Normani's P.O.V
Oh no. I knew the moment I heard the first sneeze that it was all over. Lauren is sick. Damn it. She hardly ever gets sick but when she does its complete hell. Don't get me wrong I still love her, I always will but when she gets sick…things get hectic.
I wake up to coughing and wheezing at…7:30 in the morning. I look to the other side of the bed and notice Lauren is missing. I get up and walk to the bathroom then gently knock on the door.
"Lo…baby you okay?" I say and I get a groan as a response.
"Babe…you alright?" I say as I walk into the bathroom. She's sitting on the tub with her head in her hands.
"Aw baby." I say and move to go sit next to her and rub her back and she lays her head in the crook of my neck.
"My chest hurts." She whines. I don't respond and throw arms around my neck and pick her up to carry her bridal style back to our bed.
I go back to the bathroom and grab some medicine and some Vicks. I come back to the bedroom to find Lauren curled into a ball on the bed and softly whimpering.
"Aw my poor baby." I say walking over to kiss her forehead.
"Okay baby turn over so I can rub this on your chest." I say and she moves over.
I rub the Vicks on to her chest and I give her some medicine.
"Go back to sleep okay." I say and she nods.
"Okay…can you come cuddle with me? I'm cold." She says in that soft child-like voice she always uses when she's sick. I nod my head and get in the bed. I spoon Lauren from behind and we quickly fall asleep.
The next time I'm woken up is by the sound of the kids walking around. I untangle myself from Lauren and go see what they're doing. I walk past the bathroom and see Carson using it.
"How many times do I have to tell you to close the door?"
"Sorry mommy." He says and I walk away. It's not really a big deal since he is only three but I don't want that to become a habit.
I walk into the living room and I see Carla and Andrea lying on the floor watching cartoons.
"Good morning munchkins." I say walking over to them. I pick Andrea up and kiss her nose.
"Mornin mommy" She says. I swear she is the most adorable two year old I have ever met. I move to lie on the floor next to Carla and kiss her cheek.
"Morning mija."
"Morning mommy." She says and hugs my side. I lay Andrea back on the floor and the next thing I know I'm being tackled to the ground.
"Good morning mommy!" Carson yells from on top of me.
"Not so loud mijo. And good morning to you too my little monster." I say laughing and then I start tickle him.
"Ah! Mommystop! Stop!" He shrieks and I hear the girls laughing.
"Say the magic word."
"Mommy stop! Or I'm gonna pee!" He says and I let him go instantly and he runs away from me.
"Mommy, where's mama?" Carla asks.
"Mama is sick mija." I say and she frowns.
"She'll get better. Do you and your brother and sister want to help me make mama better?" I say and she nods.
"Okay well right now we need to let mama sleep so she'll get better okay?" I say and I get a collective nod.
"Okay. Who's hungry?"
"Me!" they all say collectively and I smile.
"Okay what do you guys want?"
"I want ice cream. An gummy bears an brownies an –"
"Carson. That's not breakfast food." I say and he pouts.
"What bout chocolate chip pancakes?" Carla says.
"Yay! Pancakes!" Andrea says and I can't help but smile.
"Okay so pancakes and…"
"Bacon!" they all say and I laugh. These are definitely Lauren's children.
"Okay. You guys wanna help? I ask and they all nod.
We all get up to go in the kitchen and I get all the ingredients we need. Things didn't go so well though. Carson snuck and ate almost half the bag of chocolates, Carla tried her best but ultimately got some egg shells in the mix and Andrea decided it would be a great idea to grab a handful of the mix and throw it up in the air, at me, Carson and Carla.
So now I'm cleaning the kitchen and three children. After I clean the kids I finish cooking, I go check on Lauren. She's still sleep so I go to the living room and flop on the couch. And as soon as I start to relax I hear.
"Mani!"
I quickly get up and make my way back to the bedroom.
"Yes sweetie." I say once I enter the room.
"I missed you…I woke up and you weren't here." She whines.
Lauren has always been like this when she gets sick. She is such a strong woman but when she gets a cold or the flu she turns into Lolo The five year old that needs attention and is incapable of doing anything for herself. But I can't help but find it adorable.
"I know sweetie but I do still have to take care of our kids." I say and move to sit next to her on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" I ask. She moves to lay her head in my lap and I run my fingers through her hair.
"Horrible." She drags out and then coughs and sniffles.
"You want something to eat? I made you some soup." I say and she shakes her head.
"What about some bacon?" I say and she shakes her head no again.
"Okay well get some more sleep okay? You need to rest." I say and she nods and moves off of my lap. I kiss her forehead and leave the room.
I go check on the kids and they are all back in the living room, playing on the floor. I go lie on the couch and at some point I fell asleep. I woke up to someone poking me in the head and I open my eyes to see Lauren hovering over me.
"Lo what are you doing out of bed?" I ask and she shrugs and says.
"Can I lay with you?"
"Of course you can." I say and I start to move to make room for her but she positions herself in between my legs and rests her head in my neck.
"Mama." I hear Carla say from the side of the couch and Lauren raises her head and smiles at her.
"Hey baby." She says and runs her hand through Carla's hair.
"You better?"
"Not yet baby." She says and Carla nods. Lauren kisses her forehead and Carson and Andrea come over to hug Lauren then they all go to play with their toys.
"Still not hungry?" I ask and she shakes her head no.
"Babe, you have to eat something. What about some tea?" She nods to that.
"You still need to eat." I say and she shakes her head.
"Either you eat or no more cuddling." I say sternly and she lifts her head.
"You would do that to me and I'm sick?" She says and I raise an eyebrow at her. She rolls her eyes and says.
"Fine…I still get my cuddles right?" she says and I nod and get up, much to her displeasure, and heat up the tea and soup I made her earlier. She sits up and sips at her tea and then eats most of her soup. When she finishes we get back in our previous position on the couch and just lie there.
"Lauren did you take anymore medicine?" I ask after a while.
"No. It's gross." Lauren says from her place inside my neck.
"You have to take your medicine to get better."
"I don't wanna." She says shaking her head and I roll my eyes and gently push her off of me and she pouts. I kiss her forehead and get up to go get the medicine.
After fighting with Lauren to get her to take her medicine, she fell asleep and I carried her back to bed. I made lunch for the kids and we settled down to watch a movie. After it ended Carla asked if she could draw so I gave all the kids some paper and crayons.
"Mommy." Carla calls,
"Yes mija?"
"I wanna make a picture for mama. Can you help me?"
"Of course mija."
"I wanna make one for mama too." Carson says.
"Okay. Drea you want to make one too?" I ask and she nods.
We spent the rest of the afternoon making pictures for Lauren. There's glitter and stickers everywhere but the kids had fun. Before I go to make dinner I go check on Lauren.
"How are you feeling?" I ask. She lifts her head from the pillow and says.
"I'm better. Bored out of my mind because there is nothing on T.V at all but I feel better."
"Good. I'm going to make dinner. You need anything?"
"No I'm okay." she says and I nod. I get up to leave and cook dinner and make Lauren some more soup. Once everyone finishes dinner I get the kids ready for bed and put them in their pajamas. Then I go lie in bed next to Lauren.
"You're amazing you know that." Lauren says cuddling into my side and resting her head on my shoulder.
"Yeah I know." I say and she chuckles. Then the kids come rushing in and bouncing on the bed.
"Mama! Mama! Mama!" Carson says while bouncing up and down. Lauren and I sit up.
"What? What? What?" Lauren says chuckling.
"We made pictures!"
"You did! For me?" She asks and they all nod.
"Okay let me see them." She says and Carson hands her his first
"It's a T-rex and a racecar!"
"Did you draw this?" She asks him.
"No mommydid." He says and she nods and looks at me and I shrug. I never claimed to be an artist.
"I love it little man, thank you." She says and hugs him.
"Here you go mama." Carla says giving Lauren her picture.
At the top it says mama's favorite things and it has an orange section, 5 stick figures, a piece of bacon and some shoes. It has stickers everywhere and a glitter border.
"It's all the things you love mama."
"Aw baby thank you…but what's this?" Lauren asks and points to the orange coloring.
"Your fav-it color."
"Oh, of course it is. It's beautiful, thank you so much sweetie." Lauren says and then hugs and kisses her.
"Welcome mama."
"Here mama." Andrea says and hands Lauren the picture and then comes to sit in my lap her picture is a bunch of scribbles with different colors and glitter everywhere.
"This is so pretty Drea, thank you." She says and leans over to hug Andrea.
"You guys are so sweet. I love you."
"We love you too and we're happy you're feeling better right kids?"
"Yeah." They all say.
"So…who wants to watch a movie?" I say and everyone says they want to. We sat and debate on which movie to watch before everyone decided to watch Aladdin.
A few days later
"How did we end up with such amazing kids?" Lauren asks as she gets in the bed.
"I don't know. But then again they are my offspring so…" I say and Lauren rolls her eyes at me and comes to rest her head on my shoulder and wrap her arm around my waist.
"Why'd you take them toy shopping today anyway? They have enough toys."
"I know but you were all so sweet when I was sick…I just wanted to." She says, then cuddles into me more
"Oh, well where's my thanks?" I say and she lifts up and smirks.
"I didn't want to buy you anything because I wanted to show how thankful I am." She says then she leans up to kiss me and,
"Ah-Choo!" Oh No!