Page 49 of Loved By You

“Did you get me anything?” she asks with a smile that is impossible to say no to.

“Maybe.” She turns to skip in the house and I hear Elle crying before I even enter.

I kick the door shut as I have no free hands and head for the kitchen. I place all the bags on the kitchen counter and go in search of Ria and Elle.

Ria is in the front room with Elle in some sort of sheet wrapped around her front, swaying her from side to side. Ria looks exhausted, but still just as beautiful. She could never be anything but beautiful to me, but it's clear she hasn't had a minute and has barely slept.

She turns to face me and her eyes light up, like my being here has suddenly made everything okay, and my heart does a weird flutter.

“My hero,” she says on an exhale, walking towards me, I open up my arms and she leans against my chest.

“Hey, sweetheart,” I say softly. I press a kiss to Elle’s forehead. It feels so hot you could fry an egg on her. “Hey, baby girl. You’re not feeling good, huh?” Her little face is bright red from all the crying and she is tugging at her right ear.

“She hasn't stopped crying since around four this morning. She's got a bad infection in her ear. I've given her the antibiotic the doctor gave her, but it won't kick in till tomorrow. Thank you for running errands for me.”

“It's no trouble,” I tell her honestly before taking her hand and leading her to the kitchen to show her everything I got. She stops in the doorway, looking at her kitchen counter covered in the bags.

“Did you do a full grocery shop?” she laughs. “I only needed three things.”

“Yeah, I went a bit overboard. I wasn't sure what brands you use and Carol in CVS clearly saw me coming because she sold me every brand of diaper and teething powder going. She even threw in...” I reach in the bag and pull out the items, placing them on the white marble effect kitchen counter. “Ear drops, bath salts, a rubber duck, bath crayons, a fun sponge that changes color when it gets wet, wipes, diaper rash cream, baby shampoo, and princess bubble bath. Soooo, yeah, I think you are set for the next six months.”

Ria bursts out laughing and it's the sweetest sound. I'd do anything to hear her laugh like that every day. Elle seems to finally calmed a little and Ria stands there swaying slowly side to side looking between all the items I got.

“Wow, Carol had your pants down, didn't she, convincing you to buy all this?”

“If she had offered me stocks and shares in the cattle market, I'd have signed up if I thought it would help you.”

She stills, staring mouth slightly agape, looking at me so intently, as if the idea of someone wanting to help her is a foreign concept.

“If I ever go into sales, I’m hiring Carol. She's a force.” I lean in over the kitchen counter towards Ria, lowering my voice. “But there's only one woman I’d let have my pants down.” A pink blush hits her cheeks, and she bites down on her plump lower lip.

Yeah, I think we are okay.

I open up the Starbucks bag and start taking everything out. “And because I know you probably haven't eaten, I got you a vanilla latte and a breakfast bagel… oh and a cake pop for Lexi because, well, it’s Lexi… I'd buy that girl a whole candy store if she asked.”

.”Jack… you… erm.” She blows out a slow breath. Titling her head to the ceiling, her eyes fill with tears and I just want to hold her. To me, this is just the basics, the least I can do. I get the feeling Alex never did anything for her and she would have had to wade this storm on her own.

I walk to stand behind her, pressing my front to her back and bring my arms around her to hug not only her but Elle too, inhaling Ria’s sweet scent, letting her know, without speaking, that I am here for her, for all three of them.

“Thank you,” she whispers, swiping her fingertips under her eyes.

“Anything for you, Ri,” I murmur, pressing a feather-light kiss to the side of her head.

I release her from my hold and we both start to unpack away the insane amount of crap I bought, whilst Ria gives Elle some Tylenol and eats her bagel, and drinks her coffee. Just as I finish my own, Lexi comes into the kitchen in a pink tutu and waving a wand. “Come on, Mommy, let's goooooo,” she says, spinning.

“Oh, crap,” Ria mutters under her breath, closing her eyes. She opens them and looks down at Elle, still wrapped in this weird sheet thing.

Note to self, find out what that is called.

She's finally fallen asleep and, according to Ria, her fever has started to go down.

“Lex, I'm so sorry. We're gonna have to miss ballet today. Elle is too sick. We’ll go next week, baby, I promise.”

The little look on Lexi’s face breaks me. Her mouth turns down and her bottom lip pokes out before she hangs her head. I'd doanything to take that look off her face so without even thinking about what I'm offering, the words leave my mouth. “I'll take her.”

Ria whips her head around. “You'll take her?” There’s surprise in her voice.

“Yeah.” I shrug.

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