I get into the bed and pull the covers over me and close my eyes. “Are you okay?” I hear Luca say when he walks into the room. “You look pale.”
“My stomach is just a mess. Maybe it’s the sushi we had yesterday,” I tell him. He sits on the side of the bed next to me and pushes my hair away.
“Dad, the movie is starting!” Aiden yells.
“I promised him we could watch Toy Story this afternoon,” he says, and my heart warms with how amazing of a father he is. From the day he found out that he was a father, he accepted it wholeheartedly and never looked back. “Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No, I think just a nap will help,” I tell him, and I am asleep even before he leaves the room. I try to wake up, but the minute my eyes open, they are so heavy that I shut them again, and I only really open them when Aiden comes in and kisses my cheek.
“Night,” he says to me, and I look at him confused. He walks out of the room to go to his own, and when I sit up, it’s the worst thing to do because my stomach roils. I barely make it to the bathroom this time, but whatever didn’t come out of me before is definitely out of me now after dry-heaving for a good five minutes. I get up and wash my face and grab a wet cloth to place on the back of my neck. A soft knock on the door has me looking at it. It slowly opens, and Luca pokes his head in.
“Hey,” he says softly, coming in and hugging me from behind. As I lean over, his cock pokes me. I look into the mirror at him, and he just smiles.
“Seriously.” I look at him. “You just heard me throwing up.”
“Hey, I have no control over him,” he says and leans down and kisses me on the neck. “I have some ginger ale. That should help.”
I nod at him and get up, following him back into the bedroom. A glass of ginger ale sits on the side table. I take a couple of sips and then lie back down. “I don’t know what this is, but I really hope it’s gone tomorrow.”
“Can you take the day off?” Luca asks me from the doorway to the bathroom. He takes off his shirt, tossing it in the laundry basket. “Or maybe you should just work from home so you can relax a touch.”
“I think that is what I’m going to do,” I tell him, grabbing the cover, turning to my side. “I’m so tired.”
“You could also be coming down with something,” he says, undressing, and I look at him.
“You’re so hot,” I tell him, and he smiles at me. “Just so you know.”
“Good to know,” he says, coming to me and kissing my cheek. “I’m going to take a shower.” I just nod at him and sink down into the bed and close my eyes. The nausea rolling through me feels like I’m on a boat with huge waves. I don’t hear him come to bed, but I feel him pulling me to him. I try to open my eyes, but the next thing I know, Aiden is coming in to tell me he’s leaving for school.
Luca follows him into the room with a cup of warm water and honey. “This is supposed to be good for your stomach. I didn’t have ginger.” He leans down and kisses me. “I’m going to drive Aiden and drop by the office. I’m just going to swing by and get some case files. Then I’m going to come back.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I tell him, tossing the covers off me and sitting up. My head spins right away, and I push him away from me and make it to the bathroom. Holding my hair in my hand, I dry heave.
“Oh my God.” I hear Luca say as he gets his phone out. “Mom, I need you to take Aiden to school. Eli is sick, and I can’t leave her.”
“No,” I groan from the toilet bowl, the sound echoing. I look over at him as I lay my head down on my arm on the toilet seat.
He presses end and then dials again. “Lauren, it’s me. I’m out for the day. Can you have the courier deliver the Blackstone files to my house?” he says, and I want to tell him no, but I dry heave again. “No, Eli isn’t feeling well, and I can’t leave her. Will do, thanks.”
“I’m going to be fine,” I say, sitting now on the floor with my back to the wall. “You could have left to drive Aiden and then come home.”
“Dad, are you coming?” Aiden yells from the stairs, and then I hear the sound of his footsteps on the stairs now. He comes into the room and stops in front of Luca, who is standing in front of the bathroom door. “Mommy is sick?” he asks and then comes in, squatting down in front of me. “Mommy, are you okay?”