Don't Promise (Don't 3)

He hopped off the couch and walked over sluggishly. I frowned. He had been excited about flying on the plane.

As soon as his tiny bare feet reached the kitchen I had a sickening feeling. They were pink.

I knelt to the floor and touched the back of my hand to his forehead. His cheeks were bright red. There were dark circles under his eyes.

“Buddy, are you feeling all right?” I asked softly.

He was burning up. I didn’t need a digital reading to verify what I already knew.

Cole strolled in with the last bag. “Got it. Let’s get on the road. I don’t want to hit traffic on the way to the airport.”

“I need the thermometer from the bathroom. Top shelf in the medicine cabinet. The one with the purple bear,” I explained.

He spun on his heels without a word and returned in ten seconds with the thermometer. “What is it?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

I pressed the power switch and ran the flat part over Grayson’s forehead. The screen immediately flashed orange and then red.

“Oh no,” I whispered.

Grayson started to cry.

“It’s ok.” I tried to soothe him.

“What did it say?” Cole leaned over to read it. I handed it to him.

He leaned against the counter. “Damn it,” he muttered.

My head dropped. “It’s ok. I’ve got some Tylenol. Let’s get him in some jammies.” I looked up at Cole. “We can try a lukewarm bath if he wants.”

“Oh no, no, no. We’re not all staying home. That’s not going to happen.”

My eyes darted to his. “You’re not suggesting I leave you two here?”

“You’re going home for Christmas.”

I shook my head. “That’s crazy.”

“Baby, I will take care of Grayson. When he’s better, we’ll fly. Besides, do you think it’s a great idea for you to take care of him while you’re pregnant? What if you get a fever? I haven’t gotten that far in my book, but I know you aren’t supposed to be around people with colds and the flu.”

“He doesn’t have the flu,” I argued.

Cole looked at his watch. “You need to get on the road.”

“I’m not leaving you here. Not like this.” My heart split in two. I couldn’t do this. What in the hell was he thinking? I would never leave them to deal with whatever this was. What if it progressed? What if he was up all night? Cole didn’t wake up as easily as I did.

“Daddy, I need juice. My throat hurts,” Grayson whined.

I looked at Cole. “You need me for this. He’s going to be up all night.”

He grabbed me by the shoulders. “What I need is for you and our baby to be safe and healthy. I can’t put Grayson on an airplane with a fever. It doesn’t make sense for you to miss out on all the things you love with your parents.”

“I-I don’t want to go.” I buried my face in my palms. “I don’t want to tell them about the baby without you.”

“Don’t tell them until I get there.” He reached for a sippy cup and poured juice in the container for his son.

“You don’t think my mom will take one look at me and know?” I pointed to my boobs, which seemed like they had doubled in roundness in the past two months. I was already in a bra two cup sizes larger. Cole loved how big they were.