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“Zach, I’mserious, Idon’tneed anything.” Laura sniffed when Ipassed her the tablet and water glass.
“And I’mserious that you do.” Isighed at her stubbornness, then heard the kettle blowing and returned to the kitchen without relaying to her the extent of my own adamance about the subject. The chamomile tea sat in the mug and in the other mug Ipoured salt and warm water.
“Here.” Iplaced the tea mug on the nightstand, handed her the salt water, and sat facing her. “Gurgle that. It’ll help with the sore throat.”
The look Igave her meant there was no room for discussion. Iheld out the empty water glass for her to spit in.
“Aren’tyou grossed out?”
“Pshht, by what?” My eyebrows knitted together. “The three Ss of spit, snot, and sneezing?”
She laughed, then coughed, then spat into atissue Ibrought close to her face. “In the last four years or so I’ve had babies throwing up, pooping, and peeing on me. Besides, who doesn’tget colds?”
Laura raised the steaming tea to her lips and blew on it, her clever eyes calculating Thomas and Erin’stwins’ age. “Four years?”
“Yeah, my brother’skids. Have Itold you about them?”
“No.”
Then it dawned on me that she didn’tthink poorly of me, she simply didn’tknow me. Before we had even started anything, we had drifted so far apart that we were almost strangers. Not that Italked to anyone but Thomas about anything other than work, anyway.
“My brother has two kids, born one year apart from each other.” Iheaved in adeep breath, looking to the ceiling. “Iused to babysit for them until Ididn’t.”
“Because you were busy?”
“No.” Itrained my gaze back on her, about to acknowledge something I’dnever told anyone. “They said Iwas abad influence.”
“Fuckers.” Laura bit her lower lip, furrowing her brow. “Unless…did you curse in front of them?”
Iliked that her first reaction was to take my side, even if we weren’twhat you’dcall close friends. “Islipped up once or twice, but nah, that wasn’tthe reason. Their youngest, Arthur the third, turned two months old when Joel and Iopened the firm.”
“Oh.” Her mouth formed around Oshape and her eyes widened with understanding. “Fuckers.”
“It is what it is. Father comes first.” Ishrugged just as my phone buzzed.
Grateful for the interruption and not having to elaborate on how it saddened me not to be avital part of my niece’sand nephew’slives, Ileft Laura’sside again to get the food delivery from the door and tipped the courier.
Itransferred the contents of the container to aporcelain bowl and made my way to her bedroom. “It’snot all the way hot, but it’swarm enough.” Ihalted my steps when Inoticed she had managed to fall asleep in the short while I’dbeen away, snoring lightly with her full lips parted.
Before Icould catch myself and shut the fuck up, Laura stirred from her peaceful slumber. “What? Sorry, Idozed off.”
“Ishould apologize for waking you.” Deciding that Icouldn’tforce-feed asleeping woman, Iplaced the bowl on the floor. From there Imoved back to the bed, arranging the pillows for Laura so it’dbe more comfortable for her to lie down and sleep through the night.
“S’okay.”
“Laura?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you need me to stay with you, in case you wake up in the middle of the night and still feel like shit?” Seeing her like this, Iwasn’tsure my conscience would’ve allowed me to leave even if her answer would’ve been no.
“Sure, sure,” she mumbled and turned to the side, bringing the covers up even higher.
Islipped my shoes off and spent the next three hours sleeping and watching over her until my alarm rang at four thirty. Her low snores turned to shallow breaths and it filled me with asense of contentment, knowing that at least one of the remedies from yesterday helped. Iwalked quietly out the door, grateful for the obscurity of the early morning and to not have to worry that anyone would see me exiting her house.
