STILL SICK

It was a rainy Sunday morning and I was laying on the couch looking out the window. “Are you still sick?” my son Alex asked as he came into the room.

I pointed to the box of tissues, can of Lysol, chap stick, saline spray and giant bottle of hand sanitizer that were lined up on the coffee table.“Yeah.” I sighed. “I can't seem to get rid of this cold.” I reached over to the bottle of hand sanitizer and pumped some into my hand. Quickly rubbing them together before picking up the television remote. “You want to watch Sunday Morning with me?”

“But you're sick.” Alex just stood next to the couch.

“I know, but that doesn't stop me from watching TV.” I moved over on the couch to make room for him.

He just stared at the couch.

“Oh, geez!” I picked up the can on Lysol and sprayed where I'd been sitting. “How's that?”

Alex just shook his head as he walked over to the chair on the other side of the coffee table. “Sorry but I'll sit over here. I really don't want what you have.”

“Fine.” I turned the television on. “Did you have breakfast yet?”

Alex had settled into the chair. “No, not yet.”

“I was thinking about making pork roll, egg and cheese. Do you want one?”

Alex looked over at me. “Sure! That sounds great!”

I went over to the sink and washed my hands before going back to the stove. “Can you put the English muffins in the toaster for me?”

“Sure.” He went over to the cabinet while I leaned over to grab a fork from the drawer. He turned around quickly and I was a few inches from him. “Whoa...don't want to get too close, you're sick you know.”

I rolled my eyes. “It amazes me that you guys treat me like I have the plague, won't get anywhere near me, but none of you seem to mind that I cook your food!”

“That's totally different.” Alex argued.

“Really?” I had to laugh. “How?”

“Well, you've had this cold for a week.”

“Yeah?”

“So none of us wants to cook for ourselves for a whole week!”

“Are you serious?” I put the pork roll into the pan.

“Yup.” He put the English muffins in the toaster and pushed the button down before turning to face me. “I figure you wash your hands, the food is cooked, it's all good.”

“You do know I'm breathing while I cook the food.”

“Yeah, but that's where the 'We don't want to cook for ourselves' comes in.”