Page 49 of Bewitched

CHAPTER TWENTY

Thursday, May 4

The doorbell rang, and Paige looked at her front door. It seemed awfully far away, and she didn’t think she was going to make it. For some reason, she was under the weather today, and her energy was almost nonexistent. Maybe she had picked up a bug or something because she felt like she was getting the flu. “Who is it?” she called as loudly as she could.

“Paige, it’s Mama. Are you feeling all right?”

“Use your key. I’m too tired to come to the door.” Within ten seconds, the door flew open and Paige saw her mother’s worried face.

“Sweet girl, why didn’t you call me?” Faye bustled into the house and dropped her purse. “Do you have a fever?”

“Maybe. I think I caught the flu. I’m tired and achy.”

“Let’s check your temperature, then I’ll get your juice.”

“Mama, can you make me some Jell-O? I haven’t eaten anything all day, and it’s the only thing that sounds good.”

“Oh, dear. I don’t like the sound of that. When my girls lose their appetites, something is seriously wrong.” Picking up her bag, she pulled out her phone. “I’m going to have Grammy run by Kroger and pick some up. If I make it for you, it won’t be ready for a couple of hours. Anything else you want, sugar?”

“No, Mama.”

Faye rested her hand on her daughter’s head and grimaced. “You’re burning up.”

“Can I have some ice in my juice? Maybe that’ll help.”

“Of course.”

Paige watched her mama hustle into the kitchen with the phone glued to her ear. As much as she complained about her mama’s overbearing ways, she sure appreciated them when she wasn’t feeling good. It didn’t matter that she was twenty-eight. She still needed to be taken care of on occasion. Her phone beeped. She picked it up and saw that Blake had texted her again. Flipping it over, she decided to text him back later. Her head was swimming and she didn’t feel up to it.

Moments later, Faye came back with a tall glass of iced juice and a thermometer. “Sit up a little and let me see how hot you are.”

Paige slipped the thermometer in and waited the requisite amount of time. Her mama pulled the thermometer out and read it with a frown.

“What does it say?”

Before her mama answered, she handed Paige the glass of juice. “It says you have a temperature of a hundred and one. I’m going to call your doctor and see what he thinks. Maybe it has something to do with the amnio you had yesterday.”

Paige took a sip of her juice and then shrugged. “I doubt it.” She flipped her braid over her shoulder and smoothed it down. “But call the doctor if it’ll make you feel better.”

“A fever is not something to fool around with. I’ll call Dr. Nelson and see what he says.”

“I think I’ll close my eyes for a bit.” Sliding down on the couch, Paige rested her head against the pillow and looked at the pictures in her bookcase. There were six in her immediate line of sight. They were all of Blake and her. When the first picture appeared weeks ago, she thought it was sweet. Then, when he’d placed twelve all around the house, she wondered if it was crazy. He certainly was marking his spot in her life. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and could still pick up his scent on the pillow. It was the one he’d slept on, and she hadn’t washed the pillowcase since he left. Just like the sweatshirt she now wore around the house. It was silly, but it was all she had to hold on to.

The last thought she had before sleep took over was how much she missed him. The very thing she had been most fearful about had happened. She was attached to him and missed him like crazy.

Four weeks together was all it had taken for him to find a permanent place in her heart. What that would eventually mean was still a mystery.

***

Rolling over, Paige kicked off the blanket and vaguely wondered why she was in a sauna. Opening one eye, she saw her mama’s and grammy’s worried faces staring at her. Her head was pounding and she felt nauseated. “Mama, I don’t feel well.”

Faye knelt next to her daughter and ran a damp cloth over her forehead. “Honey, do you want to try to get into a cool bath?”

“I don’t know.” Running her hand over her T-shirt, she discovered it was soaked. “Maybe a shower. I’m hotter than a biscuit.”

Grammy pulled out her phone. “I’m going to call Dr. Nelson again. I think this is more than the flu.”

“Good idea,” Faye responded. Holding out her arms, she helped Paige stand. “Let’s see if we can get you cooled off. If we can’t, then we’re taking you to the hospital.”

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