Page 104 of The Do-Over

I snorted and Lilah skipped over to show Sal her tooth.

Nate pulled me into a hug. I closed my eyes and burrowed my face into the soft spot by his neck. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I breathed against him. “Thank you for the flowers. They’re my favorite.”

“I thought wildflowers were your favorite.”

I tipped my head back. “They’re my favorite because they’re from you.”

I think Sal even rolled his eyes at all the cheesiness, and I didn’t care.

He gave me one of his slow smiles. His fingers tangled with mine and he pulled me toward the hallway. Without taking his eyes off me, he said, “Lilah, Perci’s going to show me something. Just wait right here.”

We turned the corner and stopped. My back bumped against the wall as he took a shuffling step forward. “What am I showing—”

He cut me off with a kiss. Humming, I melted against him. One of his hands threaded in my hair, the other settled on my hip.

“Perci?” Lilah said, from close by but not visible.

With a huff, Nate rested his forehead to mine. I pressed my fingers to his lips and giggled. “Yes?”

“Those cookies look good. Can I have one?”

Nate moved to my neck, leaving tiny little kisses along the path. “Sure,” I said. “Yes, that’s fine.” He hit the spot right where my neck and shoulder met. Lovely, lovely. Toes curling. “Oh, my.”

He laughed against my skin and whispered, “Right there, huh?”

I hummed in agreement, and he did it again.

“This is a good cookie,” Lilah said from somewhere in the living room. “I’ve never had a cookie that tastes like this before.”

Nate’s arm wrapping around my waist distracted me before I could answer. He pulled me in for another long kiss.

“Daddy, my lips feel spicy,” Lilah said from the other room.

Nate straightened. “What do you mean, spicy?”

“They feel funny.”

Concern flashed in his eyes. He rounded the corner, and I hurried after him. Lilah stood in the middle of the kitchen, a half-eaten cookie resting on the counter in front of her. Nate reached her and tilted her face. Drool trailed to her chin from the corner of her mouth.

I couldn’t speak, as the full weight of what was happening hit me.

Lilah coughed and her breathing changed to shallow inhalations. Fear crept into her eyes as she took labored breaths. “I-I can’t…”

Nate’s eyes darted around the room and landed on the cookie. He turned to me, a wild look in his eye. “The cookie. What’s in the cookie?”

My heart was racing. “They’re from work… I’m not sure.”

He lunged across the island, snatched a cookie, and sniffed it. “Shit. Shit. Shit.”

“I don’t feel so good,” Lilah said. The wheezing echoed in the room, louder and more terrifying with each pull of air. And then she puked.

I rushed across the kitchen, grabbing paper towels, panic bubbling inside. “I didn’t know they had peanut butter in them… I had no idea…”

Nate ignored me, racing toward the front door. “Big breaths, honey. I’ll get your medicine. It’ll be okay.”

My heart dropped. Would it be okay?