Page 133 of Need You To Choose Me

I slide my thumb over his cheek, brushing away the tears. “I know, but Daddy is away for work. I’ll be here with you until he comes back. How does that sound?”

Before he can say anything, Daniel comes back into the bathroom. “I found it.”

“Thank you.” I take the thermometer from him and turn back to Levi. “Let’s check that temp for a second, okay? And then we’ll get you out of these dirty clothes and into some fresh PJs.”

Levi nods weakly, and I slide the thermometer under his arm. His eyelids start to flutter close almost immediately, and I can see him fighting sleep. It doesn’t take long before the thermometer starts to beep. I pull it out, checking the screen. 102.4°F.

“Okay, here is what we’ll do…”

Daniel helps Levi onto his feet, and between the two of us, we manage to get him out of his dirty clothes and give him a lukewarm shower. The poor kid throws up two more times—some of it landing on my shirt.

“I’m s-sorry,” Levi says immediately, his lip wobbling. “I didn’t mean t-to.”

“Hey, it’s fine. It’s just a shirt. Don’t you worry about it. C’mon, time to get out.”

I gently dry him with a towel, before we help him into a clean pair of PJs. “Let’s put you to bed.”

Levi wraps his arms around my legs and buries his head into my side. “When will Daddy be home?”

“Sometime tomorrow, I think.” I wrap my arm around his shoulders, rubbing at his arm. “But in the meantime, we get to have a slumber party. How does that sound? I can read you a story or we can watch cartoons?”

Levi peeks up at me. “Can we go to Daddy’s bed?”

“Umm…” Seriously? What was I supposed to do now? It didn’t feel right going into Blake’s room—his private space—especially since he wasn’t here. Not that I wanted to be in his bed when he was here. Not at all.

Levi’s lip wobbles slightly. “He lets me sleep in his bed when I’m sick.”

“Go.” Daniel tilts his head to the dirty bathroom and puke on the floor. “I’ll clean this up.”

Sighing, I tighten my hold on him. “Okay, then let’s go to his bed. Can you walk?”

Levi nods silently, so I grab the syrup from the counter, and together we make our way to Blake’s room. The last—and only, really—time I was in his room, I didn’t get a chance to really look at the space.

I don’t know what I was expecting to find, but the room is pretty neat. A big, king-size bed dominates the space. An emerald green blanket is covering the pristine white sheets. There is a shirt tossed at the bottom of the mattress, like Blake took it off in a hurry and couldn’t bother throwing it into the laundry basket. A big TV is hanging on the wall across from the bed, with a chest of drawers underneath it and a few trinkets scattered on the surface.

Going to the bed, I pull the blanket back so Levi can slide inside before tucking him in.

“Do you want me to put on some cartoons?” I turn around to look for the remote, but he grabs my hand. For a kid who spent the afternoon throwing up, he sure had some strength left in him. “Don’t leave me.”

9 years old

“Where did Mom go?” I whisper, my fingers gripping the edge of the comforter.

Grams brushes my hair back, a distant expression on her face.

It wasn’t the first time I’d seen that look on her face. It was always there when she was talking to Mom.

She shakes her head slightly. “I don’t know, bug.”

My throat becomes tight at her words.

Mom said she’d be back, but it’s been over a week now. It’s the longest she’s been away.

She left.

For good this time.

I could see it on her face the day she left—she wasn’t coming back.

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