Page 16 of Kiss and Makeup
Chapter Seven
Kristen
The taxi ride back to my apartment was the longest trip of my life. I’d been overseas, across the United States, ridden in both cars and planes for hours, and none of them, nothing at all, compared to how long it took me to get home to Emma.
I closed the text messaging app and reopened it, just in case. Nothing new. I scrolled back through the messages Lauren had sent me— again, just in case. What if I’d missed something important?
Hi Kristen, sorry to bother you, but Emma says she has a tummy ache. I’m giving her a piece of toast and a little ginger ale. I’m sure it’s just from sneaking too much cookie dough, but I wanted to let you know.
Then the next message:
She says her tummy is worse now. We’re going to lie down with Brownie for a few minutes. I’ll keep you posted!
Then, Lauren had called to tell me that Emma threw up. Of course, I had to leave immediately after that. I felt bad about how I had treated Xavier when he asked what was wrong, but I could explain later.
Right now, all that mattered was Emma and getting home to her as soon as possible to make sure she was okay.
I burst through the door and jogged down the hallway to Emma’s room. Lauren looked up gratefully from where she and Emma both sat on Emma’s colorfully blanketed bed, surrounded by things that usually made her happy.
Usually. Right now, her little face was all scrunched up and she was bawling, clutching Brownie to her chest.
“Oh, Honey,” I said, and in that moment I would have done anything to put a smile back on Emma’s face. I scooped her up and held her and Brownie close. “Does your tummy still hurt?”
“A-a little,” she sniffed. I gently pried Brownie out of her hands so she wouldn’t wipe her eyes with the stuffed animal.
“Let’s have a nap. Brownie and everyone else can tell me if it starts hurting again, okay?”
“I didn’t have a cookie!” Emma sat up straight, her eyes wide and soulful.
“Just a nap, and then you can have a cookie.” It was about 8:45, and I knew Emma wouldn’t wake up until the morning if I could convince her to go to bed. Unless she woke up with a tummy ache, but I would figure out what to do if that happened.
“Okay.”
I put her on the bed, wrapped her in blankets, and set all her stuffed animals in a protective circle around her. “Mommy’s going to get you some water, okay?”
“Okay.” The sleepy little voice came out half-muffled by pillows and a large penguin.
I left the room with Lauren following close behind, leaving the door open just a crack. “She seems better now.”
“Yeah, she is. She kept telling me her tummy hurt. Then she threw up twice and said it was better.” The college student sat on the couch, folding her jeaned legs underneath her as I washed Emma’s favorite plastic cup. “I’m sorry, Kristen. I should have called sooner.”
“No, you did just fine. Stomach aches happen sometimes, and you couldn’t know it was anything worse until right before you called me.” I fixed the water, but set it down on the counter.
Lauren leaned forward over her crossed legs to pick a few toys up off the floor and put them inside the ottoman next to the couch, her blonde hair brushing her knees. “Now I think of it, she was talking about how one of her classmates was sick a few days ago. I figured she meant he had a sniffly nose or something.”
“It may be a little stomach virus going around. I’ll call the school if Emma still feels bad tomorrow.”
“Do you need me to babysit?”
“No, no. I can work from home tomorrow if I need to. Thanks though. For everything,” I said earnestly. Lauren cared for Emma, and I didn’t want her to feel like Emma getting sick under her watch was in any way her fault.
“You’re welcome. Tell Emma to get better soon? And the cookies are in bags on the counter. Let her have one when she’s feeling better?”
“Of course,” I promised. “Be safe out there. And stay warm,” I called after Lauren as she walked out holding her coat in her hand.
“I will!” Her waving hand disappeared as the door swung shut.
I locked it, set the water on the nightstand where Emma could reach it if she woke up, then spent a moment listening to her breathing.
