Into the Garden (Wildflowers 5)

"Just forget it. Wash it," she said.

As Star began to disrobe I left to get us all towels from the laundry room. While I was in there I wriggled out of my wet clothes as quickly as I could.

"Hurry up with those towels, Cat," Jade hollered. "I need a hot bath. Do you have any bath oils, powders?"

"I think there's some left from what my father gave me," I recalled as I came back with the towels.

"Well?" she said. "Let's get moving. Don't you hear my teeth chattering? I'm freezing!"

Standing there all wrapped in towels, we looked like we were heading for the steam room in some resort. Laughing at the sight of us, maybe as a way of relieving all the tension and nervousness, they followed as I hobbled as quickly as I could back to the stairway and up, first to my room, where Star went right to the shower, and then to Geraldine's room where Jade began to run a bath. Misty found one of Geraldine's bathrobes and wrapped herself in it, waiting for her turn in the shower. I found the bath powder and brought it to Jade.

"This is good stuff," she remarked as she read the words on the box. "It has an herbal ingredient that's supposed to relieve aching muscles, and my legs ache. And just look at my fingernails," she suddenly whined, holding up her hand. "I'll have to go for a manicure first thing tomorrow."

I tried to look sympathetic for a moment and then left her mumbling and moaning.

While Star and then Misty showered, I took care of the clothes, getting them all into the washing machine. Then I put the plastic zip bag over my cast the way the doctor had showed me so I wouldn't get it drenched, and took my shower. Afterward, Misty, Star, and I gathered in Mother's bathroom and sat around the tub while Jade continned to soak, the foam up to and around her neck like a collar of bubbles.

"I can't get the chill out of my bones," she complained. "All that mud..." She shook her head and grimaced as if she had some in her mouth. "I think I swallowed some."

"It won't kill you, if you did," Star told her.

Jade brushed away some of the suds and looked at her indignantly.

"You might be used to dirt and grime clinging to your body, but I'm not."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means ...it means I hope I never have to do anything like that again," she concluded, avoiding any confrontation.

Star's glare softened.

"My mother went to a spa in Desert Hot Springs where you pay to take a bath in mud," Misty said.

"Huh?" Star leaned back as if Misty had something contagious.

"It's supposed to be good for your skin."

"Well, this is different," Jade said. "The mud was cold and it was full of pebbles. I can still feel it in my hair!"

She sat up and asked for the shampoo. I asked Misty to get the shampoo in my room since it too was a special herbal blend that I'd received as a gift.

"Go on, spoil her some more," Star muttered.

"We've all got to spoil each other. That's a rule in the OWP's," Jade told her.

"Oh, it is, is it? You just make up the rules for all of us?"

"Excuse me. We'll vote. All opposed to spoiling each other say nay," Jade cried. No one did. She smiled at Star. "So moved," she said.

Star raised her eyes to the ceiling. Then she looked at me. I was staring at the floor, trying to keep my heart from periodically breaking out in flutters every time I realized what we had done.

"Are you all right, Cat?"

I nodded, and then I looked up and smiled at all of them. I never so much as had a girlfriend in my room talking to me. To have them all here, all of us together, helping and caring for each other like this, really made me feel like I had sisters. Sure I was all right. At least for now, I thought.

After she got out of the

tub, Jade talked about a new skin cream her mother had brought home. It was designed to be applied after baths and showers.