Another

She said she was at her dad’s, but I knew better. She was back at her apartment. She’d want to be alone, not somewhere she’d have to explain herself. I almost turned right to head to her place rather than left to go to mine, but I didn’t.

Instead, I promised myself that tomorrow…tomorrow I’d go get my girls.

Carina

Kent stayed for two movies and almost half the bottle of bourbon.

He’d called an Uber and told me to call him if I needed anyone’s ass kicked.

It’d been nice having company. It’d been exactly what I needed because while I’d enjoyed my time with Kent, each second that passed, I realized how much I wanted it to be Ian laughing by my side.

I was still beyond hurt, but even through the ache, I wanted him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to work through whatever had happened. I wasn’t ready to give up on us just yet.

By the time Kent left, a weight had lifted off my battered heart. I wanted to call Ian, but when I looked at the time it was so late, and Audrey was cranky. I promised myself I’d call him in the morning when I was less beat.

Audrey’s cough was a little worse than earlier, and when I tried to feed her, she was having none of it. She’d been disgruntled and whimpering on and off until she finally passed out.

I didn’t know how much time had passed before her cries jerked me out of a deep sleep. Her face was red as she let loose. The only time she’d stop crying was when she was coughing. When I picked her up to comfort her, she was warm. Quickly, I pulled the blanket from around her and took her temperature.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins when it read one-hundred-and-one-point-nine. After a quick google search, I stripped her down and held her close as I called the on-call nurse. She informed that I could give her Tylenol and see if it brought her temperature down. If not, to bring her in immediately.

Audrey was pissed about the medicine, and I wasn’t sure how much of it actually made it in her mouth. I used a warm washcloth to help with her fever and tried to feed her, but she wouldn’t eat. When she’d finally cried herself to sleep again on my chest, I let a few tears fall. I hated seeing my baby in pain and not knowing what to do to help. She slept and coughed every once in a while as I sat still and wished Ian were there to help.

It wasn’t long before Audrey stirred again, woken up by another coughing fit. Her skin burned hotter than ever, and when I took her temperature again, it read one-hundred-and-four.

Panic stole my breath and pulled my skin too tight. Blood rushed too hard to my head, and I was sure I was going to pass out.

With shaking hands, I put her in her car seat and grabbed the diaper bag, rushing down the stairs to head to the ER, constantly talking and soothing her the whole time. Not that she could hear me over her cries.

When I pulled into the ER, they took my information and surprisingly had an empty room, so we got checked in immediately. They’d run a slew of tests and Audrey slept as we waited for the results.

With the lights dim, and Audrey’s wheezing cough the only sound in the room, all the adrenaline rushed from my body and the tears I’d been holding back came. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d cried as much as I had in the past two days.

I was tired—drained and exhausted—and I didn’t want to do this alone.

It was three in the morning, and I knew he might not pick up, but I had to try.

“Hello?”

Ian’s sleep roughened voice only made the tears come harder.

“Carina? Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Ian.” I barely got his name out.

“Please talk to me. Please. Where are you?”

I could hear the panic in his voice, and I took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Audrey’s cough was really bad, and she woke up with a fever. I tried to get it down, but it just got higher. And she was so upset.”

“Carina, where are you?”

“Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They’re waiting for test results. I just…I need you.”

“I’m on my way. Hang in there, baby. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

“Okay. Thank you, Ian.”

Just knowing he was on his way calmed me more than I thought possible. And when he finally made it, walking through the door, I didn’t hesitate to throw myself in his arms, feeling like I could breathe for the first time.

“Thank you. Thank you,” I whispered over and over again.

He leaned back and cradled my face in his palms, wiping tears away from my cheeks. “I’m here now. Okay. We’ve got this. You’re not alone.”