in, she noticed that Isaac was outside repairing one of the side windows.

  “What happened?” she asked Billy when she reached the bar.

  He frowned. “Someone threw a rock at the window. Came this close to hitting a customer.”

  “Really? Who would do that? Was anyone hurt?”

  “No, it came through pretty cleanly, actually. Wasn’t much to clean up. Isaac is replacing the pane now. I ran out immediately, but whoever did it was faster. Kids, probably.” He didn’t look convinced, though.

  “Has anything like this happened before?”

  Billy was quiet for a moment, and then said, “Yes, several times, actually. This is the worst yet, though. Whoever is doing this is getting bolder.”

  “What else has happened?” Liam hadn’t mentioned anything to her.

  “Well, there might not be a connection, could just be coincidence.” He paused, reluctant to continue, and Julia crossed her arms, waiting. Finally, he continued. “Our specials board that hangs outside went missing and was found in the trash out back. Then a week or two ago, we brought the food delivery inside and all the eggs were cracked. Liam said something to Ed and he insisted they’d been delivered in perfect condition and we believed him. He’s not going to jeopardize his reputation delivering faulty product.” Julia wasn’t so sure about that given his creative pricing before, but nodded and asked, “Anything else?”

  “Just that Rusty has been stopping in most nights and it’s almost like he’s just taking note, sizing things up. He’s a strange bird, that one. He’s mighty pissed that Liam seems to be making a go of this business. I don’t think he thought he’d be a real threat at first.”

  “Do you think he had anything to do with the broken window?” She wondered if he was trying to intimidate Liam.

  “I’m not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me any.”

  “Okay, good to know. We’ll have to stay alert. I don’t like him.”

  Billy chuckled at that. “Not many do.”

/>   ###

  The next few days passed without incident and Liam’s condition remained mostly the same. His mother came faithfully every day. She made sure he drank copious amounts of the brewed St. John’s Wort tea and made sure he ate something. By day six, Julia was exhausted from working so many double-shifts and worrying about Liam. When Billy offered to close that night, she gratefully agreed and walked him through what needed to be done.

  When she arrived home that day, a little past four, Liam’s mother was there, as usual, but this time, Liam was sitting in the kitchen with her. He was freshly shaven and dressed, almost looking himself.

  “Hi, there,” she said cautiously as she walked in.

  “You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Liam said with a weak smile.

  “We were just about to eat. Are you hungry?” his mother asked as she took a pan off the stove and started pouring what looked like chicken stew into a bowl.

  “Yes, starved actually.” Julia got silverware and poured water for everyone before sitting back at the table.

  “How are you feeling?” she asked Liam tentatively.

  “I’m starting to feel like myself.” He took her hand, then and squeezed it. “Thank you. For everything. For covering at the pub, and for just being here and being patient with me. I know it wasn’t easy.”

  “Of course.” She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and then turned her attention to her soup when his mother joined them.

  After they ate, his mother stood to leave and then asked, “Should I come by tomorrow?”

  “No, thanks Mom. I think I’ll be heading back into the pub tomorrow.”

  “Are you sure? Are you ready to go back? You don’t have to.” Julia was worried he might push himself too far, too fast.

  “No, I think he might be ready,” his mother agreed.

  “I’ll be ready by tomorrow.” Liam confirmed. “Looking forward to it, actually.”

  After his mother left, Liam turned to Julia and asked, “So, fill me in. What’s new at the pub? Any problems? Things going okay?”

  Julia hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to mention the window incident, and then decided he didn’t need to worry about that yet. She didn’t want anything to interfere with him feeling stronger.

  “Everything is going great, actually. Billy is closing up tonight. He insisted that I take the night off.” She smiled at that.

  “Billy’s a good guy. I probably should have had him close sooner than this.”

  “Are you really feeling better? You scared me,” Julia admitted.

  “Yes, and I’m sorry. Truly sorry.”

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for. Your mother explained that both you and your dad suffer from depression.”

  “Honestly, I thought I was over it. That it wasn’t an issue anymore—like I’d grown out of it or something. It had been so long since anything like this had happened, and now I realize it was all because of the medicine, the herbs. As long as I take them regularly, it keeps the darkness at bay. It’s a condition that never really goes away, but it can be managed. I won’t let this happen again.”

  “Well, if it does, at least I’ll know what the problem is and what to do.”

  “It won’t happen again,” he assured her once more. “Now I know that I can’t stop taking this medicine.”

  “Well, I can help with that, too.”

  “I must be such a disappointment to you.” Liam looked so sad that it broke Julia’s heart. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

  “Don’t ever say that! This isn’t your fault. I’m just happy to have you back, and that you’re feeling better.”

  “I don’t deserve you,” Liam continued to protest.

  Julia gave him a dark look and then gently kissed his hand.

  “I was worried sick about you.”

  “You were?” He sounded surprised.

  “Of course I was. I’m your wife, after all.” She smiled at him, trying to improve his mood.

  “You are indeed, and I am a very lucky man.” He pulled her closely and went to kiss her cheek, but Julia turned her head so his lips landed on hers instead. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back hard. When he finally pulled back and looked a bit dazed, she chuckled. “I’m feeling pretty lucky, too.”

  He still looked tired to her, so she suggested they get a good night’s sleep and head in together in the morning. She wanted to be there to gauge how he was doing and to help make things easier.

  ###

  Liam turned on the charm when the first customers walked in the next day, and it was like he’d never left. They had a busy lunch and then the dinner shift was steady all night. Once again, shortly before closing, Rusty Smith strolled in with his buddy, Ed, and had a quick drink at the bar. Liam took their drink order, but Julia hovered nearby, pretending to straighten out the bar station but really eavesdropping as best she could.

  “Geez, you don’t look like you’ve been sick at all. What was it you said you had? Cold or flu?” Rusty asked with a sarcastic sneer.

  Liam kept his cool. “I didn’t say. Thanks for your concern, though. I’m feeling fine now and am not contagious.” He flashed a grin Julia’s way and she smiled back.

  “Looks like you had a busy night,” Rusty commented.

  “It was a good night. Very busy. I hope for you as well,” Liam said pleasantly.

  Rusty just grunted in response and shuffled out the door a moment later.

  “He really is watching you closely, it seems,” Julia said.

  “I think he wants to be the only place in town, but that’s just not realistic. If it wasn’t me, it would soon be someone else. This town is growing.”

  “Don’t even worry about him. Let’s go home.”

  By the time they got home, it was just past eleven and they had both worked a twelve hour day. Julia was tired and could see that Liam was drained. After the excitement of getting back to work and the energy of being on all day, she knew he was ready to crash hard. Soon after they got home and put a few more logs on the fire, they both fell into bed.

  ###

  They were woken by a frantic knock on the door a few hours later. Disoriented, Julia stumbled downstairs and opened the door. It was Isaac, and he was upset. He started talking and saying something about a fire.

  “Wait, let me get Liam. Come on in and warm up.”

  Julia ran upstairs and banged on Liam’s door, but he was already up. They came downstairs together and led Isaac to the kitchen table by the wood stove.

  “Okay, so start at the top, Isaac. What happened?” Liam asked when they were all seated.

  “I finished up taking out the trash and washing everything down in the kitchen. Then I hunkered down for the night in the back room. I was just about asleep when I heard something. Sounded like someone tripped, maybe, and swore, but real quiet-like. I just figured it was someone outside and was almost asleep again when I smelled smoke. I jumped up real quick and ran outside. The back shed that connects to the room I sleep in was on fire! I threw water on it and got the fire out and then waited to make sure it was really out before I drove out here. Looks like someone tried to burn your pub down.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  Julia was pleased to hear movement downstairs when she woke the next day. She dressed and went into the kitchen, where Liam was pouring two cups of coffee.

  “Good morning,” he said with a smile, and Julia was thrilled to see that Liam seemed to be fully back to his usual, cheerful self. She’d been worried that the bad news from the night before may have been too much for him to deal with. But that didn’t seem to be the case.

  Julia stirred a bit of milk into her coffee and took a big sip. She always looked forward to her coffee first thing in the morning.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked as she started slicing some bread for toast.

  “Starving.” He set his coffee down. “I’ll be back shortly. Going to feed everyone.”

  He headed outside and
Julia buttered the bread, sliding it into a cast iron pan to brown. She found a few eggs, and within minutes had them scrambled. Liam was back just as she was sliding the toast and eggs onto two plates for them.

  “I’ll be back for you around four, as usual,” Liam said as they were finishing up.

  “You don’t want me to come in today with you?” Julia was surprised.

  “No. Go visit Emma, take it easy. You’ve done more than your share this past week. It’s time for us to get back to normal.”

  “Ok. But now that Billy knows how to close, I think you should have him cover two nights a week for you, so you get a break and can be home with me.”

  Liam looked unsure about the idea. “I’ll think about that,” he finally said though, and Julia knew that was at least a step in the right direction.

  “What are you going to do about Rusty?” she asked.

  Liam frowned. “I’m not sure. We don’t know for certain that he started that fire, though I can’t imagine who else would have done it. We don’t have any proof, though.”

  “Maybe someone saw something. Ask around, maybe one of the customers will know.”

  “I’ll definitely do that. I’m going to stop by the sheriff’s office too, and let them know what happened.”

  “That’s a great idea. I’ll see you later tonight, then.” Julia stood and cleared both their plates.

  Liam came over to her, gave her a quick hug and quick peck on the lips.

  “I’ll see you later. Thanks again, for everything.”

  ###

  After Liam left, Julia finished cleaning up and then drove to Emma’s. It had only been a week, but it felt like ages since she’d seen her.

  Emma welcomed her in and left the room to put Jeremy in his cradle. A moment later she was back.