Being the wife of any kind of professional athlete was tough, but even though she had supported her husband throughout his career, there had always been one thing that Harlow couldn't handle and that was not having her husband around for long periods of time , especially when she was feeling as rough as she was currently feeling. As she laid in their bed, all she wanted was the body of her husband next to her making her feel safe and looking after her, she wasn't stupid, she knew if she had admitted to her husband how ill she truly was feeling he would've phoned whoever he needed to tell them he wouldn't be at TV but with the storyline he had currently going on, there was no way that she was going to have him stay at home looking after her.
Walking into their house exhausted from the amount of flights he had to take in the space of 24 hours, Ethan was concerned at the silence he was currently hearing, when he landed in Texas, he instantly checked his voicemail after noticing one from the woman he loved even more so than his career and instantly knew where he needed to be when he heard how ill she sounded and he called not only his tag partner, but his boss and was thankful to them both for being so understanding but also for being as equally concerned as he was and they told him to get back to the woman who needed him. After grabbing his bags and pulling them in and throwing his keys down, he sighed at the silence in the house and started trying to figure out where the love of his life was hiding, he knew her better than she knew herself, so much so he knew different music would play depending on what she was doing for example, when his wife was working, the sound of classical "focus' music would be blaring out throughout the house or if she was in the gym, it would be her infamous 90s music playlist so to hear nothing, he knew he had made the right choice in coming home early and that he was going to have to be smart as he searched for her. As he messaged his tag partner to let him know what was happening, he smiled as he heard Athena, their Rottweiler puppy Harlow had begged and begged him for for when she was alone for periods at a time come into the room, excited to see the man and as he stroked her, he could still remember her face when he brought her home for Harlow's birthday "where's mommy then girl?" He asked as he fused over the 7 months old puppy who lapped up her dad's attention "I think we are going to have our work cut out for us trying to find her" he then added as the dog licked his hand in agreement.
After searching the entire downstairs of their house and coming up short, Ethan began to make his way upstairs, the silence he was hearing throughout the whole house still concerning him along with the fact that he couldn't find where Harlow was which was extremely unusual for her, anyone that knew his wife..or had ever had the pleasure of meeting her knew that if you couldn't find her..the majority of the time you could either hear her mouth or her infectious laugh and know that she was okay, but this side of her, the silence and in her words 'show of weakness', was something that only he saw and when it came to the surface, he had made a promise to himself after the first time of witnessing a tiny version of it that no matter what he was doing, he would stop everything he was doing and dote on her like the princess she was to him. After looking in their bedroom and coming up empty, Ethan looked at Athena who had followed him and was currently sat at their door and stated as he looked at her and walked out "if only you could talk Theenie, at least then you could tell me where you mom was...". As Ethan went to try the spare room, he froze as he saw the puppy look at her dad with her big chocolate eyes and walk into the direction of the one place he hadn't tried and was kicking himself he hadn't thought of sooner...her studio, stopping and staring at her dad with her head to one side, Ethan walked over with a smile on his face and whispered, still in shock whilst giving her a pet "you could've just showed me you know, instead of being a smart ass...you are definitely your mom's daughter" which resulted in Athena quietly barked, showing off the new trick Harlow had taught her whilst he had been away.
Opening the door quietly, the man watched the puppy walk in and lay on her bed and as he walked in slightly further, he instantly felt not only his concern disappear but his anxiety hit new levels of concern as he found his wife asleep, something that was unusual at that time of day for her, laid out on her blush pink chaise lounge he had brought her for her birthday with her favourite grey super chunky blanket wrapped over her legs looking paler then ever but at the same time, to him, she looked the most beautiful he had ever seen her in the 4 years they had been together. Looking at her closer and leaning on the doorframe, he knew instantly what was wrong, she had worked herself to exhaustion, something it wasn't his first rodeo at when it came to his wife and her deadlines for work, before he had left for Dynamite, he had made her promise him that she wouldn't work herself into the ground to meet this deadline she had coming up as he could tell she was reaching her limit, but he wasnt stupid..he knew his wife and he knew that when it came to Harlow Page, her work was everything to her and she would, if she had no one around to look after her pull multiple all nights if she had too, surviving on nothing but energy drinks and carbs, but this wasn't just her deadlines or stress from her work project and Ethan knew it..she was ill and if she was as ill as he thought she was, he knew she wouldn't admit it until she was pretty much on her deathbed. After walking the 5 steps from the door to where his love was laying, Ethan crouched down and smiled as he moved a piece of dyed dark red hair away from Harlow's face, once again wondering how he got so lucky whilst smiling at her natural beauty shining through along with her already prominent freckles he had loved since the first day he had met her looking even more prominent, but as she stayed still, he felt his concern multiply... in all the time they had been together, moving a piece of hair from her face had always worked in waking her, even more so than an alarm clock and she always gave him some kind of reaction so the fact that this time around she didn't move made his theory of her being ill all the more believable. Whilst getting himself comfy on his knees, Ethan put a hand on his wife's forehead and was shocked at how hot his pumpkin was and it was at that point, he knew he had made the right decision in coming home "Harls... pumpkin. You going to wake up for me?" He asked with a small hint of pleading in his voice, opening her eyes slowly, flinching as the light from the window hit her face, the woman realised that she was being watched and as her eyes focused more on the current blur in front of her, she sleepily smiled as she saw the face of the man of her dreams in front of her " Nugget? What..what are you doing here ? What day is it?....I only shut my eyes for a minute". Watching the woman confused, Ethan kissed her knuckles and replied back worried "It's Wednesday but baby..you called me...remember?" "Did I?" She asked confused "im sorry I dont remember. I think the last couple of days since you have been gone have kind of rolled into one with me with deadlines and everything" "number one, I have only been gone a day at most and number two, please tell me you haven't done a session of edits without eating or drinking again...... HARLOW! Seriously!" "Don't shout at me, I am fine" the woman snapped back. As Ethan watched and sighed as she tried to prove she was fine by pulling herself up and failing miserably, Ethan sighed as he helped her sit up after both seeing and hearing enough "I love you more than anything but you can be a massive pain in my ass sometimes woman" he stated as he felt her head one more and exclaimed shock prominent in his voice as he felt she had become even hotter"Jesus Harlow...You're Burning up!" "I'm fine..I promise...where's my laptop..I need to send off those edits today".
Watching her trying to get up and get to her laptop, Ethan had to applaud her inner strength and stubbornness, but he also knew what was about to happen, knowing his wife, he knew that she wasn't going to admit she was ill for anyone or anything until she pretty much collapsed or was so burnt out she gave up on arguing and knowing the signs he knew that her collapsing wasn't that far off. Watching her rest her head on her desk, he knew enough was enough and that he needed to step in and be strict with her and stay strict with her, regardless on how she tried to get around him, walking towards her, he put the laptop down and turned her chair around and exclaimed "Pumpkin, I know you don't want to admit it and how hard headed you are, but even you need to admit to yourself that you are not only on burnout but you are ill and enough is enough. You are leaving work for a while and coming to lay down with me, they will understand and you still have another fortnight until the next chapter is due. I have flown in and I am tir.... Harlow? You okay?" He asked as he watched her quickly stand up and pale dramatically"I think I am gong to throw up" and before he could reply, he watched his wife sprint to the bathroom across the hall from her office/studio. Listening to make sure there was no thuds and hearing the tell tale signs of her throwing up, Ethan looked at the puppy who had a look of concern on her face and sighed "Thenie.. I think we are in trouble" "WOOF!" Athena barked back as they followed the direction the woman went in.
Opening the door carefully after not hearing anything for a few seconds, Ethan sighed as he found his wife, hunched over the toilet being sick "I'm sorry you are sick Pumpkin" he sighed as he held her hair for her with one hand and rubbed her back with the other "you okay down there?" He asked as she finished the latest round and laughed as she flipped him the bird as Athena watched on "there's my fiery pumpkin... you finally wanna admit that you are feeling rough now or is our 'tough it out' head still on?" "I'm fine" the woman weakly replied as she managed to stop throwing up. Watching her rest her head on the wall behind her, Ethan grabbed her not only a glass of water but also her mouthwash, toothpaste and brush "there you go pukey" "thanks" she mumbled as she began to wash her mouth out, the pair chuckling as they watched Athena make her way in and plonk herself down next to her mom, putting her head on her lap. Lowering himself down to join his two girls on the floor of their bathroom, he looked at her and declared as he mentally pleading with her to just admit it and let him look after her "I'm worried about you Harley...even Athena knows you arent right. I get you are trying to finish this book and get it sent off but I can't cope with you getting sick, if for no one else, rest for me, that message you left me scared the crap out of me". Looking at her husband and his pleading face after brushing her teeth, she sighed as she rubbed Athena's ear "I didn't mean to scare you... will you carry me to bed please.....I'm not feeling well" the woman finally admitted much to the happiness of her husband "of course baby" he winked and wrapping her arm around his neck, the man picked up the woman with ease and smiled as he stated whilst she burrowed her hot head into the crook of his neck "that wasnt so hard was it" "Shut up!"the woman remarked, her head nuzzled into the crook of his neck more...the heat coming off of her concerning her husband "Jeez Harley...we are getting you a cold compress for that head of yours as well".
Laying the woman on the bed he kissed her forehead and whispered "stay...and I will be back in a minute" "doesn't sound like I have much choice" "you'd be right" he winked as he disappeared into their en suite and Athena replaced him, jumping up onto the bed, not wanting to be away from her mom for more than a minute "Thennie I'm okay, daddy is just being a worrier" "stop lying to our child" Ethan laughed as he walked back in, shirt off with a wet cloth in hand, an image that made his wife drool slightly "and why is she on the bed?... on my side!" He then asked, putting the compress on his wife's forehead and taking his pants off, teasing her a little and she knew it "I get lonely when you arent here, so she sleeps on the bed with me,why do you think we got the biggest bed we could find when we moved?" "Evil and Ill..I am so screwed" the man joked "says the man doing his best Magic Mike impression whilst his wife is ill" "call it payback for being a stubborn mare and not admitting earlier you are ill" "JACKASS" "love you too" he joked. Watching her try and get comfy and failing miserably, Ethan perched on the side of the bed and whispered as he played with her hair "sleep baby..I'm not going anywhere" "will you lay with me? And maybe hold me...please?" "You dont ever have to ask" Ethan smiled, feeling the bed dip and his safe hands turn her around, she instantly put her head on his bare chest and smiled as he held the compress to his head "thank you for coming home, even though I dont remember actually ringing you" "you always come first Pumpkin, but I am worried about you. Do you think you need to go to the hospital? With how hot you are and your confusion im worried you are dehydrated...." "Let me sleep and if I am still feeling rough when I wake up, I wont fight you...in the meantime...Why don't you just google it? See if there are any..home ....". Looking down at the sudden silence, all Ethan could do was smile at the image of his beautiful wife asleep on his chest "what am I going to do with you Mrs Page" he whispered kissing her head before looking at Athena and stating "we might as well tuck down Athena, think we are going to be here for the foreseeable".