Tough

Chapter Twenty - One

Chapter Twenty-One

"Joey! You're the winner!" Spencer gushed as Joey finished the last of his carrots before Lila did. "You get to pick dessert."

Jamie had gotten home about ten minutes earlier to find his old college roommate in an apron and chef's hat eating dinner with his kids. The children adored having their "Uncle Spencer" around to play games and help them with their homework. Even Joey was smiling a lot more than he had been before.

"Hey, wow, chicken with pea and carrots, getting fancy there, Spencer," Jamie said smiling as the kids ran to hug him. "Were you two good in school?"

"I got a note," Lila replied. "It's in my back pack." Jamie raised an eyebrow and went to get Lila's note. "Where's Mommy?"

"She went to sleep already," Joey replied. "She ate soup and went to bed."

Jamie smiled; Joey took such good care of his mother. "I put her hat on her cause she was cold."

"Thank you so much," Jamie whispered to Joey and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to check on Mommy, and then Lila we are going to talk about this note you have here for talking too much in class..." He bopped her on the head with the paper and sent the kids off to do their chores.

Eddie was half asleep when Jamie walked into the room. She was freezing so she had pulled out several blankets to wrap up in. "Hey pretty girl," he smiled. "Did you enjoy the soup? I got it from the Jewish deli on the corner."

"I did," Eddie replied. "My throat is really sore so it felt nice going down. Sorry I'm in bed so early but my head just hurt so I thought if I laid down I could get up and do bedtime with kids."

"I'll do bedtime, you need to get all the rest you can get."

"I want to do it," Eddie insisted. "I'd like a cup of tea too if you can help me get my robe on, I'm a little stiff."

Jamie held the robe and ease her sore left arm into the sleeve. "I can bring..."

"No, I want to do bedtime, it's important to me," Eddie said firmly. "And I also would like a cup of mint tea, Spencer doesn't make it right, it always tastes funny."

Jamie laughed, Spencer was not gifted in the culinary arts, but he was trying. His help was a godsend.

Eddie sat on the sofa with Jamie and the kids watching reruns of the Muppets. Spencer read the Wall Street Journal and kept sneaking glances at his old friend and his family. It didn't seem to bother Jamie that his once bombshell wife was now bald, without her signature bust and very thin. He held her close and beamed with happiness. He wanted that so much.

After the show was over, Jamie and Eddie took Lila to bed. They kissed her and Eddie read her a book. The little girl was sluggish that night and off her feed. Eddie touched her little cheek but it was cool. Still her mother's instinct told her to check on the child through the night. "Goodnight princess," Eddie whispered. "I love you."

Joey was next, he got a few chapters of his book and a hard snuggle from his Mommy. "I love you, Joey," Eddie whispered kissing his little head. "Sleep well now."

Eddie and Jamie shut the lights and went to their own room. Eddie set an alarm for two hours, "What's that for?"

"To check on Lila, I think she's getting sick, she's pale and she's not eating right either. She has my appetite so I'm concerned," Eddie replied kicking her legs into the bed. The back pain had started to dissipate but the leg cramps were still a problem.

"I'll check on her, you need your rest. You can't have a broken sleep," Jamie sighed, preparing himself for a childhood bout of flu going through the house. If Joey or Lila got sick the other wasn't far behind.