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I scoop her up. “Yes, I’m here for you, pumpkin. How are you feeling? Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need to use the bathroom?”
“I feel funny. Can I have ice cream?” She looks at me with those big blue eyes, batting her long eyelashes at me while waiting for my answer.
I’m no expert but that does not seem like the brightest idea ever. “Maybe later, okay? Let’s see what Mommy has that I can feed you for now.” Carrying her to the kitchen, I jump when I hear my cell phone ring. “Let me answer this call.”
Resting her head on my shoulder, she sighs. “Okay, Daddy.”
Finding my phone on the floor near the sofa, I pick it up, seeing Lucy’s name on the screen. Answering the call, I already know I’m in trouble. “I fell asleep, that’s why I haven’t texted. And Aurora just woke up. She’s okay. Tell her, pumpkin.” I put the phone on speaker so they can hear each other.
“I’m okay, Mommy.”
“You sound a lot better,” Lucy says. “But you’re not out of the woods yet. I still need you to rest, honey.”
“Daddy’s gonna make me some ice cream,” Aurora lets her know.
“Ice cream?” Lucy shouts. “No! Apollo, you can’t feed a sick child ice cream. Are you crazy?”
“I’d already told her that she wasn’t getting any now.” Looking at the way Aurora smiles slyly, I know I have been duped. “What I said was maybe later if she was feeling better.”
“Oh, okay. Good.”
I smile. “Okay, now that that’s settled, what should I give her?”
“Some toast. But no butter. Just plain, dry toast. And a little bit of pear juice. Like one cup of it. A measuring cup, not a cup from the cabinet. I ordered some things from the store, and they’ll be delivered within the hour. Some grapes, and electrolytes, stuff to help her get better.”
“Okay, I can handle this, songbird. Is there anything else I should do?”
“She needs a bath.”
I have never given a child a bath before. And it sounds a little daunting. But I’m not about to let her know that. “Got it.”
“Her clothes are in a dresser inside my walk-in closet. Just put another nightgown on her and some fresh underwear. I want her lying down all day. She needs to rest.”
“Okay. I can do that. Easy-peasy.” It doesn’t sound that hard. Bathe and dress her. Let her rest. No problem.
“Okay. Well, I have to go. Text me, Apollo. And send me pictures too. Lots of them.”
“Got it.” Ending the call, I adjust my daughter in my lap and carrying her to the kitchen, I sit her on the counter while I try to figure out how to make the toast.
I look around.
“Now, if I were a toaster, where would I be?”
Aurora points at a cabinet. “There!”
Going to the cabinet, I find the toaster, and the bread is right next to it. “Not how I would have put these things away, but okay.”
After making her the toast, I put it on a plate then find the measuring cup and pour her one cup of pear juice that I find in the fridge.
Taking her and the very boring breakfast to the table, I sit her down in her booster seat where she stares at the lackluster meal I’ve placed in front of her.
“Well, go ahead and eat, honey,” I urge her.
Looking at me with sad eyes, she asks, “Jelly?”
“Your mom said you need to eat it plain and dry. So, that means no jelly.”
“I don’t want it.” She pushes the plate away but picks up the glass of juice and drinks it all down at one time.
