Parenthood

It was one o'clock in the morning and Billie and I had just gotten home from being at my parents all day. Combine that with a sleeping child in the next room and really not being very tired, things were quickly starting to get hot. “Babe, not so hard.” I whispered as Billie bit down on my neck.

“Sorry.” He mumbled while he continued making his way down. Just as he was about to remove my shirt his head shot up. “Did you hear something?” He whispered. I listened for a second and then shook my head.

“It's nothing.” I said while going to unbutton his jeans. I was about to tug them down when I heard a light knock at our door.

“Mommy?” Emma whimpered. My eyes widened and I pushed Billie off of me.

“Zip up your pants.” I commanded while tugging down my own shirt and walking to the door. I yanked it open the door to find my little lovebug standing there sobbing. “Emma, what happened?” I asked while crouching down.

“Mommy” sob "I threw up” sob “and my tummy hurts.” She cried. I looked at Billie, who was already crouched down beside me.

“Oh, Emma it's okay.” I soothed while removing her soiled pajama top. Billie reached out and placed his hand on her forehead.

“God, she's burning up.” He whispered. Emma then lurched forward and threw up all over herself and me. She was crying hysterically now and latching herself to me. I quickly stood up and turned to Billie.

“Take her temperature while I change.” I said while handing him Emma and throwing off my shirt.Billie quickly nodded and turned away with our crying child.

“Where is it?” He asked while sitting her down on the counter.

“Top drawer!” I stated while yanking a clean shirt over my head and entering the bathroom. Billie had already stuck the thermometer in her mouth and was wiping off her face with a wash cloth. Her cries had slowed down, but the tears kept coming.

“It's okay, you're okay.” Billie whispered while holding her close and loving on her. I smoothed her hair and removed her pajama bottoms and underwear that she had evidently gotten upset enough to wet. The thermometer beeped. Billie pulled it out of her mouth and gasped when he read it. It scared me to hear him gasp like that.

“What is it?” I mouthed not wanting to upset Emma even more.

He held the thermometer up to me. 102.2. Shit. I covered my mouth to prevent a gasp. I quickly turned on the warm water in the bathtub and sat her down.

“My tummy hurts.” She whined. I sat down on my knees and began washing the puke off her body. Billie stripped down to his boxers and sat down in the tub behind her. Emma laid against him while I went to wash her hair. Billie splashed some water on her to wash the soap off and just as we were about to finish Emma tried to stand up.

“Momm-” was all she got out before placing her small hand over her mouth. I spun around and grabbed the trash can just in time to place it under her chin for her to throw up again. Billie held her newly clean hair back while she finished. When she was done, she started to cry again. We rinsed her off one more time and I picked her up out of the tub and wrapped her in a white towel. I handed Billie his towel turned Emma to where she was facing the door while he changed out if his wet boxers and into dry ones.

“Babe, what did Tré feed her today?” I asked while laying her down on our bed. We had allowed Tré to take her to the circus while Billie and I attended a funeral and really had no idea what Tré had done. Billie shook his head as he walked into the room.

“Who fucking knows? It's Tré!” He exclaimed. I quickly unwrapped her from the towel and slipped on her underwear and looked around the room.

“Babe, give me one of your old t-shirts.” Billie frowned while opening the bottom drawer of the dresser.

“Why?” He asked while tossing his Guns n Roses shirt on the bed. I pulled it over her head.

“All of her pajamas are being washed and I need to put her in something to keep her cool.” I answered. The t-shirt was very big on her, but it would do. I sat down carefully on the bed and placed her in my lap. She was already sweating and it was scaring me. She hadn’t been this sick in a while.

“Will you go find the Children's Motrin in the medicine cabinet?” I asked while getting under the covers with her. Billie nodded and went back into the bathroom. She was whimpering and I hated it.

“Where's Daddy going?” She cried. I smoothed her hair.

“He'll be right back, lovebug.” I cooed.Emma sniffled.

“I need Leroy.” She whimpered. I looked around the room and spotted the toy Dalmatian beside the bed. I leaned over and grabbed him off the floor.

“Here, baby.” I whispered as she held him close. Pretty soon Billie came back holding a bottle full of orange liquid and a clear plastic cup. He twisted open the cap and poured some into the cup.

“Emma, this won't taste very good but Daddy wants you to take it, okay?” He asked while putting it up to her lips.At first she resisted, but eventually gave in and swallowed it. She gagged a couple of times and I prayed she'd be able to keep the medicine down. Billie crawled into bed next to me in just his boxers, like he did every night. I looked down at Emma, who was still kinda teary eyed.

“You wanna lay on Daddy for a little while?” I asked, knowing he could distract her long enough for me to go change her sheets. She nodded and I carefully handed her to Billie. He laid her on his bare chest and smoothed her hair.

“You don't feel good do you, munchkin?” He whispered. Emma shook her head and reached for Leroy.

“Leroy's sick too.” She told him. I smiled as Billie patted Leroy's plush head.

“Daddy?” Emma whispered.

“Hmm?” Emma held her stomach.

“I don't think I like the circus.” She told him. Billie raised his eyebrows.

“What did Uncle Tré feed you, baby?” He asked. Emma started counting on her fingers.

“Um, a hot dog, peanuts, a snow cone and um um funny cake.” She answered. Billie chuckled.

“Do you mean funnel cake?” He asked. Emma nodded.Billie made a face.

“That's quite the combination, my dear.” He told her while looking at me and mouthing “Holy shit.”

I could fucking kill Tré for feeding my child that much shit. I stood up and quietly went to Emma's room when I was sure she was distracted. She busy telling Billie about how Tré flipped off a man while on the way to the circus and how funny she thought it was. I growled. Tré is officially on my shit list. I flipped on her light to find puke covered sheets. I quickly stripped her bed and carried the messy sheets to the laundry room. I returned to her room and replaced her soiled bed with 'The Little Mermaid' sheets. As I was walking back to our room, I heard Emma asking him a question.

“Daddy, will you sing me the Dumbo song?” She asked. I quietly walked into the room to see him cradling her and singing softly.

Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart. Never to part. Baby of mine. Little one when you play. Don't you mind what they say. Let those eyes sparkle and shine, never a tear. Baby of mine. I sat down on the bed and smiled as her eyes fluttered and she fell asleep. Billie grinned. “Works every time.” He whispered while laying her between us, and tucking Leroy under her arm. I felt her forehead and breathed in a sigh of relief to know that her fever had broke.

“Remember the last time she got sick?” I murmured to Billie. He nodded.

“I still can't look at Maraschino cherries the same way.” He answered.The last time Emma was this sick was when she was two and had eaten half a jar of Maraschino cherries. To this day, neither one of us can eat fruit cocktails anymore without gagging. I sighed.

“I'm going to kill Tré.” I said while stroking Emma's hair. Billie snorted.

“Not before I do.” He mumbled. Tré had single handedly taught my daughter how to flip someone off and fed her so much shit that she threw up and possibly ruined her bed sheets. I loved Tré like the brother I never had but sometimes I just wanted to smack him across the face. Hard. Billie leaned over Emma and kissed me.“It's too bad we didn't get to the good stuff tonight.” He mumbled against my lips. I smirked and kissed him back.

“I'll make it up to you.” I whispered. Billie grinned.

“Ya know, we should probably go check on those sheets.” He whispered while raising his eyebrows suggestively. I gasped.

“Billie, your daughter is sick and you’re wanting to get some in the laundry room?” I scolded. Billie rolled his eyes.

“Well, when you put it like that it sounds wrong.” He mumbled. I snorted.

“That's because it is.” I replied.

Billie slowly got out of the bed and pulled me up so that I was standing up and facing him. He grabbed my face and kissed me. “She won't wake up, Jules. Please, I just want to be close to you.” He whispered in my ear. I sighed and grabbed his hand and led him into the hallway. Billie picked me up and raced towards the laundry room. I shut the door behind us and kissed him roughly.

“We have to be really quick.” I said while tugging down his boxers. Billie smirked.

“Less talking, more fucking.” He growled while pinning me against the wall.

Ten minutes later we were panting on the laundry room floor, muttering profanities and covering each others mouths to keep from shouting. Billie was right, Emma didn't wake up and our little sexcapade in the laundry room was well worth it. When we went back to the room and laid down, I remembered that we didn't even check on the sheets. Damn him and his libido.