Chapter 25

"Oh, my God," I groan as I pull back the blanket. I am sweating like a furnace and shivering like I am in a freezer.

Being sick sucks.

Sophia and I somehow got the flu at the same time.

"Hey," Tia says as she enters the room. At least, I think she did.

"Stop talking so loud." I cough a few times.

Tia giggles and walks over to me. Everything"s blurry when I open my eyes, but once things come into focus, I almost burst out laughing. Tia has a mask, blue latex gloves covering her hands, and her body is covered in a plastic garbage bag.

"Why are you dressed like I have Ebola?" I cover my mouth and cough again.

"I"m not gonna take any risks here. So, until you stop hacking up a lung, I"m not touching you or anything around you or even breathing the same air as you," she says, her voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"Oh, shut up," I say lazily.

"Whatever. I need you to sit up," she demands.

"Wow, Tia. And you"re going to be a nurse?" I scoff, but it comes out like a harsh cough.

"Stop being a baby and take your pills," she says in a playful tone.

I sit up, without her help since she doesn't want to touch me, and take the pills and toss them into my mouth. She hands me a paper cup with water. I lift it to my lips and take a drink.

"Where"s Sophia?" I ask after swallowing the pills.

"She"s asleep. Her fever is gone, and I set the humidifier up for her."

"Thank you, Tia," I say.

"Get some rest. I"ll be back later." She pats me on the head like I'm a child and leaves the room. Shortly after she leaves, I slide down until my head hits the pillow and close my eyes until I finally drift to sleep.

Tia

This fucking sucks.

Shorty and Sophia have been sick all fucking day. She"s been getting worse as the days goes on. She told me the doctor is concerned about her blood pressure, but I am worried about her immune system. I was so mad at her when she tried to care for Sophia while struggling to stay on her feet.

I need reinforcements.

So, I pick up the phone and call the one person who won't hesitate to take over.

Donovan

I was working on my history assignment when Tia called, asking me to come over. My girls need me, and I don't hesitate to care of them. I grab my hoodie and throw it over my head, snatch my keys, phone, and wallet, and walk out of my room before I lock it. I walk over to Ash"s room and knock.

No answer.

I jog down the stairs with my phone in hand and look up to see Titan and Ramsey playing Call of Duty.

"Hey, where"s Ash?" I ask, walking into the living room.

"I think he"s at the library. He said something about an essay he had to turn in tomorrow," Titan says with his eyes still on the screen.

Leave it to Ash to leave things to the last minute.

"Okay. I"m heading out and probably won"t be back tonight." I don"t wait for a reply as I walk out of the house and hop in my car to get to Shorty"s place.

Once I'm there, I pull out my key and push the door open and step in. After locking the door, I notice the place smells like bleach. I laugh, knowing Tia, the germaphobe, has been disinfecting the place.

I grab the back of my hoodie and pull it off, setting it on the couch. I walk down the hall and peek into Sophia"s room; she"s sound asleep but is having trouble breathing. I watch her for a few minutes and then head to Shorty"s room. Her door is wide open, and the shades are drawn, leaving the room completely dark.

When I step into her room, I see a box of tissues on her nightstand and another one on her bed beside her. She also has Vicks, cough drops, and a thermometer.

I sit on the bed and pull the blanket over her trembling form. I place my hand on her forehead to check for a fever, but it"s clammy. I stand up and walk into the bathroom, soaking a washcloth. When I walk back into the room, I lay it on her forehead. "Hey, babe. I"m here," I whisper.

She moans something incoherently and goes back to sleep.

Then Sophia"s cries echo through the baby monitor, and I grab it and walk out to Sophia"s room.

Sophia is putting all her energy into trying to stand up when I open the door.

"Hey, sweet girl," I say quietly as I walk toward the crib. She"s sweating, and her nose is clogged up.

"It"s okay, I"m here," I coax, lifting her into my arms. She continues to cry like she"s in pain, and it breaks my heart to see her struggling. She"s so tiny and fragile. She"s not even able to blow her nose yet. She has to rely on someone to do it for her. I walk over to the drawer and pull out the snot sucker and put it in her nose. She thrashes her head from side to side, not wanting the thing up her nose.

"I don"t blame you, baby girl, but I need to clear your nose so you can breathe."

After sucking it out of her nose, it takes me another five minutes to do the other side. Suddenly, her cries subside in relief. She looks at me, hiccups, and then glances around the room.

"See? All better," I tell her as she turns her head back to me. "Let"s give you a bath."

I carry her into the bathroom. Her body feels even more fragile, weakened by the toll of her sickness. I set her down on the plush mat by the tub. "There we go," I murmur.

I fill the tub with warm water. With my elbow, I test the water, making sure that it"s not too hot or too cold. I add a few drops of lavender oil into the water, hoping to bring her some comfort. Shorty always uses lavender products for Sophia, claiming they have a calming effect.

Sophia squirms weakly as I remove her clothes.

"Okay, baby girl, into the tub we go," I say as I carefully lower her into the water. She lets out a weak cry, the warmth of the water seeming to sap what little strength she had left. I sit beside the tub, running a cupful of water over her back and front.

I lift Sophia out of the tub and wrap her in a soft towel. She nestles against my chest while I carry her back to her room and lay her on the changing table.

I dress her in a fresh diaper and pajamas and give her the medicine Tia left out for me. Holding her close to my chest, I go to Shorty"s room, trying not to make any noise.

The room is dark, and Shorty is still fast asleep and curled up on her side. I leave the door slightly open, step out of the room, and walk down the hallway to the living room.

I sink into the plush cushions of the couch and begin to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in a soft and soothing voice. I watch Sophia"s eyelids grow heavy, her breathing gradually slowing down to a steady, peaceful rhythm until she falls asleep.

Suddenly, exhaustion hits me, and I slowly lean over the couch and lay on my back with Sophia lying on my chest, closing my eyes.

Sadie

I wake up with a pounding headache.

My body feels much better than last night. The body aches seem to have vanished. However, my cough is still present, and my nose is still congested, making breathing annoyingly difficult. Thankfully, Tia gave me "magic pills" because they help alleviate some of the symptoms, allowing me to move around without feeling dizzy.

Slowly and cautiously, I drag myself out of bed and try to walk to the bathroom. My movements are sluggish, and I feel like a snail inching its way toward the bathroom. Once I reach it, I turn on the light and walked toward the sink. I lean over and splash some water on my face, hoping to feel more awake and refreshed. Then I pick up my toothbrush and brush my teeth to get rid of the sickly taste lingering in my mouth. I lift my head to the mirror and stare at my reflection.

"Oh, my God," I whisper to myself.

My face is pale, my nose is red like Rudolph"s, my lips are chapped and dry, and the mop on my head is a mess. I quickly reach for a scrunchie and tie my hair up in a bun, trying to make myself look somewhat presentable. Digging through the cabinets, I find my lip balm and apply it to my lips.

I take a deep breath and walk out toward Sophia"s room. The apartment is quiet, which means that Tia has already left for class.

I enter Sophia"s room, and my worst fears come true when I see her empty crib. My heart drops as I try to make sense of it. Did Tia take Sophia to Mom"s? I hope not, especially since she's sick.

I try to calm myself down as I make my way toward the living room. Soft breathing reaches my ears, and my heart beats faster with relief. I see Donnie sleeping on the couch with Sophia sound asleep on his chest.

Donnie must have come over last night and cared for Sophia while I was asleep. I smile as I realize how lucky I am to have him in my life.

I walk over to them, careful not to wake them up. Sophia"s chubby cheeks and delicate features make her look so peaceful sleeping on Donnie"s chest. With his strong arms and broad shoulders, Donnie seems so content and protective of Sophia. Is it possible to love him even more?

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. I want to capture and preserve this moment forever to relive it whenever I want.

I retrace my steps back to my room. Once there, I scan the space for my camera and finally spot it on the desk. I pick up my camera and check the battery level. Seeing that it is fully charged, I return to the living room.

I take a few moments to adjust the settings to capture the perfect shot.

I aim the camera in their direction, taking several pictures, and then review them to ensure they were all focused. After a few more shots, I set the camera on the coffee table and grab a throw. I walk over to the chair across from them, admiring their presence, and curl up with my blanket.

I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.