Week 5 / Saturday

She woke up at her normal time the next morning and was mid-way through making coffee when she remembered coughing last night. But nothing now ... weird. She went upstairs and asked Julian, and he said he felt OK.

She got out the one RAT test she’d been sitting on and decided to test both of them at once. It really didn’t make a difference which one of them had it, if either of them did. She stuck the swab up Julian’s nose, and then her own. If either of them had it, now they both had it for sure, which was part of her plan. Then she ran the test. While she waited, she got ready for work.

Negative.

The test was negative. Really?

How could that be? But it was. False negative? It could be, but her instructions from work were to trust it anyway. “I guess we don’t get our break,” Larissa told Julian, and went to work like usual. She didn’t feel quite one hundred percent, but she wasn’t coughing. Whatever. She did let James and Sophie know – they’d have to decide what they were doing about the evening.

Towards the end of the day she got the best news she’d had for ages: they were able to let her have the day off the next day. Awesome. She messaged Jo and set up a shopping trip.

Then Mark called her while she was driving between jobs.

“Hi Larissa, how are you coping?”

“I’m doing ok, thanks. How are you going, and your family?”

Mark sighed. “It’s been really difficult for us, but we’re managed to stay afloat. Both the service, and my family. None of us have had it, but we’ve been primary contacts several times, and it got loose in my parent’s retirement village, with several deaths, but so far they haven’t contracted it. But I think it’s been most difficult for our frontline workers. And you’re one of them. I’ve spoken to many of them, but not you. Some of them have broken down. So you can tell me how you feel, no need to hide anything. I know how much pressure you’re under.”

“You know, it’s been close a couple of times. Mostly, people have been very appreciative I’m working at all, and it’s lovely. But a couple of times they haven’t, and I nearly got assaulted the other day.”

“Yes, that report crossed my desk just now, which is why I’ve called you. I tried to imagine it how you wrote it and figured that it was worse than you said. How bad was it?” Larissa told him exactly what happened. “Well, I appreciate for his sake that you soft-pedalled it, but for your official report, don’t do that. It’s input into any subsequent visits, and it’s our official record. If you think there’s extenuating circumstances, you can write those down along with your report.”

“Yes, boss! I’ll do that in the future.”

“But it sounds like you handled it really well. It’s not easy to deescalate like that.”

“Yes, well, it went better than the last time I tried to do that.” Mark asked what that was about, so she told him about Alice.

“Interesting. When you’ve had a few weeks to reflect on that, and corporate speaking gets going again, we’ll have to talk about the impact that has on your presentation.” Yes, they would have to do that. “Also, I have a well done for you that came across my desk from the department of agriculture. Well done from me too. I had to make one of those calls many years ago, and you’re carrying a lot of weight on your shoulders when you do.”

“Thanks. I know what you mean. I knew what I had to do, but it was still hard to do actually do it.”

“Well, it sounds like you’re doing pretty well, really. Given the pressure you’re under.”

“Maybe. Julian has been very supportive. Really amazing.” She told him about the spa. “And I’ve really enjoyed the lambs, kittens and puppies. That part of Covid could keep happening.”

Mark laughed for that, and said, “Sounds lovely to me. I’ll put in a request for that with the minister, tell her that my favourite frontline worker asked for it. Her favourite too. That reminds me, thanks for doing that with Alison. I’m sure you figured it out but there was sponsorship money exchanged in the background over it. Alison doesn’t know anything about that.”

“I figured, both things, but I didn’t let it make any difference. And she had a good day. It was very impactful. She got the bug.”

“Oh, great! What did it for her?” Larissa told him about the dog that died, and how her response did it for Alison.

“Well done! That means it’s very meaningful, not just the fun parts. Though she had those too, I heard. And Suzy told me about the next day, which she loved. And about you going to USA.”

“Yeah. I’m starting get used to the idea.”

“Well, let Suzy know if you want her to go in your place. She’s pretty keen to go!”

“She’d let go of Nathan for that long?”

Mark laughed. “She might, yes. Particularly in a few months time. I like Nathan. Excellent value, and they’re going about having a workplace relationship really sensibly. Except for the sex, now that’s started. There’s nothing sensible about that part. She’s definitely trying to be like you.” She could hear that Mark didn’t object to that. “Anyway, thanks for helping them.”

“Oh, no problem! I’m glad they’re having a great relationship.” She had heard from Layna about the sex part; Layna was very amused.

“OK. Well, it sounds like I don’t have to worry about you for now. Have a great day off tomorrow, you really earned it.”

“I’m sleeping in! Bye.”

She finished on time and rode to the family home. Their negative test had sparked a brisk debate amongst the family through the day – after last weekend’s disaster all of them had said that they were going to back to gathering in person. Then Larissa’s message this morning had made them all question it. They had a negative test. On the one hand, no one else could get a test, they were blind. On the other hand, they’d had symptoms for a few hours. But then the symptoms were gone. How did you analyse that? Then the grandparents decided: they were loving staying with James and Sophie, but they couldn’t do that for months, so they were going to get ready to go home again. So no reason for them not to come.

Julian was already there, and he met her at the door. “Ooof,” he said. “Visited a piggery at the end of the day?” Larissa grinned; she had, and she really did stink. “Want to do the hose thing?” Larissa laughed, why not. Today was warm, and it’d be fun. He called out into the home, “Hey, everyone, I’m not letting Larissa in the door until she’s been through quarantine, we’ll be round the back sorting her out.”

By the time they’d walked around the house, they had an audience. Jaiden and Asha, Steph and Xander, and James, all intrigued to know what was going on. “Larissa stinks, she’s been at a piggery. I’m not letting her in until she’s cleaned up.”

He found the garden hose, and turned it on, and then directed the spray at Larissa. She stood in the spray, head towards it, and rinsed her hair out. Then she crouched down and undid her boots while Julian sprayed her all over. Once she’d kicked them off, she took her uniform off. By this stage, the rest of the family were watching, including the grandparents. She turned around in the spray, getting thoroughly wet.

“Babe, I’m sure your underwear stinks too. Off.”

“Yes, off with it all,” Steph called out.

“You wish,” Larissa joked.

“No, babe, you can’t come in if you don’t!”

“Oh, all right.” She pulled her sports bra over her head and pushed her undies down, and then spun around in the spray a couple of times. “Happy now?

“Yes, you can come inside now.”

Julian put the hose down and turned to the family to enjoy the looks on their faces. Dumbo. She had the hose in her hand before he’d realised what she was doing, and his back was soaked immediately. He gave a cry of displeasure and turned around, getting even wetter. “Babe!”

“You stink too! Off with it all!” She sprayed him all over. He considered running at her, but then changed his mind and pulled his clothes off. “Come on, Jocks too.” He did, throwing them on the grass. She came closer, and sprayed his crotch. That’d distract him, and while he was distracted, she used her toes to flick his clothes into the garden, and then she sprayed them. Now his clothes were as muddy as hers. She laughed at the look on his face about that, and this time he did come for her directly.

She threw the hose aside, and wrapped her arms around him, and they fell together. He wrestled her, pushing her arms up above her head, but once she’d hit the ground, she’d given up struggling and was just trying to kiss him. He pinned her to the ground and held her down. “Gotcha!” she said, “Right where I want you!”

Julian shook his head, and she could hear laughter in the background. “Babe, I think it’s me who’s got you.”

She pushed her crotch into him, and said, “That’s what you think!” Yeah, his dick was pretty close.

Julian shook his head. “Babe, you’re incorrigible, and...” Whatever he was going to say was lost because they both got wet. Asha had got hold of the hose and was spraying them both and laughing hysterically. Instantly Julian bounced up off the grass. Asha squealed and headed for the house, but Julian caught her just outside the door, and lifted her off the ground. Larissa was close behind and grabbed her legs.

“Get off me!” Asha cried. “Jaiden!”

No, Jaiden was laughing too hard to save her. They carried her out to the hose, and Larissa let go and sprayed her from up close while Julian held her, getting her completely soaked. Asha was laughing and wriggling and couldn’t escape.”

“We’ll stop when you promise to kiss us both,” Julian said.

“I promise!”

Larissa put down the hose and turned it off. Then, while Julian held Asha, Larissa kissed her hard. When Asha was starting to squirm, she stopped, and turned Asha round, and Julian kissed her hard, while she was held between them. “Lucky our grandparents are here,” Larissa whispered in Asha’s ear, and then Julian stopped.

“Unlucky!” Asha said. “Jaiden, thanks for helping me!”

Jaiden laughed. “I thought you were doing just fine there!”

Larissa went over to Sophie and Xander, and hugged them both. “Lovely to see you.” She hugged James and Sophie, and turned to the grandparents. “Hello, lovely to see you. You want hugs too, now that I’m clean?” They did, so she hugged them all, though she was still wet.

“Hey,” Jaiden said, “What about me?”

“You have to control your woman!”

Jaiden laughed. “Asha! Heel!”

Asha laughed and came and knelt behind him like Nala would. “Yes, master! What master?”

Jaiden gave Larissa a triumphant look. Was he that stupid? “Oh, all right,” Larissa said, and walked over to hug him.” Yep, just as she thought – as soon as Larissa had her arms around him, Asha grabbed his legs and pulled. Larissa went down on top of Jaiden and Asha rolled onto his legs. Jaiden finished up lying on the ground with Asha sitting on his legs and Larissa sitting on his chest, her legs over his arms, and her bum to his face. Once they’d got him safely pinned, she gave Asha a high five.