Page 75 of The Summer Arrangement
When I return from cleaning the bowl, I see he’s already texted.
Cameron: Oh no. I’m so sorry. Call me when you wake up.
Pressing the call button, it barely rings when Cameron’s concerned voice comes through the line. “How’s she doing?”
“Can we switch to video? Milli wants to talk with you.”
Within seconds, Cameron appears on my screen. “Hey, love bug. I heard you’re not feeling well.”
Milli nods in agreement but doesn’t say anything, so I add, “She just got sick again.”
“Oh, Mills. I’m so sorry.”
Running a hand along her forehead to push her hair out of her face, she feels warmer than usual. Not wanting to make a big deal of it in front of Milli, I ask, “Do you have a thermometer?”
Blowing out a deep breath, he closes his eyes. “I think there’s one in the medicine cabinet in my bathroom. If not, it’s in the drawer in the kitchen by the dishwasher. My mom helped me move, so I’m not sure where it is.”
“I’ll look when we get done with this call.”
“If you can’t find it, I can have one delivered for you. I’ll get some saltine crackers and 7-Up, too.”
“Where are you?” Milli asks, touching the screen of my phone.
“I’m in my hotel room.”
“Can I see it?” she asks, burrowing into her blankets beside me.
Cameron quickly flips the camera around and shows her his bed, the bathroom, the couch, and the table. Milli nods but isn’t nearly as energetic as she usually is when they video call.
Once he finishes his tour, his face returns. “When are you back?” Milli asks, running her finger along his face on the screen.
Running a hand through his hair, he tells her. “Hopefully by tomorrow night.”
“How many sleeps is that?”
Oh, this girl. She melts my heart over and over again.
“Just one more night,” Cameron reassures her.
Yawning, she tells him, “I sleep in your bed with My Iz.”
“I thought you were in my room. I see you’ve got a mountain of blankets.”
“My Iz didn’t want your bed yucky. I’m like a bird, and this is my nest. There’s soooo many blankets. She even put towels on the bed.”
Cameron’s lips twitch, and I can tell he’s fighting like crazy not to smile. Milli hates it when people laugh at her adorableness. Somehow, he manages to maintain a straight face and points out, “At least you’re cozy.”
“Can I nap, Daddy?” she says on a long yawn. “I’m sleepy.”
“Get some rest, love bug. I love you.”
“Love you, Daddy,” she whispers and hands the phone to me.
When he sees my face on the screen, he asks, “Can you take me off speaker?”
Flipping to a regular call, I hold the phone to my ear. He quickly points out, “She’s really wiped out.”
“She was sound asleep until she got sick again. I think it took a lot out of her.”
