Page 14 of Blade

“I picked out the fings and Daddy and Papa painted the walls. I triedda paint one time, but I stepped in the paint and gots it on the floor and then Papa putted me in da highchair of shames,” she explained, pointing to a wooden highchair in the corner.

I giggled at her words. She was just too cute.

“It’s true,” Elliot added, pushing his rolling stool over to a dark green rug and lifting the corner. A pale green footprint stuck out on the pretty hardwood floor.

“We had no intention of having a rug in here. But we had to hide Teenie’s footprints somehow,” he explained. “They dried before we could get them up.”

“Yeah, we were more worried about getting the paint off the naughty Little girl.”

“Tinsley was the naughty Little girl,” she said, patting herself.

I laughed and ruffled Tinsley's hair before Elliot patted the bed. I climbed up and reclined back against the pillows while he rolled a tray over. My stomach dropped when I saw all the syringes lined up.

Tinsley climbed up beside me and patted my knee. “Don’t be scared. My Daddy’s super gentle.”

I smiled and squeezed her hand on my knee.

“I am going to give you something to help you relax and then the rest of this won’t be bad at all, okay? You’ll probably sleep through most of it,” Elliot reassured me.

“Mr. Blade is gonna stay here wif you danight too!” Tinsley exclaimed. “So you will have lotsa people ‘round if you need a snuggle!”

“What?” I cut my gaze to look at the Little girl.

“Tinsely,” Tyler warned.

“I’m just helping, Papa!”

“It sounds more like meddling,” Tyler scolded.

“Hand me your arm, sweetheart,” Elliot commanded.

I did and he tied a band around my bicep. “Little pinch and then you'll feel much better.”

“Why is Blade staying here?” I asked Tyler.

“He’s worried about you, Little one. He wants to be close,” Tyler answered.

“Ouch!” I cried when I was poked.

“I’m sorry, Eloise. It’s always ouchie at first.”

“I don’t need him to stay. I promise I’ll be fine by myself. I won’t need anything and I promise I’ll stay out of your way.” I felt so bad that Blade was going to miss work because he was staying with me. Would he get in trouble with his boss?

“Here’s something to help you relax, honey,” Elliot explained, “and you won’t be a bother at all. We are glad you’re here. Blade wanted to stay because he cares about you too. It was his choice. Not because we needed him to.”

Suddenly, a bus full of sleepiness hit me and I laid my head back on the pillows.

“Have a rest, Eloise. We’ll be here when you wake up,” Tyler said, covering me with the blanket from the foot of the hospital bed. I closed my eyes and gave into the medication.

***

“Are you sure you’re okay on the couch? We can bring a bed in for you.”

I knew that voice. Where did I know it from?

“No, I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.”

I knew that voice too.

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