Teeth chattering, Lucy replies, “I’m freezing.”
I press my lips to her forehead, feeling the heat radiate from her skin.
“Do we have a thermometer?” I ask Hank.
“There’s one in my bathroom,” Hildy says, already moving toward the door.
“When you get that settled, come back and say hello,” Ihear a familiar voice call to my back.Anneliese Weissmann. My betrothed is here in New York.
Hildy steps back into the room, her gaze steady on me. “Go, I have her.”
“I’m so cold, mommy,” Lucy whimpers, curling tighter against me.
“I’ll set her down,” I say, moving slowly toward the couch.
As I lay her down, she flinches as if I’ve hurt her, tears welling in her eyes. “It hurts,” she cries, clinging to me desperately.
“Let’s let Hildy take your temperature first, then we’ll warm up your bed,” I suggest gently.
Hildy runs the thermometer across Lucy's forehead, glancing at the reading. “Ninety-nine point nine. We’ll get some Tylenol and bring that fever down. You’ll feel better soon.” She meets my gaze, determination in her eyes. “I can handle this. You have company.”
“Please don’t let go, Faulker,” Lucy pleads, her lip quivering uncontrollably.
“I’m not going anywhere, Schatz,” I assure her, my voice steady.
“Cause I’m your favorite?” she asks, teeth chattering.
“You have become that, yes,” I respond, a small smile breaking through.
“Whose Schatz?” she questions, curiosity sparking despite her discomfort.
“It means treasure,” Hildy explains as she settles beside us. “Now, open up, please.”
“The bubble gum kind?” Lucy asks, her eyes brightening.
“It is,” Hildy replies softly, a smile tugging at her lips as she prepares to help Lucy feel better.
“Shouldn’t we be heading to the hospital?” I inquire, concern weaving through my tone.
“Ninety-nine point nine,” Hildy answers, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear with practiced ease, “not dangerous, but I’ll keep a close watch on her. Tylenol, water, and plenty of rest.”
“Lenzin,” a familiar voice calls from the doorway. It’s Anneliese.
“I had no idea you were coming to the States.” I shake my head, momentarily taken aback.
Her gaze flickers to Lucy, then back to me, and for a heartbeat, her carefully crafted composure wavers. A fleeting shadow of disappointment crosses her features—perhaps the hint of an emotion she’s not ready to confront. But before I can grasp its meaning, the moment slips away.
“I wanted to surprise you,” she says, her voice light yet laced with an undercurrent I can’t quite place.
“That you did,” I reply with a chuckle, attempting to diffuse the tension in the air.
Lucy, cocooned tightly in her blanket like a small burrito, nestles deeper into the fabric. The fever hasn’t dulled her curiosity; it has merely sapped her energy.
She glances up at Anneliese, her expression a mix of skepticism and intrigue. “Who’s that?” she whispers, her voice barely audible.
I open my mouth to answer but hesitate, the words momentarily stuck in my throat. Hildy steps in to bridge the silence, “That’s Faulker’s friend, Anneliese. She’s visiting from far away.”
“She looks like a queen.”
