** sunday february 17th, 2036**
-taylorsPov-
Today we are going dress shopping for prom, and I'm excited. This is the first prom she is going to and that is an exciting step. The high school isn't that big, so they let all four grades go to prom. The tickets are first reserved for the seniors who plan the whole thing, and then its first come first serve for the rest of the tickets. Ellie is going with Alex and Lauren is going with Lucas so Abigail and I decided that we should go dress shopping together.
We are sitting together eating breakfast and joe is talking about her dress "so please don't chose a dress just to try and be sexy or something. You don't need that, you're a young girl. Cleavage covered and all that" he says, and Ellie chuckled "i'm not going for a particular dress style dad. I want something that's easy to dance and walk in. That's my criteria. And preferably no typical ball gown or sequins. I want elegance" she says.
For the last several days Ellie and I have been looking online at different dresses to figure out a general idea for what she wants so we have something to go on when we get to the store. She doesn't want a big poofy ball gown, she wanted to go for a sleek elegant look that's more timeless is the explanation she gave me.
"What is Alex wearing?" he asks, and she shrugs "haven't decided yet I think. But he said probably a tux but he wanted to know what color I settle on before deciding for sure so we can match" she says.
"Why don't you like go with your friends and have it be a friend's prom or a group date" he suggests, and she groans "because I'm going with my boyfriend dad. Obviously, we are hanging out with our friends, and we are all getting food beforehand together, but other than that we are going as a couple. That's what you do when you have a boyfriend dad"
We have been talking about what their plans are for before and after the prom. And we have decided that we are going to host her and her friends at the music row apartment, so we know they are having a safe and alcohol free after party. it's going to be her group of closest friends so they will be around six people, I think. Alex is picking her up here and meeting their friends at some sort of restaurant for dinner because the dinner at the prom is only for the seniors, but they are going there for the party. Afterwards there are a lot of parties going on all around town, but us parents decided that we wanted to host something for them so they wouldn't end up at one of those parties and drink alcohol.
"Do I get to approve the dress" joe asks "no. Mom said I get to pick whatever I want"
They are all having a sleepover at the apartment after their little party situation, but security is going to be there and check on the group every once in a while, to make sure they are okay. They are working as chaperones to this. We figured that if they have this opportunity it was less chance that they would want to go somewhere else.
**
We reach a boutique downtown and meet Abigail and Lauren there to try on dresses. Beforehand we contacted the boutique that's a big deal here and they are showing us into the private room where they let high end clients try on stuff in private.
"What kind of dresses are we going for girls? Do you have a vision in mind or color?" the owner Dianna asks us. I've been here several times to get stuff for myself so I'm excited for Ellie and Lauren to go here too.
"I was thinking something timeless and not something poofy" Ellie says and take off her jacket "but I want something with volume" Lauren says. And Dianna goes to get options for both of them.
She comes back with four options for each of them and they take one each with them to change into it. I'm excited to see the dress Ellie is going to wear, she has a vision for what she wants and that makes it easier to shop, I guess. But she is open for options within what she is thinking.
The first dress Ellie comes out in is a mermaid style dress and she looks herself in the mirror "it's pretty but I would like something more flowy because I want to be able to dance" she says, and Lauren makes some remarks about her dress too.
It takes some time, and they try on a lot of different stuff before Ellie comes out of the dressing room with a big smile and a pretty blue dress on that's a strappy satin ballgown in a dark blue color that almost looks navy blue. "I love this one" she beams and look in the mirror. "Especially if I like straighten my hair and put it up in the back" she says and pull up her curly hair.
She has just the hair I had at her age, lots of long blond curls. Sometimes she straightens it because she isn't the biggest fan of her curls, but I think they are beautiful. We make sure all the girls know they are beautiful just the way they are, and that they don't need to change anything about their appearance to be considered beautiful.
"What do you think Alex is going to think about that dress" Abigail asks her, and she giggles "I mean... I hope he likes it" she says.
I chuckle "your dad won't be happy with the high slit and cleavage, but he is overreacting. I think you look gorgeous. You always look gorgeous, but I think this suit you well" I tell her and Lauren comes out in a dark red dress that goes well with her dark brown hair with a hint of red in it. Her dad has dark hair, but Abigail is redheaded, so she has mostly her dad's hair but a hint of Abigail too.
"I like this one the best" she says and twirls around. It's not exactly the same as Ellies but it has similar features in some places, except it doesn't have as low of a cleavage. We decide on the dresses and head out to a girl's lunch at a local café. We don't get to do this as much as we would like to, so we are taking full advantage of it.
I get a text, so I look at it because it's from joe.
Joe- hope you're having fun and don't get a dress that shows off too much. Here aurora is clearly hormonal and kenzie is a bit off. Maybe kenzie is getting sick or something, I don't know. Don't worry though. Have fun
Taylor- we are eating lunch now, done with dress shopping. Go deal with your grumpy tween and give kenzie lots of cuddles
"Have you girls made plans for what you want to do for the afterparty situation at the apartment? There are lots of options. You could have a dance party, karaoke, have a big slumber party in the living room or do a boy and a girl's room. You can play games, have a movie marathon. Lots of options" I tell them. It's going to be fun having their friend group over and hanging out into the late night.
"Well, we are doing what we did last time with like every couple takes a room, because that worked well last time. Then I don't know. Maybe a bit of several things" Ellie says and shrug.
-ellies pov-
It's going to be fun to host my small group of friends at the music row apartment after prom so we can hang out into the early morning hours. Our parents all talked together and figured that they would rather do that than have us attend other afterparties where there is risk of alcohol and drug use. But I don't mind, it's going to be fun.
"You sure you guys don't want it to be more of a sleepover?" my mom says, and I hold back laughter, I would much rather spend the night in my boyfriend's arms, and maybe, if we are up for it, explore each other's bodies. "No, we sleep better if we get to sleep in beds. And besides... you know... cuddle" I try to beat around the bush, but I know my mom isn't stupid and know what might happen.
"I see where you're going with that one Ellie" aunty Abigail says with a smirk and both Lauren and I turn crimson red. Lauren didn't tell her mom in the beginning when she started to have sex, but she eventually did. Thankfully aunty Abigial took it like my mom and had open conversations and took her to the gynecologist to make sure that she is fine and got the information she needs. "But a certain someone may have spilled that you're going to be aurora in sleeping beauty in May, congrats" she says.
I auditioned in January, and we started rehearsals right after valentine's day. It's going to be fun, and I still can't believe I got the lead role, that's a big deal to me because it usually goes to a senior. But my partner is a senior that's insanely good at ballet, so I'm excited to dance with him and see how the senior's work.
Our studio does auditions before any new productions so everyone can get that experience with auditioning. They don't play favorites at the studio and go after capability alone which is exiting. It feels like a real-life job in a way with auditioning and stuff, but it's fun.
What isn't fun is that Alex' is partnering with Rebecca for this and that bugs me more than it probably should. I know that he had to dance with someone else I just wish it was anyone but her. She is constantly trying to flirt with him and it's really anoying. It's not that I think Alex would cheat because he looks really uncomfortable whenever she flirts, but it still bugs me.
"Yes, it's so exiting. I can't believe it" I say with a smile.
-joes pov-
"Dad, you're so anoying. Leave me alone" aurora screams at the top of her lungs and storm up the stairs and slam her bedroom door shut. By my guess she is on her period and is more hormonal than usual. Not to mention that the trial for the sexual assault is in about five weeks and I know that's hard on her too. I can't imagine what this is like for her because she is a twelve-year-old going through something that no person, let alone a child, should ever go through. So I'm giving her space to cool off because I know that if I go after her she will blow up more.
I go into the living room where kenzie is laying and doesn't look too good. She has been getting these flares for the last couple of weeks where she gets really fatigued and can hardly do anything. Then she has bad night sweats, which we think is probably just because of puberty, but one after another weird symptom keep coming and I'm getting worried. She also has a fever today and is couching so maybe it's the flu or something. I don't know, but we are thinking that if it doesn't get better, as its only getting worse now, we need to take her to the doctor.
I sit down next to her and pull her head into my lap. She is really weak and doesn't look too good, so I'm giving her lots of cuddles and love to try to keep her comfortable. Also giving her meds for the fever but it doesn't seem to be helping much.
The front door opens, and Taylor and Ellie come home with a dress inside a garment bag "hello to my beautiful wife and oldest daugther" I say and want to come and look at the dress, so I gently slip out from under kenzie who has fallen asleep to go greet them.
"Let me look. Wow I love the color, this color blue goes so well with your eyes and hair" I tell her as I'm looking at it. "Can I see you try it on?" I ask but she shakes her head. "No, no one else is seeing it until prom night. It's going to be a surprise" she says with a grin and I'm so happy that she is happy.
She takes the dress with her upstairs and Taylor and I go into the kitchen "so your middle child is being hormonal so I'm giving her some space. But seriously I'm worried about kenzie. She is only getting worse, and I think she needs to maybe go to the doctors" I tell her.
Taylor looks out the kitchen door and to our daugther laying on the couch hardly moving at all because she is so fatigued. "yeah, I agree. I'm worried too. It might be nothing, but I'm not taking chances anymore, I'm calling the doctor in the morning to get her an appointment. She tells me.
** the next day **
-taylors pov-
I've dropped Ellie and aurora off at school, but kenzie isn't going because she is not feeling well and I'm taking her to the doctors. Even if it turns out to be nothing but the flu, I want to make sure that she is fine and now she is having these couching fits and this morning she complained of pain in her chest so I'm not taking chances anymore. I was considering taking her to the ER, but we decided to go to the doctor's office first after taking with them on the phone.
So we pull up but it's hard-to-get kenzie inside because she is that fatigued but I support her with my arm and we go inside before being taken back to a room to wait for the doctor. I help kenzie up on the examination bed because she asks to lay down and end up curling up in a ball.
The doctor, our pediatrician Dr carol comes in and greets both of us, but she doesn't get much out of kenzie. "so what is going on. I heard what you told the front desk when you called this morning, but I would like to get a full run down from you" she asks me, and I nod.
"It started a few weeks ago where she would have periods of time with extreme fatigue, but they would pass, and she could attend school and gymnastics. Then she got really bad night sweats most nights, I see she has lost weight when I had to be in her bathroom and help her in the shower last night, I haven't seen her without clothes in a while and didn't know how bad it was. And then she is constantly running fevers and is having chest pain were and there too. But most severely she is extremely fatigued now for a few days. From late Thursday and until today she has primarily been laying on the couch or in her bed, but we thought that it might be the flu. I don't know" I tell her the whole story and the things we have noticed while she takes notes.
She goes in her computer and look some stuff up. "It could actually be a lot of things, so I want to do a physical examination to begin with to look for things like lumps. So kenzie could you please get undressed down to your underwear so I can do that" she says and ask kenzie and kenzie responds vaguely and I go over and help her take her clothes off. She needs a lot of help today and I just don't know what to do.
I move to the side so the doctor can take a look at her and she examines every part of her body "well there is a few lumps. One under her arm and one in her groin which could be nothing, but it can also be concerning. When we detect lumps there are different things it could be" she then takes her weight which is hard because she is so weak, listen to her heart and lungs and does basic neuro tests.
"I want to admit her to hospital because the symptoms are so concerning, and her general state right now is even more concerning when it's combined with lumps. I don't want you guys to worry too much about worst case scenarios right now like cancer, there are other things that it could be. But I want the tests to be done impatient because I don't feel comfortable sending her home like this" she says and goes on to explain that there is a series of tests that needs to be done to figure out what it is. She also explains that she is really pale, has a really high temperature, looks dehydrated and with what I'm telling her about her eating that's concerning too in terms of how she has lost so much weight if she has been eating fine up until a few days ago.
**
Since the clinic our pediatrician works at is right next to the hospital, we can stay parked where we are and head up to a medical floor, but we get to borrow a wheelchair because kenzie just can't walk that far. I could hardly get her in and out of the car. I do think that something Is wrong, but I'm scared to think about what it might be, there are just so many things.
It's also just another thing on our already full plate with all the girls. Ellie is doing better thankfully, but aurora has her sexual assault case coming up and joe did get out of the hospital under two months ago and is still recovering from that. Now if this is something serious, I don't know how we are supposed to handle this.
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