pick up.
She briefly considered calling a doctor, but thought that might be going a little overboard. Then she thought of an in-between.
She could call Lucas.
He was trained in child care –he had to be –since he was teaching a roomful of fragile kindergarteners every day. The kindergarten school day had already ended, so he wasn’t at work.
The phone rang only a few times.
“Hi,” he said.
The single word calmed her down immensely. “Hey, Lucas. Emma’s really sick. She puked in the living room and she’s been sleeping all day and Jess isn’t answering her phone and I don’t know what to do.”
“Slow down,” he said. “Emma’s sick?” He paused. “Want me to come over?”
“Oh my gosh, yes please.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Thank you so much. See you.”
* * * *
After Lucas felt Emma’s forehead and talked to her a little, he took Ivy out of the room.
“I’m not a doctor,” he said, “but I’m pretty sure she just has a fever, Ivy.”
“But she threw up…”
“So it’s the flu. She’ll be fine with rest and liquids, just like Jess said. Do you have any kid ibuprofen?”
“Yeah.”
Ivy found the children’s fever reducer in the cupboard and helped Emma sip some of the cherry flavored liquid before she fell asleep again.
Ivy and Lucas sat down on the couch. Ivy had folded the bed part back into the couch that morning but had left her crumpled sheets on it. She’d been too worried to do anything other than think about Emma.
She let out a sigh of relief.
“Thanks for coming over,” she said, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “I’ve never had to deal with a sick kid before.”
“I can tell.” He laughed.
There was silence. There was the faint sound of someone walking down the hall to their apartment, and a dog barking somewhere nearby. A car drove by. Ivy felt sleepy. She could fall asleep on Lucas’s shoulder right then, and have that extra hour of sleep she was used to. She let her eyes shut.
As soon as she felt herself drifting off, she remembered the dream she’d had that morning. Suddenly she was filled with questions about Lucas and their relationship.
“Why did you go after me in the library that day?” She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him.
He didn’t answer at first. “Because I was interested in you.”
“Why are you interested in me? Why do you like me?” She realized she had wondered that every day of the few weeks they had been together. She seemed like the opposite of the types of girls he was used to in the city. Why would he choose her?
He cocked his head and seemed to think about her question for a long moment. “You’re something I’ve never had before,” he said quietly.
Ivy had thought that was why he wouldn’t like her, but apparently it was why he did.
He put a hand on her cheek, gently, and held her face in his hands and he kissed her forehead and let his lips brush down her nose to her lips. He kissed her sweetly, a kiss that softened her with its sweetness. She wrapped an arm around him and kissed him back with all her heart.
She was something he had never had before, and that was a good thing.
Chapter Eleven
“You know, I’m leaving in a few days.”
Lucas rolled over in bed and looked Ivy in the eyes. “Back to the city? Oh yeah,” he said.
She held his hand loosely in hers under the blankets. She ached sweetly between her legs. They had just slept together for the second time, and it had been just as intense. Ivy couldn’t imagine enjoying any type of sexual encounter with anyone normal now that she knew what it was like to sleep with Lucas. His lovemaking was like a fantasy.
“I could only get a month off of work,” she continued, watching Lucas’s expression carefully. It didn’t change. He looked… unconcerned. He leaned over her to the bedside table and took a cigarette from the pack there.
He began to smoke, not asking her if she minded. The
She briefly considered calling a doctor, but thought that might be going a little overboard. Then she thought of an in-between.
She could call Lucas.
He was trained in child care –he had to be –since he was teaching a roomful of fragile kindergarteners every day. The kindergarten school day had already ended, so he wasn’t at work.
The phone rang only a few times.
“Hi,” he said.
The single word calmed her down immensely. “Hey, Lucas. Emma’s really sick. She puked in the living room and she’s been sleeping all day and Jess isn’t answering her phone and I don’t know what to do.”
“Slow down,” he said. “Emma’s sick?” He paused. “Want me to come over?”
“Oh my gosh, yes please.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Thank you so much. See you.”
* * * *
After Lucas felt Emma’s forehead and talked to her a little, he took Ivy out of the room.
“I’m not a doctor,” he said, “but I’m pretty sure she just has a fever, Ivy.”
“But she threw up…”
“So it’s the flu. She’ll be fine with rest and liquids, just like Jess said. Do you have any kid ibuprofen?”
“Yeah.”
Ivy found the children’s fever reducer in the cupboard and helped Emma sip some of the cherry flavored liquid before she fell asleep again.
Ivy and Lucas sat down on the couch. Ivy had folded the bed part back into the couch that morning but had left her crumpled sheets on it. She’d been too worried to do anything other than think about Emma.
She let out a sigh of relief.
“Thanks for coming over,” she said, letting her head rest on his shoulder. “I’ve never had to deal with a sick kid before.”
“I can tell.” He laughed.
There was silence. There was the faint sound of someone walking down the hall to their apartment, and a dog barking somewhere nearby. A car drove by. Ivy felt sleepy. She could fall asleep on Lucas’s shoulder right then, and have that extra hour of sleep she was used to. She let her eyes shut.
As soon as she felt herself drifting off, she remembered the dream she’d had that morning. Suddenly she was filled with questions about Lucas and their relationship.
“Why did you go after me in the library that day?” She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him.
He didn’t answer at first. “Because I was interested in you.”
“Why are you interested in me? Why do you like me?” She realized she had wondered that every day of the few weeks they had been together. She seemed like the opposite of the types of girls he was used to in the city. Why would he choose her?
He cocked his head and seemed to think about her question for a long moment. “You’re something I’ve never had before,” he said quietly.
Ivy had thought that was why he wouldn’t like her, but apparently it was why he did.
He put a hand on her cheek, gently, and held her face in his hands and he kissed her forehead and let his lips brush down her nose to her lips. He kissed her sweetly, a kiss that softened her with its sweetness. She wrapped an arm around him and kissed him back with all her heart.
She was something he had never had before, and that was a good thing.
Chapter Eleven
“You know, I’m leaving in a few days.”
Lucas rolled over in bed and looked Ivy in the eyes. “Back to the city? Oh yeah,” he said.
She held his hand loosely in hers under the blankets. She ached sweetly between her legs. They had just slept together for the second time, and it had been just as intense. Ivy couldn’t imagine enjoying any type of sexual encounter with anyone normal now that she knew what it was like to sleep with Lucas. His lovemaking was like a fantasy.
“I could only get a month off of work,” she continued, watching Lucas’s expression carefully. It didn’t change. He looked… unconcerned. He leaned over her to the bedside table and took a cigarette from the pack there.
He began to smoke, not asking her if she minded. The
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