Where’s the Lavender Soap?

Dearest Rachel –

I’ve been told that the above expression, when mouthed, is indistinguishable from the phrase “where there’s life, there’s hope.” Beyond that, the title is only meaningful only insofar as its misreading.

After venting my frustrations about what Daniel was or was not doing for himself in my absence, I think I managed to worry some people unduly, I think. Just because I didn’t see things didn’t mean they weren’t being done; while he’s never opened that box of strudel I left him before going on ‘vacation,’ I did find myself clearing his area of a bag or two of rubbish from Portillo’s (evidently he’d had Logan over at least once while I was gone, and the two of them picked dinner up from there at some point).

In fact, Logan is over right now, looking as hale and hearty as if he hadn’t been exposed to Daniel at the apex of whatever he’s had and has (I know, we’re all pretty sure as to what it is, but he has no intention of getting it checked into until he’s finally gotten it out of his system. He seems to accept my recommendation about proving when he’s over it, but not until he IS over it – which is not yet, certainly). For now, however, the boys are sitting in separate chairs – as opposed to sharing the couch, like they usually would do – so they’re socially distant, at least.

It’s amazing how much difference it seems to make for him to be around a friend. Sure, I can still hear him coughing a bit on occasion, but he’s cheerful and happy as the two of them enjoy watching this or that. Now, I still stay out of their way as much as possible – just like the two of us always used to do – but I can tell it does him good to have the company. It’s every bit as much a tonic for him as the tea I’ve been preparing for him these last couple of days, the lunch of fried chicken and rice or the vitamin gummies I’d picked up for him while I was out trying to get a new battery for the car (they didn’t have the size or model I needed; I’ll try a different location tomorrow). Maybe even more so.

So who am I to get in the way of that?

Get well soon, Daniel, and here’s hoping you and Logan have fun downstairs.

As for me, I’ll just hang around upstairs, and play that game of Civilization I never got to while I was in Basel. I’ll talk to you later, honey. Love you.