30

Janet

"Eissa, come on. You have to take this medicine." I found myself pleading with my son.

He shook his head as he held his stomach. "Mommy, I throw it up."

"Prince, this medicine will help. I promise. Just drink some." I tried to convince him.

Eissa had caught some virus and he's been throwing up nonstop since last night. I cancelled practice to be with him and Phoebe came over to help. She had went to get some more soup and crackers to see if we could get anything to stay down. Frankly, it would be surprising if we did, we gave him 7up and he had thrown that up as well.

Still, the doctor said that he had to get it all out, so all we could do was sit this out.

He nodded slowly and I moved the medicine cup to his lips as he drunk it. His face turned up as he gagged. He hated medicine, but this time he kept it down.

"Here, drink some of this to get the taste out of your mouth." I handed him another cup of 7up and he drank it all. It was obvious he was dehydrated from puking everything up.

After he was done, he raised his arms towards me, and I picked him up. He put his head in my neck as he asked. "Can I see Butterfly?"

I looked at the clock and saw it was going on 12. "How about I see if she can come here for lunch while you go take a nap?"

"Ok." He mumbled softly as I walked up the steps and into his room. I laid him in the bed and closed his curtains knowing he didn't like sleeping when the sun was in his face.

Moving a trash can to the side of his bed, I told him. "Mommy put a trashcan by your bed. Yell if you need something or if you can't sleep. I'm going to call her right now, okay Prince?"

His response was soft again. "Ok."

Leaving the room, I headed back down the steps. Grabbing my phone out my pocket, I called my girlfriend. She answered on the fourth ring. "Hey baby, what's up?"

"Hey, you free?"

My ears listened as she flipped through something. "Yeah. I'm free. Wanna do lunch?"

"Yep. Our son wants to see you." I informed her.

"Eissa?"

"Yes. Who else?"

It was silent for a moment before Kyrin spoke in confusion. "Is Eissa not in his classroom?"

My eyes widened when I realized that I had forgot to tell my girlfriend that Eissa was sick. I guess it had just slipped my mind. "Baby, I forgot to tell you. Eissa has a virus. He's been puking all night and all day. I just got him to take some medicine and take a nap but he asked to see you."

Kyrin took a deep breath. "I'm on my way. Give me 10 to 15."

"Alright. Love you—." The line disconnected and I realized she might be upset about not knowing. I shook my head as the front door opened and Phoebe walked in.

She saw me in the living room and held up bags of groceries. "I got four different types of soups. I didn't know which type he liked or not. Oh and I got some crackers because my mom told me that crackers always worked in coating the stomach or something because of the salt. And I got some more 7up."

"Thanks Phoebe." I mumbled as I helped put them in the kitchen.

Maybe she noticed how quiet I had became because she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Kyrin's upset."

"About?"

Looking at her, I ran a hand over my face as I replied. "I forgot to tell her that Eissa was sick."

Phoebe made a face. "Ouuu. Yeah that's pretty bad. How'd you forget?"

"I don't know. I guess I was so occupied with E."

"How mad is she?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just know she's mad."

"Get your pout face ready. Where is EE?"

My finger pointed up. "I got him to take some medicine and now he's trying to sleep."

"Ahh, I'll be up there with him. Good luck boo." She dismissed it as she shot up the steps at the sound of the door opening.

Kyrin yelled. "Janet!"

"In the kitchen!" I yelled back as I began opening the soup can and pulling a pot out.

She walked in and looked around. "Eissa still sleeping?"

I nodded as I put the soap in the pot and sat it on my stove top. As I turned it on, I replied. "Yeah."

Kyrin dropped her keys and wallet on the counter of our kitchen. Her volume dropped some as she asked. "Why didn't I know Eissa was sick again?"

Sighing, I faced her. "I forgot to tell you."

"I thought maybe him and Tiff were running late and didn't get a chance to stop in. Hell, I was to my neck in paperwork anyways. Still, you gotta tell me this stuff baby. What if something worse would have happened?"

"I know. I know. I'm just so used to taking care of him by myself. I'm not too used to it yet. I'm getting better. Just give me time." I pouted like Phoebe instructed me to.

"Alright. That's fair. Now give me kisses." She came over as she pecked my lips a few times before sprinting out the kitchen and up the stairs as I heard her yell. "Butterfly's coming, Bubba!"

Shaking my head, I followed. Eissa's lamp was on, I'm guessing to Phoebes doing, and I saw that Kyrin was in the bed with Eissa. His arms were wrapped around her frame as he mumbled. "I missed you mommy."

"I missed you too Bubba." My girlfriend mumbled as she ran her fingers through his curls. "Mommy's sorry that she wasn't here but I'm going to spend the whole day with you."

"Really?" He asked as he looked up at her. "You don't have to be boss today?"

"Well, mommy gets to call in a few times and she called in just for you. So no, mommy doesn't have to be the boss today." She replied softly. "Get some sleep Bubba, I'll still be here when you wake up. I promise."

Phoebe wiped a stray tear as she mumbled to me. "They are so cute."

I nodded along. "Yeah. They are." My eyes traveled upwards as I silently thanked God himself. I had prayed for someone to actually appreciate and value me and in walked Kyrin. She was great with my son and she was literally an angel in disguise for me.

A phone ringing caused everyone's head to turn in the direction of it. Phoebe answered it quickly. "It's momma, I'll be right back."

She stepped out of the room and Kyrin peeked to see if Eissa was awake. When she saw he was sleep, she slowly got up and walked over to cut his lamp back off.

I stood by the door as she came over and met me. She closed his door softly. "My poor baby is really not feeling good." I nodded in agreement as we walked towards my steps. She stopped me. "Let's go to your room."

Kyrin led the way as I followed behind her. My girlfriend crawled on the bed after taking off her heels and opened her arms for me to come and lay on her. I gladly did, as I laid my head in her chest.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, I mumbled. "I love you."

"I love you too baby." She replied as she placed a kiss on my forehead and wrapped her arms around my frame.

"Move in with me." I suggested what I'd been wanting to ask for a while.

She glanced at me as we met eye contact. "Move in?" I nodded. "You want me to move in with you? You're serious?"

"Yes. I mean you don't have to sell your house or anything. Just move in here. With me and Eissa."

"Okay." She agreed as she nodded to herself. "We can make that happen."

We laid in silence for a while, a comfortable, content silence. I had began to fall asleep from her fingers tracing patterns against my stomach. A knock on the door caused my eyes to open as I nuzzled into Kyrin some more.

Phoebe spoke. "Sorry to interrupt, but the negros funeral is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Kyrin asked in disbelief. "No, the funerals Saturday like we planned it to be."

"The pastor can't do Saturday anymore. Another church member passed and he's sending him off Saturday afternoon so if we did Saturday morning he would have rushed through ours and momma said she didn't kill that man to have a rushed ass service."

"Kill?" I questioned as I looked up at Kyrin.

My girlfriend shook her head as she tilted my head back down. "She's being over dramatic. They fought. He had a heart attack. The end. Anyways, how in the hell are we supposed to get tickets to Texas at this late of notice?"

Phoebe looked over at me. "Well, Janet has the jet—."

"My girlfriend isn't the answer to all our problems." Ky muttered. "She's not our escape goat."

I looked up at her again. "Just take the jet. It's not like I need it. Plus, what's mines is yours."

She frowned slightly. "Yeah, when it comes to food or something. What's yours is mines and vice versa, but we are talking a jet baby. I know these folks not flying you for free."

"Let me worry about that. You need to get somewhere and I'm here to make sure that happens. So go pack." My voice wore one of no uncertainty.

Kyrin traced my face before sighing. "Fine. Fine. Fine. Geez."

Picking up my phone, I spoke. "I'll have the jet out by tonight. You'll be there before tomorrow for sure."

My girlfriend made a face that signaled she wasn't one hundred percent convinced nor comfortable with me doing this. Phoebe squealed. "See, told ya. My sister in law is the best ever!"

"Sister in law?" Kyrin and I asked simultaneously.

"Oh shut up. You two are destined to be wed. Mark my words. One day you two are gonna walk down the aisle and I'm gonna be the first to catch the bouquet— well never mind, let's let Ember single ass catch it." Phoebe rolled her eyes.

Kyrin inhaled before replying skeptically. "I think Embers fucking with Joey."

I lifted my body off of hers entirely and Phoebe almost broke her neck as she asked. "Bitch what?!"

My girlfriend looked between us before putting her hands out. "Look, just hear me out. So every time we'd be in the truck, she'd ride front seat. When Phoebe would be with us, Ember would rather hang with Joey. I'm not one hundred percent certain, but I'm ninety six percent certain. And that rounds to one hundred."

My eyes widened as I shook my head. "That— that can't happen."

"Why not?" Kyrin asked me. "Is there something we don't know?"

"Joeys married. He doesn't wear his ring because his wife didn't prefer that they did when they got married. Especially after they had their son TJ. Now is his wife probably cheating? Yes, but still... two wrongs don't make a right."

Phoebes head tilted. "You said son?"

"Yeah. TJ's like a year or two older than Eissa." I informed her.

My girlfriend and Phoebe looked at each other before both yelling out. "Step momma of the year!" They busted out laughing and I shook my head.

"You two are too much." I mumbled.

My girlfriend shook her head after she quieted down a little. "I wanna know if I'm right or not."

"He wouldn't tell me." I answered honestly. "He knows I'll wear my face of disappointment."

"He would tell me though." Kyrin muttered as she reached into her pocket and grabbed her phone. "Watch, I'm about to get tea."

"Hey, y'all smell something burning?" Phoebe asked us as the phone began dialing Joey. "Janet were you cooking something?"

My eyes widened as my girlfriend and I yelled out. "The soup!"