The party that wasn't

Sue offered to host the first in-person gathering of our meditation group since early 2020. We were all going to do rapid tests, wear masks, remain outside, and try to stay socially distant from each other. We were looking forward to it, and we thought we had created a safe way to gather. At the last moment, many had trepidations, doubts, fears. Some had been visiting family, one had been to a concert, another feared she had been exposed. This morning one of our group had a high fever and tested positive. So we met, yet again, on Zoom, and Sue's garden, lush after record-breaking spring rains, remained inviting but unvisited except by the two of us.