Being on medical leave turned out to be the best possible choice for Carina with where she was in her treatments. Even without working, the Italian was still sleeping a lot during the day, typically not getting up until after Maya and the twins were gone for the day. Maya would always leave something for her to eat, usually something like oatmeal or a banana or something else simple that was easy on her often-touchy stomach.
Another thing that was hard was the fact that Carina's stomach was no long letting her drink coffee unless she wanted to be miserable for hours after. This, of course, didn't help with the chronic exhaustion and sometimes made her extra grumpy.
Carina would then usually get up and try to get something done around the house even though Maya always insisted she didn't need to do that. Carina told her it was good for her to be up and moving around. The Italian would often spend part of the morning outside relaxing when the weather permitted, sometimes resting, and sometimes reading gynecological journals or the newest research papers, trying to use her time off of work to get through stuff she often didn't have time to read while she was.
Some days, however, she was too exhausted to do more than lay on the couch or in bed and just watch TV. She found herself watching a lot of Italian shows when she was feeling this bad, finding particular comfort in hearing her native tongue.
Her schedule wasn't the only one that looked a lot different since she went on medical leave though. Maya would take the twins to daycare every morning and then depending on her work schedule, she would either go into the office if she had meetings or come home and work from there so she could help Carina as much as she could. The Italian insisted she was ok at home alone, but Maya was having none of it, telling Carina that if she was sleeping, it just gave the battalion chief time to get her work done. Also, it helped Maya be able to work better not sitting in her office wondering how her wife was doing and if she was ok. Maya knew it was slightly irrational, but she didn't really care.
Maya was also taking Carina to her daily radiation appointments.
Every Monday since she had started treatment, Carina had a blood draw just to check on her blood levels which had been family stable for the first five weeks. However, this week, the beginning of week 6, Carina's white cell count had started falling a little. Dr. Cho had decided to take a second CBC on Wednesday which revealed Carina's number were still low but hadn't dropped any more.
Her blood draw on Friday had revealed her numbers were a little lower than before. She wasn't at an extremely high risk, but Dr. Cho had told her to stay at home, avoid people who were sick, and to wear a mask when she was out in public, including coming in for her treatments the following week.
"Is there anything we can do to help get her blood counts back up?" Maya asked after Dr. Cho told them the latest numbers and instructions.
"Not really," Dr. Cho said, "If they continue to decline next week, I will put her on medications to help, but I want to see how the weekend goes before we add another medication. We will do another blood draw on Monday and decide from there what to do. For the weekend, just take it easy, don't go out in big crowds, and rest."
"I barely want to leave the house to come here these days," Carina said, rubbing her eyes, "I'm just so tired and feel so gross."
"Is your stomach still acting up?" Dr. Cho asked, knowing Carina had been having issues on and off all week.
"Sometimes," Carina nodded, "It's not terrible, but I don't feel well and don't like being too far from a bathroom just in case."
"I'm sorry," Dr. Cho said, "Are you still drinking enough fluids?"
"Si," Carina nodded, "And some days, I feel fine. Today hasn't been great, but it's not debilitating."
"Alright," Dr. Cho nodded, jotting down some notes on her tablet, "Well, if you spike a fever or aren't able to keep fluids down, you need to come in immediately, ok?"
"I'll make sure of it," Maya said, nodding.
"Good," Dr. Cho said, "Well, that is all I have for you unless either of you have any questions."
"No, I'm good," Carina said as Maya shook her head.
"Alright," Dr. Cho said, "Well, I will see you both on Monday. Call if anything comes up, ok?"
"Grazie," Carina said as Maya helped her up.
"Ready to go home?" Maya asked, wrapping her arm around Carina's waist.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Can we stop at Nonna's and get minestrina? For some reason, that sounds so good right now."
"Of course," Maya said, "Whatever you want to eat, that is what we will get."
Getting food in her wife had been a challenge in the last two weeks as she struggled with an upset stomach and nausea that came and went all day long. As they walked past the nurse's station, Maya snagged a mask, handing it to her wife who put it on.
"Grazie Bambina," Carina said as they continued to walk.
"Maya, Carina," the heard from behind them as they headed to the elevators, turning to see Andrew walking up to them, "Woah, Carina, what's with the mask?"
"Low WBC count," the Italian said, "Just a precaution."
"That sucks," Andrew said, frowning, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired," Carina shrugged, "A little bit sick. But I only have ten more treatments left so I'm focusing on that."
"Sorry you aren't feeling well still," Andrew said, "I was actually going to ask if you guys wanted me to take the girls for a few hours tomorrow. The park by my house is having a little petting zoo and I thought they might have fun. I mean, you guys can come too if you want, but I am totally fine with some Zio/Nipoti time."
"That would be great," Maya nodded, "I can drop them off whenever."
"How about like 9 am?" Andrew said, "I can keep them through lunch and they can nap at my house?"
"I think that will work," Carina said as Maya nodded, "Grazie Andrea."
"I like having time with them," Andrew said, which was true, but he also could tell his sister and sister-in-law were both exhausted and some time without having to worry about the twins would probably be helpful for them.
He also planned on getting his nieces to help him make some of his mom's famous minestrone that he knew Carina loved.
"Alright," Maya said as Carina yawned behind her mask, "I'll text you when we are on our way tomorrow? I need to get this one home for lunch and a nap."
"You make me sound like I am Nora or Rowan," Carina said, glaring at her wife.
"Sorry," Maya said, "That's not what I meant...I just meant that..."
"Bambina, I am only joking," Carina said, shaking her head, "I know what you meant. I am ready to go home. Andrea, I will see you later."
"See you both later," Andrew said, "And if you need anything, just let me know. I'm done working tonight at 7 and I am off all weekend shockingly so just let me know."
"Will do," Maya said, nodding as she and Carina headed toward the elevators while Andrew walked the opposite way.
They headed home, stopping at Nonna's for soup and fresh bread on their way.
When they got home, they are a quick lunch before Carina went upstairs for what had become her fairly normal afternoon nap. Maya stayed downstairs, working on her paperwork, and making calls to various people in the department that she needed to talk to.
At 3, Carina was awake again and the two of them went for their afternoon walk. While Carina was always exhausted, the walks they took in the afternoons helped give her a little bit of energy as well as just keep her body moving, something that was important during her treatments. The walks were never long or fast, but both Maya and Carina loved the time they spent together doing it. It made it feel a little less like Carina was in the midst of radiation treatments and more like things were just normal again.
"I can't believe it's already almost June," Carina said as they walked, "It feels like the first half of this year had been a blur."
"I know," Maya said, nodding, "I completely forgot to tell you, but I signed up for a half-marathon next month."
"What?" Carina said, "Why did you do that? Have you even been training for that? Now isn't really a great time for that Maya."
The Italian was exceptionally confused because she knew her wife did not, as a rule, run competitively, not since the Olympics. It wasn't great for her mental health to compete and Maya had always been worried she was going to fall back into bad habits when it came to her running so why, of all time, would Maya chose to sign up for a race now.
"It is a benefit for cervical cancer research," Maya said, looking down, "I signed up the night you were diagnosed. I didn't realize how sick you would be by this point or I probably wouldn't have done it, but I have been training every morning and sometimes when you are napping in the afternoons. I can withdraw if it's too much, but I just...I felt so helpless that first night, and I still do when it comes to your treatments, and I just thought that I could take something I am good at and use it to help other people who are in the same situation. Sorry I didn't talk to you first. I can withdraw tonight if..."
"Bambina, no," Carina said, stopping their pace, "I...I don't even know what to say...I thought you didn't run competitively..."
"I don't," Maya said, shrugging as her gaze shifted down toward the ground, "Not usually, but also, I don't usually have someone I love be diagnosed with cancer. Every time I run, I tell myself this run isn't for me, that how I do doesn't matter, that the only thing that matters is helping other people who are in our situation or in worse situations than we are get the help they need. I'm not running this race for me or my dad or this country. I'm running it for you and our family."
"Oh Bambina," Carina said, putting her hands under her wife's chin and lifting it up so their eyes met, both of them slightly teary, "I...Thank you."
"I just needed to do something," Maya said, biting her lip, "This entire process makes me feel so...helpless and useless and scared that what if something like this happens again only worse and this race, training for it and just thinking about it, makes me feel a little...better maybe."
"You are not useless," Carina said, shaking her head, "You have done so much for me, made me feel better even when I feel absolutely terrible, and you have taken care of me so well and have sacrificed time at work and your normal schedule to make sure you are there for me all the time and I appreciate that so much more than I know how to express to you. I love you so much."
"I love you too," Maya said as Carina leaned down a little, planting a kiss to her lips.
As they pulled away, Maya smiled at her wife.
"What?" Carina said as she slipped her hand back into Maya's before they started walking again.
"You're just so beautiful," Maya shrugged.
"I do not feel very beautiful these days," Carina sighed, shaking her head.
"Well, you are," Maya said, "And I will remind you of that as often as I can."
Carina chuckled a little, just squeezing Maya's hand. They made their way back home, Carina disappearing to the bathroom while Maya went to grab her another glass of watered-down Gatorade, something Carina had been enjoying the past few days. She then checked the time, seeing it was already nearing 4 pm.
Andy had texted her earlier, letting her know that Teddy was dropping off dinner sometime between 4 and 4:30. Maya had asked Andy if she could start the meal train back up, but just three days a week. The blonde was able to handle meals most of the time, but not having to do it every single night while also trying to take care of her sick wife and crazy toddlers was helpful.
Carina had always been the one doing most of the cooking simply because she enjoyed it, but right now, most of the time, just the thought of cooking made Carina feel nauseous, leaving meals up to Maya who could cook but didn't enjoy it very much.
The blonde heard the toilet flush and shook herself out of her thoughts, grabbing the Gatorade and bringing it into the living room where Carina was just about to sit down on the couch.
"Here you go," Maya said, handing the glass to her wife, "Do you need anything else?"
"Can I have a few crackers?" Carina asked, "I am hoping they might help calm my stomach down."
"Of course," Maya nodded, going and grabbing the crackers as well as a pill, realizing it was time for another med for Carina.
"Here you go," Maya said, handing Carina the sleeve of crackers, "And I realized we missed your last dose of this so maybe both together will help you feel better."
"Grazie," Carina said, swallowing the pill immediately, "Are you going to go get the girls soon?"
"I can," Maya said, "It's only 4, but if you want me to, I can."
"No," Carina said, "No, you can wait. I just didn't know what time it was. If I'm feeling ok tomorrow, do you think maybe we could stay at the petting zoo with Andrea and the bambine for a little bit?"
"Of course," Maya nodded, "I know mornings are usually better for you, but we will see how tomorrow is."
Carina nodded, putting her head on Maya's shoulder. Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"It's Teddy," Maya said, getting up, "She's dropping off dinner for us tonight."
"Help me up?" Carina said, reaching her hand out for Maya as the blonde was about to head to the door.
Maya grabbed Carina's hand, helping her stand up before they both headed toward the door.
"Hey," Teddy said, standing at the door with Leo and Alison at her side, all three of their hands full of food.
"Hey guys," Maya said, opening the door and letting the three of them in.
"We made food for you," Leo said, "With Nanna's help too."
"Thank you," Carina said, smiling as she took the container from Leo.
"These two had a teacher workday today so they were home all day," Teddy explained as she handed Maya the dish in her hands, "And we were going to cook together, but I got called in for an emergency surgery this morning..."
"So Nanna came and we made baked apples but we didn't bake them yet," Alison said, "And chicken and veggie and rice soup because Mommy said you aren't feeling good Aunt Carina."
"That's true," Carina nodded, "I haven't been feeling very well, but I'm sure your soup will help. Thank you."
"And we also made some Swedish meatballs for you and the girls," Teddy said, "You can either cook it tonight or freeze it for later."
"Thank you guys so much," Maya said, "You did not have to make two different things. We could have just eaten soup."
"I'm sure you all have been eating a lot of soup lately," Teddy said, "Oh, and Evelyn also put the soup in a few mason jars so you can freeze them too or just keep them in the fridge for a like a week."
"Grazie Teddy," Carina said, "And tell Evelyn thank you too."
"Of course," Teddy said as she put some of the food into the fridge, "How are you feeling?"
"Exhausted," Carina said, "And not great. My white count is starting to fall too which isn't good, but I am making it through."
"I'm sorry," Teddy frowned.
"It's ok," Carina shrugged, "Some days are better than others and I only have 10 more treatments. Hopefully I will start feeling better when it's over. I know it will probably take a while, but I'm hoping it will stop getting worse once I am done."
Teddy and the kids stayed a little longer before heading out and right after they left, Maya went to get the twins. The rest of the evening was nice. They decided to eat dinner outside because Carina was feeling ok and it was a nice evening.
After dinner, Maya ran around in the yard with the girls while Carina relaxed on one of their loungers, falling into a light sleep more than once before it was time to go inside.
Once the twins were down, Carina also went to bed while Maya stayed up, getting a bag together for the twins to spend the day with Andrew. She made sure she had clothes and snacks and everything he could possibly need to take care of them. She was hoping Carina would be feeling ok in the morning so they could all spend a little time together at the petting zoo, but even if she wasn't, Maya knew the twins would have a blast with their zio.
Maya then settled on the couch to get more work done. This was usually the best time of day for her to get budgets and projects done because everyone was asleep and the house was quiet. There were also times where she would run on the treadmill at this time if she hadn't earlier in the day.
Around eleven, she headed up to bed, making sure Carina had the right pills she would need if she woke up not feeling well in the middle of the night along with some water and Gatorade before getting herself ready for bed.
As she dropped into bed next to her wife, she rolled toward her, studying her features as much as she could in the relative darkness. Carina's eyes had developed big, dark bags under them in the past few weeks, her cheeks a bit sunken in, and the corners of her mouth were more often than not pulled down ever so slightly, all signs of the toll her treatments were having on her body.
It broke Maya's heart to see all of this, but she just kept reminding herself that it wasn't forever, that her wife would get better. She had no idea how people did this when their loved one had to get months or even years of chemo and radiation.
Maya carefully moved closer to her wife, draping her arm over her waist, smiling as she felt Carina cuddle closer to her.
"I love you so much Carina," Maya whispered, knowing her wife couldn't hear her but just wanting to say it.
The following morning, Maya went to get up to go for her run at about 5:30, only to be startled by a tiny hand on her leg as she was pulling her hair into a ponytail.
"Rowan, why are you awake?" Maya said, double checking that it was actually 5:30, "It's time for sleeping."
"Mommy up," Rowan said, looking at her.
"I am going for a run," Maya said, scooping the toddler up.
"Me too," Rowan said, "wunnin too."
Maya sighed, knowing there was absolutely no way she was going to be able to get her daughter to go back to sleep instead of going on her run.
"Fine," Maya said, looking at the little blonde, "But no running for you. You can go in the stroller."
"Otay," Rowan said, thankfully not fighting Maya.
Maya carried her downstairs, filling up a sippy cup with water and grabbing a kids granola bar just in case, she put Rowan in a jacket and also got a blanket from the closet before bringing the toddler out to the garage, getting her into the double jogging stroller.
"Alright Patatina, are you ready?" Maya asked as she did up the buckles.
Rowan nodded, taking the sippy from Maya, popping it in her mouth and sucking on it, eyes already looking sleepy. Maya really hoped the little girl would go back to sleep, knowing that if she didn't, she was going to be a bear for Andrew. Luckily, it took all of ten minutes for Rowan to fall back to sleep, Maya stopping and dropping the stroller back so the little girl was reclined before continuing on her run.
She ran for a good hour and a half, usually planning her longest run of the week for Saturday or Sunday just because right now, she was on a good schedule that didn't have her working on the weekends.
Once she was done, she made her way home, Rowan still sound asleep when they got back around 7. Maya debated what to do, but ultimately decided to try her luck at carrying the toddler inside. Of course, that didn't work and Rowan's big blue eyes popped open as soon as Maya picked her up.
"Wun?" Rowan asked sleepily.
"We went for a run," Maya said, rubbing her back as the toddler rested her head on her mommy's shoulder, "You slept through it."
"Oh," Rowan said as Maya brought her inside, "You 'et."
"I am sweaty," Maya nodded, "Sorry. I'll put you down on the couch."
Maya laid Rowan on the couch before starting to stretch. Rowan just laid there, watching her. Just as Maya finished stretching, she heard little feet on the stairs.
"Good morning Nora," Maya said as the toddler came into the room, "Are you guys excited to go to see Zio Andrea?"
Both little girls nodded, clearly still trying to wake up. Maya finished her stretching before going into the kitchen with the girls to make breakfast. She decided to whip up some waffles, knowing that Carina really liked them when she was feeling okay.
Just as she was finishing dishing up the twin's meals, Carina walked into the kitchen.
"Hey," Maya said, smiling as she continued cutting up Rowan's waffle, "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Actually, really good," Carina said, "I mean, I'm tired, but not as much as I have been. I was thinking maybe we should go with Andrea and the bambine for a little bit today."
"Ok," Maya said, "If you are up to it, I am down. Can I get you some breakfast? I made waffles, but I can make whatever."
"I think I can handle a little bit of waffle," Carina said, "But no toppings."
"Of course," Maya nodded, getting another round of batter in the maker before carrying the twin's plates over to the table where the twins were waiting.
They all ate their breakfast together before getting ready to go.
"You sure you're good to do this?" Maya asked as she double checked the diaper bag.
"Si," Carina nodded, "I will wear my mask and sit down if I need to. But I really am feeling good this morning."
"Alright," Maya said, "Well then, let's go."
They made their way to Andrew's house, Maya and Carina unloading the twins.
"'io Dre?" Rowan said as Carina walked to the door with the twins while Maya unloaded the stroller.
"Si," Carina nodded, "We are going to spend the morning with Zio Andrea and then you and Nora are going to stay and eat lunch with him and have a nap here, ok?"
"Si," Rowan nodded, "Pway 'io Dre."
"Do you guys want to knock?" Carina asked.
Both twins ran to the door, pounding on door with their little fists.
"Woah," Andrew said as he opened the door, "You two are so loud."
"Up," Rowan and Nora both yelled, reaching for Andrew.
"Carina," Andrew said, laughing as he picked up his nieces, "What are you doing here?"
"I am feeling pretty good this morning," Carina said as Andrew walked out of the house, "And I was hoping Maya and I could tag along to the petting zoo."
"Of course," Andrew nodded, smiling at her, "I'm glad you are feeling good today."
"Me too," Carina said, "I hate being so tired and sick all the time."
"Ok," Maya said, "I've got the stroller."
"No," Rowan said, clinging to Andrew.
"No 'it," Nora said, shaking her head, "'io Dre."
"I can carry them," Andrew said.
"Are you sure?" Maya asked, "They are getting big."
"I've got them," Andrew said as he started walking.
"I'm still bringing the stroller," Maya said, knowing the girls would eventually want to sit or Andrew would get tired of carrying them.
Maya pushed the stroller with one hand and held her wife's hand with the other as they walked toward the park which was very close to Andrew's house.
"Did I tell you I took Rowan running with me this morning?" Maya asked as she looked at her wife.
"Cosa?" Carina said, "At 5:30?"
"Yep," Maya nodded, "She decided she didn't want to sleep anymore, at least not in her bed. She knocked out in the stroller about ten minutes into the run."
"She is so your daughter, sometimes it is scary," Carina said, shaking her head.
"I know," Maya said, "It makes me nervous for her."
"She will be ok," Carina said, rubbing her thumb over her wife's knuckles, "Because we will be there to guide her and support her and not let her fall into the bad habits Lane pushed you into."
Maya nodded, squeezing Carina's hand tightly, blinking quickly trying not to cry. There were times that Maya would see glimpses of herself in both of the girls, but more often in Rowan and it would scare her to see her toddler fully determined to do something even after she hurt herself. But Carina would always come alongside her and remind her that they weren't forcing her to do whatever it was the toddler was doing that was hurting her and that they were right there for her if and when she decided she needed them. Maya knew that they weren't raising their kids the way they were raised, but part of her always worried. Maya pushed her worries aside as she heard Nora squealing up ahead.
"I think she is excited," Carina chuckled, pulling on her mask as they approached the petting zoo at the park where several other families were.
"Bunny," Nora said, squirming out of Andrew's arms, running toward the pen that had several rabbits.
"Nora, please wait," Maya called, hoping Andrew would speed up and get her because Maya didn't want to leave her wife behind and knew Carina couldn't go any faster.
However, before anyone could catch up to her, Nora tripped when she was almost to the grass, knees landing on the sidewalk as her hands landed in the grass. Maya let go of Carina's hand immediately, running as fast as she could to the toddler. She got there at the same time as Andrew, Nora wailing loudly.
"Sorry," Andrew said, "She is so fast."
"It's ok," Maya said, scooping the little girl up, "It happens."
As Maya started assessing the situation, Carina walked up next to them.
"Mamma," Nora cried, reaching for her.
"Is she ok?" one of the people working at the petting zoo asked, coming over to them.
"I think so," Maya nodded, "She's just got a few little scrapes on her knees."
"Do you need some Band-Aids?" the young man asked, "We have a first aid kit."
"That would be great," Carina said as she took Nora from Maya.
"Noa try?" Rowan asked, "Ouchie?"
"She just got some little scrapes on her knees," Maya reassured the little girl, "Why don't you and Zio Andrea go look at the animals."
Andrew got the hint and took Rowan over to the petting zoo while Maya and Carina brought Nora over to a bench.
"Here you go," the worker said, "Use whatever you need."
"Thank you," Maya said before turning her attention back to her wife and daughter, "Ok Nora. Let's see what's in this first aid kit."
"An antiseptic and a few Band-Aids would probably do it," Carina said, looking at the little scraped knees, "They are barely bleeding."
"Ouchie," Nora whimpered, putting her fingers in her mouth as she buried her head in Carina's chest.
"It's ok," Maya said, grabbing out an antiseptic wipe, "This might hurt a little bit, but then it will feel better, ok?"
Carina held Nora while Maya quickly wiped the scrapes, Nora screaming as she did so.
"All done," Maya said, waving her hand over the top of Nora's knees, "All done. Now it's time for some Band-Aids ok?"
"Ouchie," Nora said, screaming stopping but she was still whimpering. "After we put on the Band-Aids, you can go see the coniglio, the rabbits."
"Bunny?" Nora whimpered.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Just let Mommy put some Band-Aids on your knees."
Nora nodded, letting Maya cover her scrapes.
"All done," Maya said, smiling at Nora, "See. No more ouchie. Are you ready to go see some bunnies?"
Nora nodded as Carina tried to put her down.
"No," Nora fussed, "Ouchie. Uppie."
"Here," Maya said, scooping the toddler up, knowing Carina got tired a lot faster walking around with a 25 lb. toddler, "Should we go?"
"Mamma," Nora said, looking at Carina, confusion filling her face as she looked at her mamma's face for the first time, "Mamma fate?"
"I am wearing this mask to keep me safe," Carina explained, knowing what Nora meant, "But I'm still your mamma."
Nora gave her a side-eye but didn't say more. The three of them walked over to the petting zoo, Carina giving back the first aid kit before they went to look at the animals.
"Bunny," Nora said, pointing to the rabbits.
"Ok," Maya said, carrying her over to the bunnies where Andrew and Rowan also were, though unlike her sister, Rowan was clinging to Andrew's neck and looked absolutely terrified.
"What's wrong?" Carina asked as Maya stepped into the pen with Nora, the little brunette immediately getting down, clearly forgetting about her scrapes, "Don't you want to go see the bunnies?"
"No," Rowan said, shaking her head, "No bunny."
"I think she's a little nervous," Andrew said, rubbing Rowan's back.
"Mamma," Rowan said, reaching for Carina.
"Come here," Carina said, taking her into her arms, "You don't want to go see the rabbits? What about the goats or the sheep or the guinea pigs?"
"No," Rowan said, "No mamamul."
"Ok," Carina said, rubbing her back, "That's ok. Do you want to go sit on the bench with me?"
Rowan nodded, clinging tightly to Carina.
"Can you take some pictures of Maya and Nora?" Carina asked her brother.
Andrew nodded as Carina walked away. Meanwhile, Nora was in heaven. She just kept petting the bunnies, laughing whenever they moved. One of the workers gave them some carrot tops to feed them and that was probably the best thing that happened to Nora all week.
After almost an hour and playing with every animal there, Nora was done and Maya could tell Carina was starting to fade.
"Should we head back?" Maya asked as she, Nora, and Andrew all walked over to where Rowan and Carina were sitting.
"Si," Carina nodded, Rowan getting up off the bench and walking over to Andrew as Maya put Nora in the stroller.
"You ok?" the blonde asked, going over to her wife.
"Si," Carina nodded, "Just a little tired. I will probably nap when we get home."
"Ok," Maya said, helping her up.
"I can push the stroller," Andrew offered as he put Rowan too. Maya nodded as they headed back toward Andrew's house.
Once they got back, Maya gave Andrew the twins' bag.
"Oh, and by the way, Nora is now potty trained," Maya said, remembering that was something new.
"Wait, seriously?" Andrew said, "When did you possibly have time to potty train?"
"She did it herself," Maya said, "And it's been like two weeks and she has only had one accident. You will probably have to hold her when she uses the toilet because I didn't bring the seat cover. I'll come take her to the bathroom now before I leave. And there's a pull up for you to put on her before nap. She usually doesn't have any problems, but just in case."
"Ok," Andrew nodded, looking over at his sister who was sitting on the front porch with the twins, looking very tired.
"Nora, can I help you go to the bathroom before we go?" Maya asked, looking at the little girl.
Nora nodded, taking Maya's hand as they went into the house, leaving Rowan, Carina, and Andrew all on the porch.
"Did you have fun today?" Andrew asked, sitting down next to his sister.
"Si," Carina said, smiling, "It's always nice to do something different with them. But now, I am tired."
"Well, I will keep them so you can get some rest," Andrew said, "Maya said she would come get them sometime this afternoon since I don't have car seats."
"Thank you for taking them today," Carina said, "They love spending time with you."
"I love spending time with them too," Andrew said, "And they are getting so big so fast."
"I know," Carina nodded as Rowan climbed up on Andrew's lap, "It feels like they were just babies and now they are almost two and a half."
"Ok," Maya said, walking out of the house with Nora in tow, "She went to the bathroom. She's good to go. Nora, you have to tell Zio if you need to use the bathroom, ok?"
"Si," Nora nodded.
"Ok," Maya said, "Then Mamma and I are going to go home and you two get to stay here and play with Zio."
They said their goodbyes before Maya and Carina got in the car, heading home, both of them glad Carina had been feeling well enough to have a fun morning with the girls.
The rest of the weekend was much more chill. Carina was exhausted from their morning out and spent a lot of Saturday resting. She didn't feel very well on Sunday either and the family spent most of the day just hanging out, reading books and playing with toys inside because it also poured rain all day.
By Sunday night, they were gearing up for another week, Carina trying to mentally prepare herself for another week of radiation and just hoping she would still be feeling ok. Maya also got ready for her work week, knowing she had a meeting the following day she wasn't really looking forward to, but she got ready for it none-the-less. Everyone went to bed relatively early on Sunday night to get ready for the week ahead.
The following morning, Maya got up, going through her normal morning routine, getting the twins up and ready for daycare. She didn't love that they were in daycare five days a week, but she just kept having to tell herself it was temporary, that once Carina was feeling better, that the twins would be home more. Right now, even on days Maya wasn't working, she would still take them to daycare because it allowed Carina to get the rest she needed. Once the twins were ready, she got them playing with some toys before going to quickly finish getting herself ready.
Carina was still asleep which was pretty normal recently so Maya left some water, juice, a package of crackers, some applesauce, a banana and the meds to help her stomach on the nightstand so Carina had whatever she needed when she woke up before pressing a small kiss to Carina's forehead. Maya noticed she seemed a little bit warm, but she was also buried under a pile of blankets so she didn't think much of it. She then went downstairs, getting the twins into shoes and sweatshirts before heading out the door.
"Mamma?" Nora asked as they started out to the car.
"Mamma is sleeping still," Maya said, tossing their bags into the car, "Remember, she isn't feeling good and needs to get lots of sleep."
"Want Mamma," Rowan frowned.
"I know," Maya said, picking them both up and putting them in the car, "Listen, tomorrow and the next day, I don't have work and Mamma doesn't have to go to the doctor so we can all stay home and play together, ok?"
"Otay," Rowan nodded as Maya buckled her into her car seat, "Mamma ick?"
"Yes, Mamma is sick," Maya sighed, having answered that question probably a million times in the past few weeks.
It was impossible to explain what was really going on with Carina to the girls in any way than saying she was sick.
"Mamma ick all a days," Nora sighed, frowning.
"Yes," Maya said, "Mamma is sick a lot right now, but she will get better eventually. But right now, she needs us to take good care of her, ok?"
"Otay," Nora sighed as Maya leaned over to give her a kiss.
"Thank you girls," Maya said, "Now, are you ready for daycare?"
"Si," they both cheered.
Maya headed to the hospital, dropping off the twins before going to the station. She had a series of meeting this morning that were scheduled to end around 11, giving her enough time to go home, pick Carina up, and take her to her radiation appointment at noon.
The morning was long, Maya checking her phone about a million times to see if her wife had texted her which she normally did when she woke up in the morning, but she hadn't heard from her all day. She kept telling herself everything was fine, that her wife was probably just sleeping or maybe she forgot to text her. However, something about it was just unsettling to her this morning.
As soon as her last meeting was done, Maya was packing up to leave.
"Everything ok?" Andy asked as she watched her best friend frantically packing her bag.
"I think so," Maya sighed, "It's just...Carina hasn't texted me this morning, which is not a big deal, but I'm just worried, you know? She's on medical leave and she has just been so run down and struggling so much more than she was and it just makes me worried. I'm going home now to check on her and take her to radiation and then I'm working from home for the rest of the day."
"Ok," Andy nodded, "Let me know if there's anything you guys need. I think Teddy is on dinner duty tonight."
"Thank you," Maya said, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. Maya headed home, going into the house.
"Carina," she called, not hearing any sound, "Car, are you up?"
She quickly slipped off her shoes, going into the living room where Carina would often camp out during the day just to get a change of scenery and so she was closer to the kitchen because staying hydrated was a constant battle because of how upset her stomach was most days. Maya frowned when she found the living room empty, running toward the stairs.
"Carina," she called, still not hearing anything, "Carina?"
She ran into the bedroom, the sight before her terrifying her as she went over to the bed. Carina was laying there, covered in sweat, not conscious and looking worse than Maya had ever seen.
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What did you think? I haven't left this story on a cliffhanger in a while, but here we go. I hope you don't hate me too much. And it may or may not be a while before I can update again. I have my first round of exams and projects due in the next weekish and so I will either be writing a bunch to avoid my responsibilities or really busy actually getting my work done like I should (hopefully that's what happens). Enough about that. I think this story is working its way toward being done soon (I'd say there are maybe 5 chapters left but we will see where it takes me). But I have another story ready to go in this universe once this one is done.
Thank you all so much for reading, commenting, and voting. You all are amazing!!