At some point, I started crying right along with her. My heart broke when I looked into her watery eyes because there was nothing I could do to help her. It was like whatever happened came out of nowhere. She was fed, cleaned, and she didn’t have a fever, so it baffled me.
I didn’t even hear when Arsel got home until he entered the living room.
“What’s the matter? Why are both of you crying?” He stood near the couch.
Mikayla’s head popped up, and she tried to go to him, but he wouldn’t pick her up until he changed his clothes.
“Hey, baby girl.” He spoke to her, and she put her arms up. “I can’t pick you up yet.”
That caused her to cry again. “Has she been like this for long?”
“Yes. For hours. I haven’t been able to do anything. Nothing has helped.” I wiped my face with my hand. My other one was still rubbing her back. She calmed down again because she had gotten the hiccups from crying.
“I’m sorry, baby. Let me shower and change, and I’ll get her for you.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead before kissing Mikayla’s.
“Okay.”
Mikayla looked at him with sad eyes, but he promised her he would be back for her. I felt bad because he looked so exhausted. I was sure he had a long day at work and didn’t have the energy to deal with her, but I appreciated him for offering. Hopefully, he could figure out how to get her to relax or at least take a nap.
Twenty minutes later, Arsel came back downstairs smelling like his bodywash. His eyes were tired, but as promised, he took Mikayla from me. As soon as she was in his arms, she lay her head on his chest.
“I wonder what’s bothering her,” Arsel said as he rubbed her back. “It could be a tooth coming in, or maybe a stomachache. Either way, you do what you need to do, and I’ll take care of her. I’m a doctor; I’ll figure it out.” He winked, and I laughed.
Being a trauma surgeon was a whole different ball game than being a pediatrician. Regardless, I knew she was in good hands, so I left the two of them on the couch and went upstairs.
I took a few minutes to wash my face and decompress. When I was ready, I went into the bedroom and sat down to write.
I was able to get a few chapters done while Arsel took care of Mikayla. When I was finished, I went downstairs, and they both were asleep with the blanket draped over them. I smiled at them, then went into the kitchen to fix dinner. Since I wasn’t sure of what was going on with Mikayla, I fixed her a bland diet. Arsel and I had cheesesteaks and fries. The three of us were still pretty tired, so we didn’t have any playtime like we typically did. After dinner, we bathed Mikayla and relaxed on the couch with one of her favorite movies.
It turned out she had gas, and a tooth was coming in, so once we addressed both issues, she was a lot better. We got her ready for bed, then went to our room.
“Whew, what a day,” I said as I crawled into bed.
Arsel wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close.
“It was. You did good, though.” He kissed the top of my head.
“I struggled a lot, and I didn’t want to call anyone, because I really wanted to do it on my own.”
The small lamp on the table near the bed was just enough light to see the scowl on his face.
“Stubborn ass.” He chuckled. “I know how you feel, but baby, don’t struggle if you don’t have to. They said to call them if we needed them, and you needed them.”
“Yes, I know that now.” I rolled my eyes.
Since I was on Arsel’s chest, my body shook when he laughed. He and my grandma would say I was too stubborn for my own good, but I didn’t agree. I just wanted to do things on my own.
Silence fell over us as I yawned.
“Thank you for stepping in.”
Arsel squeezed me against him. “Always, baby. We are a team, and I will always have your front, back, and sides.”
“And I need you to remember that, too.” I lifted my head and kissed him.
“How about the next day I’m off, you get to have the whole day to yourself. Anything you want to do, and I’ll pay for it.”
It had been a while since I had a self-care day, and I needed it. I needed a good wash and trim, and I needed a manicure and pedicure. If I could, I would add a massage, too.
