Remember the Time || Bruno Mars

[17, pt. 2] day with the kids

"Daddy," Anelah whined and opened her arms as soon as I entered the room. Her face looked reddish, as opposed to her original colour when I woke up this morning.

"Oh Anelah," I cooed and walked to her side, enveloping her upper body in my arms. I frowned as soon as I felt her skin burning up under mine. I pulled back and watched her with utmost concern. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Everything hurts daddy," she complained and soon she didn't have control over her waterworks anymore.

"Daddy's right here okay, baby?" I told her, feeling guilty that I'm going to break my promise in a few hours as I leave for the meeting. I brought a hand up to wipe the tears that have gone astray and kissed her sweltering forehead. "Are you hungry?"

She shook her head no and I sighed. "Come on, baby, you'll be able to recover faster if you eat," I convinced her as I knelt on the bed next to her. "I made pancakes."

"Fine," she finally gave in and opened her arms tiredly.

"That's my girl," I teased her while tapping the tip of her small nose and scooped her up in my arms as I carried her warm body on the way to the dining room - which actually just consisted of a countertop overlooking the kitchen. Aaron was squeezing a lot of maple syrup into pancake as soon as we entered room. "Hey Aaron, not too much of that please. You'll be running all over the place if you eat too much sugar."

"Okay," he complied before stealing another hard squeeze on the syrup bottle and putting it away, shooting me an innocent smile.

I chuckle and set the little girl down in a stool beside her brother and I quickly poured milk in a bowl of Froot Loops and laid her meal in front of her. She stared at her breakfast, uninterested and frowned. I took a seat next to her and peered down at her sick self. "Do you not like your food, darling?"

"I do, daddy. I just feel tired," she squeaked and I sighed, feeling bad my daughter has to go through this now.

"Tell you what: after you eat - even just a little bit just as long as your tummy has something in it," I started off, poking her small stomach which made her giggle for a second, "I'll give you a bath and then I'll tuck you in bed and you can sleep for the rest of the day. How's that sound?"

"I can sleep for the whole day?" she reiterated in wonder as if I told her I was gonna buy her a set of her favourite dolls instead. She turned to look at me and nodded weakly but happily and reached for the spoon and fork on the table before digging in to eat her food.

.

As I soaped Anelah's little arms, I heard my phone ringing from the living room followed by rapid footsteps against the wooden floors of my flat which was well headed to my room's bathroom.

"Dad, someone's calling your phone," Aaron called out from the other side of the closed door.

"Can you answer it for me please, son and tell whoever that is that I'll get back to him or her?" I shot back as I twisted the knob of the shower and warm water trickled down upon Anelah from the metallic shower head, making sure not to get her head wet or this fever is gonna get worse.

"Hello?" I hear his voice ask unto the phone. "Oh hey Aunty Jaime, it's me, Aaron. Dad's kinda busy taking care of my sister right now so he told me to tell you that he'll get back to you. Okay, I'll tell him. Bye."

"Was that Jaime, son?" I asked for confirmation.

"Yes, dad." There was a momentary pause before he spoke again, "Where do I leave your phone?"

"Just on top of the bedside drawer, Aaron. Thank you," I said before grabbing a towel from the rack on the corner of the bathroom and wrapped it around Anelah's trembling frame.