“Is she in a relationship, then?” Emma questions, putting leftovers into a container.
Standing from my seat at the table, I join her by the sink and wash dishes. It’s a house rule. Emma cooks, and we clean.
“Yes, with me. I dropped some supplies at her house yesterday,” I admit, as I wash and load some plates into the rack to dry.
Emma cuts me with a curious look. “Is that so? Did you at least give her soup?”
Pausing, I try to remember everything I bought but come up blank. I threw half of the medicine aisle and some sports drinks in there, but I can’t remember if I actually put in any soup.Shit. How could I forget something so simple?
Seeing my panic, Emma’s gaze softens. “Don’t worry. I have just the thing.” Opening the freezer, she pulls out a couple of large containers. “Here.” She hands them to me. “Take this to your girl. It’s my chicken soup. I made a fresh batch last week and had a bunch of extras. It’s perfect timing. There’s also a vegetable just in case too.”
Kissing her on the cheek, I take the containers from her. “Thanks, Emma. I appreciate it. I’ll drop them off.”
Smiling, I now have an excuse to see my girl.Like I needed one.
“Go. Get out of here. Go see your girl. I can see you’re itching to get to her.”
“Thanks, Emma. I appreciate you.”
“For ever and ever?” she asks, pulling me in for a hug. There are a few people in this world I let close to me, and Emma was the first.
“For ever and ever,” I echo back before grabbing a bag for the containers, loading it in my car, and heading across town to see my girl.
It takes about twenty minutes to get from Emma’s to Cora’s, but when I look at the clock on my dashboard, I see it’s later than I thought. Some of the front lights are on, so even though it’s pushing nine o’clock, I decide I should be safe. Grabbing the bag, I pull my coat tighter.
Not wanting to ring the bell in case Noah is asleep, I knock on the door and wait a few minutes. I’m about to knock again when I hear feet shuffling to the door. Expecting to see my girl, a smile spreads across my face, but quickly freezes when I see it’s not Cora, but Noah. Not wanting to freak him out, I go for a more neutral look.
“Hey, bud. Is Cora here?” I look past him, hoping to see or hear her, but only the sound of the television greets me.
“She’s in the bathroom upstairs.” He points. “She’s been there for a while. Throwing up.” He wrinkles his nose. “Who are you?”
Shit. She must have caught what the kid had.“I’m Atlas. I came by to bring these for you guys,” I say lamely, holding up the bag of soups. “Can I come in real quick?” I really don’t want the kid to freak out, but I need to see her.
“I’m not supposed to let anyone in.”
“I’m not just anyone, though. I work with Cora, and I have soup,” I remind him. “Cora could probably use some,” I tag on in the hope that it works, and his affection toward her will have him open the door.
Luck is on my side because he leans forward and unlocks the screen door, letting me in. It’s so much warmer inside. “She’s still upstairs,” he informs me as he goes back to the couch to resumewatching whatever was on before I came in. It looks like a documentary about some type of bug.Okay then.
“Be right back.” Setting the bag on the counter, I take a deep breath. I can’t fuck this up.
Heading up the stairs, I take a peek into the first room and realize it must be Noah’s. It’s not overly childish, but it’s the type of room I would have loved to have as a kid. A small desk sits to the side along with a bag full of soccer gear next to it on the floor. Making a mental note of that, I move toward the end of the hall. The sound of retching tells me I’m in the right spot.
“Cora, baby?” I call as I walk into her bedroom. Her bathroom connects to it, but I don’t allow myself any time to scope it out. I’ll have plenty of time for that later. My girl needs me.
Entering the doorway, I’m met with the sight of Cora on the floor of the bathroom, lying in the fetal position, clutching her stomach. Ignoring the harsh tile floor, I drop to my knees.
“Hey,” I croon. “What happened, beautiful girl?” I grab her and pull her into my arms. Her skin is hot to the touch, and she’s clammy.
“Cora. Babe, can you open your eyes for a second? Look at me.” I brush the hair away from her forehead. Her blue eyes focus on mine briefly before she slams them shut.
She groans. “The light hurts.”
Reaching back, I slap the lights off, and she sighs in my arms. “Come on, pretty girl.” I lift her gently and move her to her bedroom. Shuffling her in my arms, I pull back the bedding and lay her down. There are tissues and cold medicine on her nightstand.
“Is she okay?” a small voice asks from the doorway. Turning around, I see Noah standing there, concern marring his face.
“Yeah. She probably caught a cold. Do you guys have a thermometer?” I ask, even though I’m sure Cora probably has four. She’s always prepared.
