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♥
After Eli, Elliot didn’t think he’d have more kids.
Then he and Kathy split up for the second time, and this time he saw it coming. He’d moved back in so he could be there for Eli, but a couple of years in, it became painfully clear that whatever he and Kathy used to have in their marriage just wasn’t there anymore.
When Kathy served him with the papers, he didn’t hesitate. Not this time.
Six months after the divorce was finalized, he startled Olivia (and himself, if he was honest) by asking her out. It had taken a criminal with a knife to make him realize how strong his feelings were all those years ago, and a part of him would never forgive himself for not acting back then.
And when he awoke the morning after, with the woman he loved so deeply lying with her head on his chest, he knew he’d made the right choice, that there was no going back.
They never really talked about what direction they were taking their relationship; they just let everything fall into place, and as the weeks slipped into months they slowly found themselves moving in together.
He’d known for years how badly Olivia wanted to be a mom, and he wanted to make that happen for her. He didn’t care if it happened naturally or if they adopted. Either way, he would be having a child with the love of his life and seeing her desire become a reality.
When she became pregnant, they were surprised but elated, and nine months later they welcomed a healthy, beautiful baby girl into their lives. She was their miracle baby, the one the doctors insisted was too risky.
Now she’s five, intelligent, and full of mischief.
Down the hall, he hears Bella unsuccessfully trying to talk her way out of the bath Olivia’s forcing her to take.
After a while, Bella emerges wearing her pajamas, her hair damp, and neatly combed. She kneels at the coffee table to finish printing her name on her Scooby-Doo Valentines for her kindergarten class party tomorrow.
Olivia joins them soon, taking a seat next to Elliot on the couch. “You would think that after interrogating suspects for fifteen years, convincing a five-year-old to bathe should be a piece of cake. But it’s not.”
Elliot chuckles, wrapping his arm around her as they watch Bella write her name on a shiny card, her expression one of focus. He’s pretty certain she looks more like Olivia every day, with brown doe eyes and the same smile. She’s every bit as stubborn as both of them and caring to a fault.
A few minutes pass before Bella finishes her last Valentine, printing her name and sealing the card shut with a sticker. “Done!”
“Good job, baby,” Olivia comments, chuckling when she realizes Bella has managed to scrunch her full name, Isabella Margaret Stabler, onto each card in red marker. “I think it’s bedtime now. Go pick out a book, and we’ll be in there to read to you.”
“‘Kay.” Bella obediently tucks her cards safely into her backpack and stands up, heading toward her bedroom to pick out a bedtime story.
Her parents aren’t far behind her. They find her sitting on her bed, holding a book in her hands. She presents it to them like a present. “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” she requests.
They’ve read the story so many times that they can both recite it word for word, but it’s her favorite and she likes the pictures, so Olivia takes the book while Elliot tucks the covers over Bella’s form.
Once Bella’s tucked in, Olivia sits by her hip and turns the book to the first page. “If you give a mouse a cookie,” she begins, lowering her voice, “he’s going to ask for a glass of milk.”
Pleased, Bella snuggles into her side. Elliot’s face softens as he watches the interaction, even if it’s one he watches almost every night at Bella’s bedtime.
Olivia keeps reading, holding the book so Bella can see the pictures in it. “When you give him the milk, he’ll probably ask you for a straw.”
She keeps reading, turning the book over to Elliot halfway through. By the time he finishes reading, Bella’s asleep, curled up with her favorite stuffed bunny that she’s had since she was two.
They take turns kissing their daughter’s forehead before quietly slipping out of the room, turning off the light, and leaving the door cracked.
Once they’re back on the couch, Elliot turns the TV on to some medical drama. Olivia sits next to him, scooting close.
“I’m looking forward to a nice evening tomorrow.” They have dinner reservations at one of their favorite Italian restaurants, and Bella’s going to a sleepover in their apartment complex. Even if neither of them are enthusiasts of the holiday, it’s an evening they’ll hopefully be able to relax and enjoy together.
“Don’t say that. You’ll jinx it,” she teases, laying her hand on his chest. “We’ve had those reservations for two weeks.”
Chuckling, he wraps his hand around hers and lifts it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.
Olivia turns her hand to cup his cheek in his hand, laughing when he tugs her into his lap. Smirking, she slides her hand under his shirt and rubs, letting out a content sound when his hand smooths over her back.
Her lips touch his in a kiss, first softly and then deeply. Elliot’s hands come to a rest on her hips, hugging her body close to his as he melts into the kiss. The kiss gives way to something more tender before they part and she settles back into his side, comfortable and content.
It’s not long before they head to the bedroom to get ready for bed. Olivia slips into one of Elliot’s old shirts and joins him under the covers, sidling up to him. Immediately his arms encircle her and he draws her closer.
“Comfy?”
“Mm hmm.” She tilts her head back to steal another kiss, this one quick and soft. “Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
♥
A churning in her stomach is what wakes her up hours before the alarm is set to go off.
Moaning, Olivia turns onto her side and curls into herself. She squeezes her eyes shut again and hopes the feeling settles, but bile rises in her throat. She lurches upright, and Elliot awakes to their bathroom door flinging open.
A moment later, he hears the toilet lid slam open, followed by the sound of retching. He tosses the covers aside and follows her. She lets out a noise of acknowledgment when he sweeps her hair into his hand, holding it out of the way.
Olivia gags, sighing sharply in annoyance as she finishes emptying her stomach. “Shit…” she mutters as she flushes the toilet. Elliot helps her up and touches his hand to her cheek. She’s hot with fever, but she shivers and leans into him for a moment.
His eyes are sympathetic as he strokes her cheek. “Sorry…”
Still shivering, she reluctantly parts from him to rinse the sour taste from her mouth with mouthwash. Elliot takes her arm, urging her back to their bed. She doesn’t protest, sighing as she crawls back under the warmth of the covers.
Elliot’s sure it won’t be long until she throws up again, so he makes quick time of preparing a trash can to keep by the bed, pushing it within reach.
“Go check on Bella?” Olivia yawns, squeezing her eyes shut. This damn stomach bug has been sweeping through her elementary school for over two weeks, so Olivia knew it was just a matter of time before it hit their household.
“I will. I’ll bring you some water, too.” He smooths her hair back before he stands up and tugs on a pair of sweatpants, then leaves their room.
He quietly opens Bella’s door and takes care not to trip over her toys as he crosses the floor. She’s still asleep, her dark hair splayed over her pillow, but she stirs when he checks her forehead.
It’s warm. No surprise there.
“Daddy?” Bella murmurs.
“Hey, baby. Feeling bad?”
“Yeah…” She sits up, her facial expression one of discomfort. “My tummy hurts.”
“Do you feel like you’re gonna throw up?”
As he asks that, her face pinches in discomfort, a warning he’s quick to recognize as a parent. Elliot reaches for the trash can by her nightstand, but he’s not fast enough and Bella throws up, on herself and on him.
He wrinkles his nose a little, but after six kids a little puke barely fazes him and he picks his daughter up. “Let’s get cleaned up.”
Bella sniffles and hugs his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. “I feel yucky…”
“I know, baby.” He grabs a clean pair of pajamas and carries her to the bathroom, helping her clean up and change. “We’ll get some clean sheets on the bed and you can go back to sleep.”
Bella nods, but before he can pick her up again to take her back to her room, she’s hunched over the toilet, retching again. This time she starts crying when she’s done and holds her arms up to him.
Elliot picks her up and hugs her. “It’s okay…”
“Is Mommy up?” she murmurs into his neck.
He shakes his head and rubs her back. “No, she’s not feeling good, either. She threw up, too. She went back to sleep.”
Bella sniffles and scrubs at her eyes. “My mouth tastes like poop now,” she grumbles.
Deciding that right now isn’t the time to discourage the poop talk, he settles her on his hip and prepares a little cup of the bubblegum-flavored mouthwash she uses. “Rinse with this,” he instructs, knowing damn well it’s not going to last long since it’s just a matter of minutes before she inevitably throws up again.
Bella takes a swig of the mouthwash and rinses out, spitting it in the sink. Sighing, she rests her head on his shoulder again and yawns. “I wanna go back to bed.”
“Okay.” He grabs the thermometer and carries her back to her room. Bella waits for him to change the bedding before she crawls back under the covers. Elliot tucks her in and checks her temperature. The thermometer beeps at 100 degrees, elevated but not terrifyingly so.
“Am I gonna have to go to the doctor and get a shot?”
“Nah.” Elliot shakes his head in reassurance. “You’ll just have to rest and drink a lot of fluids and you’ll feel better in a couple of days. I’ll call your school in a while and tell them you’ll be out.”
At that, her face falls a little. “But today’s the Valentine’s party. And I’m supposed to go to my sleepover.”
He gives her a sympathetic smile, knowing how much she’s looked forward to her first class Valentine’s party. “I know, baby. But you’re gonna have to stay home until you feel better. I’ll call Grandpa Don and tell him I’m staying here with you and your mommy.”
Bella sighs, but he knows by the way she doesn’t argue further that she’s feeling lousy enough to stay in bed and rest. “Can we watch a movie later? Me and you and Mommy?”
“We can do that,” he promises, smoothing her hair back from her warm forehead. “But I want you to get some sleep. It’s still really early. We can all watch a movie later. Okay?”
“M’kay…” Bella murmurs, curling into a little ball under her covers.
Elliot waits until she falls asleep, and he’s glad it’s Eli’s weekend with Kathy so that he’ll hopefully be spared from the misery. Then he heads back to his bedroom, finding the bed empty. Their bathroom door is open, and he hears her heaving again. Moving quickly, he resumes his position, crouching behind her and laying his hand on her back.
“Looks like we’re canceling those dinner reservations,” she grunts once she feels like maybe she’s done throwing up.
For now.
“Rain check.” He helps her up after she flushes the toilet and waits for her to rinse her mouth, then gently grips her shoulders and steers her to their bed. “Bella’s sick, too. Fever of 100 and throwing up.” He supplies as he changes into a clean tee-shirt, tossing the one Bella threw up on into the hamper.
Olivia sighs, but she’s not surprised. “Is she asleep?’
“Yeah. I’ll check on her again in a little while. Try to go back to sleep.” He pulls the covers over her and combs his fingers through her damp hair, her hairline sweating even as she shivers.
The queasy feeling in her stomach is letting up just enough for her to relax, squeezing her eyes shut. Elliot makes himself comfortable, sitting with his back against the headboard. Olivia shuffles closer to him and settles her head against his hip. She focuses on the way he strokes her hair, the gesture one of affection and comfort. It’s enough to soothe her back into sleep, to his relief.
Barely fifteen minutes later, Elliot has just barely dozed off again himself when he hears Bella calling out to him, followed by the distinctive sound of vomiting.
“Daddy!”
He separates from his wife’s side, mindful not to wake her, and quietly slips out of the room and pokes his head into Bella’s room. She’s leaning over the side of the bed, shivering and wiping at her mouth.
“I threw up again,” she moans, making a disgusted face when she realizes it’s on her pajamas and in her hair.
“We’ll get you cleaned up.” Elliot scoops her up, grabs another fresh pair of pajamas, and carries her to the bathroom to clean up again. He turns on the faucet and waits for the water to rub warm, then helps her into the tub.
Halfway through she throws up again, and by the time she’s clean, Elliot’s in need of a shower himself. Once Bella dresses in her clean pajamas, he pulls her hair into a low ponytail to keep it clean if she throws up again, a trick he learned with his older girls when they were little.
He carries her back to her room and settles her on her bed, tucking her in. “Better?”
“A little. My tummy feels empty.”
“That’s better.” He rests his hand on her forehead. “Next time you wake up, I want you to drink something.”
Bella nods and closes her eyes, snuggling deeper under her blankets and hugging her stuffed bunny. “Okay…”
Elliot makes sure she’s settled before he leaves the room to clean himself up. He takes a quick shower and changes shirts for the second time, even though he’s almost certain there’s no point since he’ll probably be up to his elbows in vomit by the end of the day.
♥
The next time Olivia wakes up, she’s feeling just a little more energetic, at least enough to leave the bedroom, drink half a glass of water that she hopes her stomach won’t hurl, and curl up on the couch.
They look up when they hear Bella’s voice in the hallway. “Mommy?”
“Come here, honey…” Olivia pats the empty space next to her.
Bella climbs onto the couch and crawls under the blanket, snuggling into her mom’s side. “I feel bad.”
“I know, sweetie.” She wraps an arm around her daughter, adjusting the blanket around her. “But you’ll feel better soon. I promise.”
“Can we watch a movie?”
“Mm hmm. El, hand us the remote?”
He grabs the remote from the coffee table and hands it to Olivia. She takes it and launches a streaming service, clicking through the options until Bella settles on one.
“Nemo,” she murmurs. Olivia starts the movie and sets the remote aside, hugging her daughter close.
Elliot takes a seat on the armrest of the couch. “I’m gonna run out to the drugstore and grab a couple of things. Anything you want?”
“Maybe some tea?” Olivia suggests, smoothing her hand over Bella’s messy hair. “And grab us another blanket before you head out?”
“Got it.” He retrieves another blanket from the couch and drapes it over them. “Better?”
“Much.”
“I’ll be back soon.” Elliot leans over and kisses both of their foreheads, then slips into a pair of shoes, grabs his keys and wallet, and heads out. He walks to the closest drugstore since it’s faster than driving in Manhattan traffic.
He picks up some Pedialyte for Bella and a box of ginger tea, as well as some canned soup and Triscuits in case they feel like testing the waters by eating something light, and a last-minute Valentine’s gift for Bella to perk her up a little.
When he gets back to the apartment, he sets the bags down and makes his way to the bedroom. He finds his girls curled up on the couch, both dozing lightly as their movie’s end credits roll. They’re snuggled together under the plush blankets, and maybe he’s just getting soft, but the sight brings a fond smile to his lips.
He slips his phone out of his pocket long enough to snap a picture of them. Once he has it, he grins and sets his phone aside.
He’s putting away the drugstore purchases, hiding Bella’s present behind the couch, when Olivia hears him and stirs from her nap with a little groan. “El?”
“Hey, honey,” he greets. “I’m back. I grabbed a few things in case you want to try eating something later.”
The mention of food makes her blanch. Shaking her head, she watches as he finishes putting everything away. “I’ll pass. I don’t think I can keep anything other than water down right now.”
Bella stirs from her nap, stretching her arms and letting out a yawn. “Hi…”
“Hi, B. Got you something.” He reaches behind the couch and picks up a huge stuffed bear with a red bow around its neck and hearts on its fuzzy paws. The size of it is ridiculous, but Bella’s face breaks into a grin.
“Cool!” She holds her arms out and hugs the oversized bear when he hands it to her. “Thank you, Daddy. I’m gonna put it on my bed.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” He tousles her messy hair and watches as she makes her way down the hall to her room, struggling a little to carry the stuffed animal that’s nearly her size.
Olivia chuckles, curling up against him when he settles next to her on the couch. “I think she likes it.”
He nods, drawing her into his arms and pulling her blanket up. “Yeah, I did good. I have your present, too.”
“We can exchange presents when I don’t feel like I’m freezing to death.” She yawns, leaning her head on his shoulder. “And I’m not just saying that because I don’t feel like getting up.”
“You feeling any better?”
“Not much. I haven’t thrown up in over an hour, but I’m sure it’s coming.” She sighs. “And I’m sure you’ll come down with it soon.“
Elliot shakes his hand and rubs her arm. “I’ll be fine.”
Olivia rolls her eyes. “Famous last words.”
“I’ll be fine. I haven’t had the stomach flu since the twins were Bella’s age,” he insists, reaching for his gray hoodie draped over the couch. He helps her into it, then moves her blanket back into place.
The gesture brings a soft smile to her lips and she melts into him, sighing softly when his arms wrap around her. “Stubborn son of a bitch.”
There’s no annoyance to the words, just lighthearted teasing. He buries his fingers in her dark hair, messy from having slept on it so much today.
“Yeah, I am.”
♥
The next morning, he wakes to a fever and a gurgling in his stomach, and body aches that make him groan and grip the covers more tightly.
Famous last words.