“It’s probably the flu. It’s going around,” Maisie noted.
“Yeah, it spread over the store last week, and I thought I had avoided it. I guess not,” Giselle croaked. “Thank you for bringing them home.”
“You need anything?” she checked with her.
“I got ’em. I was about to run to the store now and grab some stuff,” Heavy chimed in.
Surprise marred Maisie’s face, and she hiked a brow in Giselle’s direction before looking Heavy over. He seemed to constantly wear this mean scowl, with these ever-changing hazel eyes, one minute reflecting specks of green, and then going darker with a copper like hue. She guessed they changed with his mood. Right now, the green sparkles were on full display.
“Okay then, daddy. I’ll call and check on you guys later. I hope you feel better.” She knelt to kiss the top of each of their heads, and Giselle smiled weakly.
“Thanks, Mais. Love you.”
“We love you too.” Crew also applied a peck before turning to Heavy.
Giselle was family at the end of the day. He viewed her as a sister, just like Lou. He was naturally very overprotective of all the members of the Knox family since he didn’t have one of his own. It was obvious from the way Heavy was making his presence known that he wasn’t about to slack on being a father. Crew respected him even more than he did before.
“Take care of them, homie,” Crew warned.
“Don’t even have to ask that.” The two shook hands, and Maisie and Crew strolled toward the door.
Sighing, Heavy took in the weariness on Giselle’s face as she hugged their children close, and they both moaned in pain. He couldn’t take it, and neither could she. Springing into action, he went into the kitchen and found a couple of bottles of water, crackers, and Ginger Ale. He brought them all back to the livingroom and set them on the wooden table in front of them on the couch.
“Okay, this should hold you down until I get back.”
“I’m going to grab their pajamas so they can get comfortable and their favorite blankets. We can camp out right here in the living room. How does that sound?” Giselle checked with them, and they both nodded weakly.
She could barely move, and Heavy stopped her before she could even stand.
“I’ll get it. Tell me where everything is.”
“Um, top drawer of the big dresser in their room, you will find their clean pajamas, and she has a custom blanket with unicorns and her name all over it. Heir’s has airplanes everywhere.”
Heavy took note of everything and turned to move down the hall to the twins’ room. He stopped at the big dresser against the wall near the door and pulled the top drawers out. Each side of the room was decorated to fit their personalities. Everything was neat and organized aside from a few blocks on the floor beside Heir’s bed. He snatched up the pajamas, then turned to grab the blankets from their beds. Moments later, he reappeared in the living room.
“Thank you. Can you hand me my phone?” Giselle asked, nodding to her iPhone on the table.
He picked it up and handed it to her, noticing she had all kinds of notifications lighting it up. He decided to give her the privacy she needed.
Harlee peered up at him helplessly. Stroking her little rosy cheeks, he found her warm just like her mama. She held both arms out, wanting to be picked up, and he couldn’t resist. Holding her little feverish body close, he used his fingers to massage her scalp and kissed her cheek.
“Alright, I’m going around the corner to the pharmacy and grocery store to get some stuff to make you feel better,” he told Harlee and glanced toward Giselle. “I shouldn’t be gone long, but call me if you need me.” He gently set her back down beside her mother.
“I will. I’m just going to check a few emails and find something for them to watch. Make sure you get fever reducer, cough drops, VapoRub?—"
“I been sick before, princess, and I have a grandmother. I got you.”
“You just have to get the children’s version?—"
“Lay down and get some rest,” Heavy ordered, snatching her house keys off the table before walking to the front hall.
He had to lock up and let himself back in, but little did she know, he was also going to stop and make himself a couple of copies of those keys too. She still felt slighted about the whole Prischa thing, and he didn’t know how to make it up to her, but he’d been wracking his brain for weeks, trying to figure out how.
Finally strong enough to get out of bed, Giselle found herself walking through her house, fighting the chills. This flu had her and the kids down bad, and she prayed none of them had to go to the hospital. Bypassing the living room, she found her babies curled up on the couch together under the covers, both sleeping peacefully with their mouths wide open. If they felt anything like she did, it was an attempt to breathe since her nostrils were blocked. The banging around of pots and pans in the kitchen pulled her in that direction. Pausing in the doorway, she simpered at the sight of Heavy at the stove and sink, movingback and forth as he cooked and stirred, then did dishes and dropped them in the dishwasher.
In a white T-shirt and joggers, with a pair of Nike slides on his feet, he’d made himself comfortable as he whipped up a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup. Watching his muscles in his arms flex with his movements left her eyes drifting over the rest of his frame, soaking him in.
“Smells good in here.” Her voice startled him.
