Nursery

23

Alex woke me up close to my bedtime when he realized I wasn't going to wake up on my own. I probably could have slept through the entire night with the way I felt. He knelt on the floor by the bed, his arms rested on the mattress near my face. "Lyla, I need you to eat something before you go to bed."

As I rubbed my eyes, he pulled the pacifier from my mouth. "I don't feel good."

"Probably because you haven't eaten anything today."

I pulled my hand away from my face and glared at him. "Leave me alone. I've had a really bad day."

"That's why I'm waking you up. I thought maybe some food would help."

"You can't win me over with food."

He smiled. "I can try. It always worked on me growing up."

"That's cause you're a guy."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on. I don't want you to have to eat it cold."

I kicked the covers off and started to get out of his bed but he stopped me. He pulled my diaper away from my back, earning a groan.

"Relax, Lyla."

"I can't. It's embarrassing."

"It's not like I haven't already seen you naked."

I held my bunny to my face, hiding just how embarrassed I really was. "That's so gross."

"It's only gross if it gets me off."

I pulled away from him and hit him with my bunny. "Can you stop?"

He walked over to the dresser. "Fine. But I need to change your diaper so lay down."

"Weren't you just telling me to get up?" I asked as I sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Lyla, I don't need the sass."

"Get used to it cause I'm not stopping any time soon."

He rolled his eyes as he walked back to me. "I know."

---

"Lyla, I can't let you sleep in any longer or we'll be late."

I shook my head and pulled on my blanket so it covered my head. I wasn't ready to wake up. I slept fine throughout the night but once I woke up, I felt the nausea from the night before coming back. I still felt crappy and I hated it.

Alex pulled the blanket off before quickly grabbing my bunny and removing them from my crib altogether. "Yes, Lyla."

I turned my head and glared at him. "Why are you so mean to me?"

He sighed. "I'm not being mean. I'm being... responsible."

I sat up and crossed my arms over my chest. "Yeah, right."

He picked me up, attitude and all, and carried me over to the changing table.

I covered my eyes from the light in the room. Between the ceiling light and the sun shining through the window, I was getting a headache. "Can you get me some water please?"

"You're still not feeling well?"

I shook my head.

He sighed. "Alright. I'll see if Monica can come over tonight and see what's going on."

I stayed where I was and waited for Alex to come back with my drink. I didn't feel like I was getting sick. My stomach felt weird and I had a headache but that was it. I wasn't sniffly or snotty like when I get a cold. And I hadn't thrown up so it couldn't be the flu.

What if something was seriously wrong with me?