Coach's Daughter

52

I'm doing some chores around the house when I decide to call Paige. I haven't talked to her since yesterday at the gym. It being a Saturday, im hoping we can spend the day together.

She picks up on the second ring.

"Hello," her voice comes through my phone sounding horse and groggy.

"Hey, baby," I say, "are you okay? You sound sick."

"I feel sick," she says, sounding miserable.

I gasp. I knew it.

"I told you that ice bath would make you sick!"

"You really think it was the ice bath?" She asks.

"Yeah. What else would it be?"

"Well it wasn't my idea. Be mad at your dad," she whines.

"Oh, I am mad at my dad," I tell her, "and I am not mad at you, baby. I know this isn't your fault."

"Mm hm," she sounds exhausted.

"What are your symptoms?"

"Do you have special physical therapy exercises and messages for this too?"

"No, but I do have special maternal instincts to make you feel all better," I tell her.

I can hear her smile through the phone as she hums.

"Well, I have a sore throat," she says quietly, "and body aches. Everything hurts. And a bad headache."

The sound of her pitiful little voice listing her various symptoms breaks my heart. I find my keys and my wallet and head straight for the door.

"I'm coming right now, baby. I'm going to stop by the store, then I'll be right to your place."

"Wait," she says, "You probably don't need to come over. You could catch my sickness."

"Awe, you're so thoughtful, baby," I coo, "but I'm coming over."

She sighs, knowing nothings going to change my mind.

Before I make it to the door, I turn back around to gather supplies.

I go to my parent's bathroom and search for the humidifier. I also grab some Vaseline and Vicks vapor rub from my bathroom as well as Lavender Camomile melatonin bubble bath.

When I have everything I can think of from the house, I get in my car and drive to the grocery store.

I pick up hot chocolate packets, chicken noodle soup, cough drops, Advil, Nyquil and DayQuil. Oh, and the good tissues with lotion somehow infused in them.

When I get to Paige's apartment complex, I collect all the bags and carry them into the building. How did I accumulate so much stuff?

I ring the doorbell of her apartment and wait for her to open the door. My arms are sore from holding the groceries for so long, I have to put them on the floor.

She finally comes to the door and when she opens it, I'm met with her rough appearance. She has bed head, tired eyes, a red nose and she's still in her pajamas.

"Oh, baby," I pull her into a hug and she falls into my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. I hold her for a good while before patting her back.

"Come on, let's go run you a bath."

Paige follows me into her bathroom and sits on the floor while I start running hot water in her jacuzzi bath tub.

"Where's Azzi?" I ask, just now noticing she's not here.