Page 118 of The Single Dad

“Archie,” I say quietly, coming closer. “You feeling okay, bud?”

“I don’t know,” Archie responds, frowning. “I don’t feel good.”

“Do you want some water?”

He swallows. “I feel like… I feel like I’m gonna throw up.”

Alarm slices through me. Biting back the instinctive swear word, I put a hand on Archie’s shoulders. “Let’s get you to a bathroom. Come on.”

Chapter 36

Riley

After Archie throws up for the first time, he gets progressively more miserable over the course of the next half hour. He throws up twice, and after the second time, I hold a hand to his forehead. His skin feels warm, and his cheeks are red.

“I think you have a fever,” I tell him gently. “Let me go ask your dad for a thermometer, okay?”

Archie nods, pressing his cheek against the toilet seat.

I go out to the kitchen, where Cole is standing at the counter, a grim look on his face.

“How is he?” he asks immediately when I emerge.

I sigh and shrug. “He’s definitely coming down with something. I’m out here to find a thermometer—I think he has a fever.”

Cole’s jaw tightens. “There’s one in the cabinet next to the sink.”

As I fetch the thermometer, Cole paces up and down next to the island, his hands wrung together. I’ve never seen him this jittery before.

Back in the bathroom, I take Archie’s temperature—one hundred point seven degrees. Definitely a fever.

“Oh, I’m sorry, buddy,” I say, grimacing in sympathy. “Looks like you’ve got a bug.”

Archie sniffles. “My tummy feels weird.”

“Yeah, I’m sure it does. But you’ll feel better soon. Come on, let’s get you some water.”

As I coax Archie into sipping some water, Cole hovers in the bathroom door, too obviously freaked out to be of much help. I want to reassure him, but all of my attention is focused on Archie.

“Are you sure you can’t drink more water?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. “I’m gonna throw up again.”

“Okay. No more water right now,” I agree. “Let’s get you in bed with a trash can. I want you to try and drink water if you can help it.”

He nods in agreement, and I usher him down the hall. I tuck him into bed, and Cole lingers nearby. When we step out into the hallway, Cole grabs me by the upper arm.

“Is it a good idea to just put him to bed?” he asks, his voice tight. “Shouldn’t we take him to a hospital?”

My eyes widen. “A hospital? Oh, Cole, it’s just a stomach bug. There was probably something going around at his pre-K. He’ll be fine.”

“But how do you know?”

I smile, trying to reassure him. “Kids get sick sometimes. It happens. But Archie’s totally healthy otherwise, and he’ll be okay.”

Cole bites his lip, glancing back toward the room. I can’t tell whether or not I’ve managed to reassure him, but he doesn’t say anything else.

“Come on,” I say. “Let’s get him what he needs. Do you want to go downstairs and make a couple slices of toast while I get him some water?”

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