Page 50 of All Inn Thyme
I turn the lamp on next to her bed and she moans and curls up again, drifting back to sleep right away.
I let Nova outside and when I come back, Kase is putting scoops of food in her bowl. I smile at him remembering and taking good care of her. “Hey, good job, Kase.”
“I’m hungry, Mister Ty.”
“What do you want?” I say as I scan the kitchen for options.
“Cereal,” he says as he pads back over to his cars on the coffee table.
I pour him a bowl and set it down on the coffee table. He eats it and watches his cartoons for a moment before looking up at me worriedly. “Is Momma okay?”
“Yeah, she just needs a little bit of rest. We’ll take good care of her, okay?”
He nods and continues to eat his cereal as he stares at the TV.
When I go check on Mellie again, she’s still asleep and doesn’t look like she’s moved. She’s probably caught something and is exhausted. I don’t know very many people who work as hard as she does.
I send a text to Evan that she’s down and they’re fine at the cabin. Without waiting for a reply, I decide to try to get some sleep.
I’m exhausted, having been up over twenty-four hours, so I grab a pillow and blanket and lie down on the couch. I check the doors and make sure they’re locked. “Kase, I’m going to lie down. If you need something, wake me up and not your mom, okay? Let’s let her sleep.”
“Are you sick, too?” he peers at me sadly.
“No, I’m fine. Just going to rest a little here.” I yawn, not able to make much more sense than that.
I nap a little on and off, jerking awake to check on Kase and Mellie every so often. Once when I wake up, Kase is lying by my side with Nova tucked in at his feet. I tuck him in closer with my arm around him. I snooze some more and wake up to a patting on my arm.
“Mister Ty. I’m hungry,” he whispers.
“Okay, what do you want to eat?” I mumble as I sit up.
“Macaroni,” he whispers again. “Please.”
“Okay,” I say as I stand up and get a pot of water to boil. I let Nova out again and check on Mellie. Still sleeping. Her phone is lit up full of messages on the table next to her. I check it, realizing everyone at the inn is probably worried about her. Someone needs to know she’s okay.
Messages from Evan, concerned about how she’s feeling. Beth asking if she needs anything. Margie asking if she needs to come get Kase. Sasha asking what she wants to eat. These people love her, and I’m happy that she has them. And I want this, too… I want people to want to check in on me, too.
I finish making Kase’s macaroni and cheese and set his bowl at the table. I pour him some milk and call out to him from where he’s watching tv, his head rested on Nova’s back. “Kase, your food is ready.”
He comes over, Nova on his heels, and sits at the table. She curls up at his feet.
A knock at the back door makes Kase jump. I lay my hand on his shoulder seeing Evan through the window. “It’s okay. It’s just Evan.”
His eyes light up as I open the door and Evan comes in. “Hey,” I say as he wipes his feet on the rug.
“Hey, bud, how are you feeling?” he says, putting his hand on Kase’s head. “You’re a little warm, too.”
“Is he? He wasn’t earlier. How are you feeling?” I look at him and kneel down to feel his head, too. “Hmm, I’ll go try to find a thermometer.”
I find one in the hall closet and take his temperature, finding that it’s 100.3 degrees. “Yep, you have a fever, too.”
Evan looks over at me and asks, “Where is she?”
“That way.” I point down toward their rooms.
Evan heads down the hall and I hear him speaking softly to her. A little while later, he comes down back. “If they get worse, call me.”
I nod. “Will do.”
