"You staying here tonight? Karter already asleep." I agreed, then pulled out the cookies that Cairo and I had to eat. I laid cookie crumbles and a drunken glass of milk on the table.
Cairo and I decided to just call it quits for today. After setting up all the decorations and preparing dinner, I was blew. I absolutely loved winter and the holidays surrounding it. Although it's extremely freezing, winter has its perks.
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I slept terrible last night, I woke up with a stuffy nose. I had to breathe through my mouth, which dried out my lips. I rubbed my eyes, which had crust around them.
I sat up in the bed hopefully to relieve my nasal passages, but that didn't help. I took a sip of Lauryn's water, but it hurt swallowing it.
"Dada! It's Christmas!" Karter screamed while running in the room, she playfully jumped around the bed waking Lauryn up.
As I went to speak, my throat hurt more. My voice came out cracked and raspy, "That's right! Let's go open your gifts." Last night I had to move all Karter's gifts from Lauryn's house to mine.
The girls ran quickly down the stairs, I moved slower. I sat on the couch watching Karter roughly tear the flawless wrapping paper.
"I love it!" Was Karter's response to every present she opened. I coughed a little, bringing up mucus. Lauryn sat on my lap concerned, "Are you okay, you sound sick?"
I just wanted to rest today, I rubbed my hands down her thighs. "Imma just take sum medicine." She put her hand against my forehead and held it there for a second, "You're warm."
Lauryn disappeared for a second, so I went and got her gift from under the tree. When she came back, I gave it to her.
She focused on opening the small gift, "I'm nervous, what's in here?"
I laughed a little, "You gotta open it." She pulled tickets for a cruise ride to the Caribbean.
"A vacation? For just us?" She questioned while reading the tickets. There were two tickets in the box.
"Just us." We talked about what we we're going to do for a while, then she opened the other gifts. They were just some things she's been saying she wanted or needed.
She handed me my gift from her, I pulled out a new Bottega travel bag, "It's hard to buy gifts for someone who has everything." She explained, I unzipped the bag and it was filled with some of everything. Clothing, jewelry, self care products, everything.
"I know my gift doesn't amount to yours but I hope you like it." She said from beside me, I gave her a tight hug. Actions meant more than words.
"I ran you a bath with epsom salt, go get in." I didn't disagree, I went to soak in the bath. Lauryn fixed Karter a quick, light breakfast. Everyone knew you starved all day until the food was ready.
