“I’d like that,” she finally flashed a genuine smile, her shoulders relaxing.
After removing my jacket and rolling the sleeves of my shirt, I got to work. I was halfway through assembling the sandwiches when I heard Lily’s babbling from the nursery. Paige went to get her, and I focused on not burning the bread.
The butter was sizzling perfectly in the pan, the cheese was the exact right thickness, and I was feeling pretty damn proud of myself when Paige returned with Lily on her hip.
Then her face twisted.
“Here,” she said quickly, shoving Lily into my arms.
Before I could ask what was wrong, she was running toward the nearest bathroom. I heard the door slam, then the unmistakable sound of puking.
Lily babbled, pointing toward the bathroom with concern.
“She’s okay, sweetheart,” I said automatically, even though my mind was racing. I turned off the stove and headed toward the bathroom, Lily still in my arms. “Paige? Are you okay?”
I heard more puking and then the toilet flushed. After a few more agonizing minutes, when she finally emerged, she looked pale and shaky.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, genuinely worried now. “Did you eat something bad? Should I call a doctor?”
“I’m fine,” she said, waving me off, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. “It’s just… I don’t like the smell of cheese.”
I blinked. “Smell of cheese?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Smell of cheese?” I repeated, because that made absolutely no sense. She had been eating cheese for weeks. She helped me make grilled cheese just last weekend.
“That’s what I said, Derek. Yes.” She sounded irritated now.
“Should I call a doctor?—”
“No!” she blurted. “I’m fine. It’s just... I guess, hormones?”
Hormones?
Nothing about this made sense. The weird behavior when I came home, the sudden nausea at the smell of something she was fine with before or the mention of hormones.
But Lily grumbled in my arms, probably hungry and confused about why dinner had been interrupted, so I let it go.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “No more grilled cheese. I’ll heat the soup instead.”
“Thank you,” Paige said, taking Lily from me and pressing a kiss to her daughter’s head. “Sorry for being weird. I’m just... tired.”
“You don’t have to apologize,” I said, but I was still watching her carefully.
Something was going on. Something she wasn’t telling me. I didn’t want to bug her about it, but I couldn’t stand not solving her problem and playing hero.
But I trusted her to tell me when the time was right. So, I heated the soup and watched Paige feed Lily at the table, still avoiding my eyes and looking more uncomfortable by the minute.
What the hell was she hiding?
33
DADA
PAIGE
I looked like shit on the day of my divorce hearing.
