Back to You(54)

Lauren bit her bottom lip before she said, “Well, if he won’t let you make it up, what then?”
Michael shrugged. “I take the course again next semester.” He looked up at Lauren. “Thank you for taking care of her.” He reached forward, about to scoop Erin out of Lauren’s arms, but Lauren laid a hand on his bicep.
He froze, looking up at her.
“Go. Take your mind was a million miles away.
Michael shook his head. “No. I can’t let you do that, that’s ridic—”
She cut him off. “No, what’s ridiculous is you having to repeat a class over one stupid test.” He looked at Lauren, and she said again, “I’ll stay with her.”
“I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I offered.”
He smiled slightly, but Lauren could see he was about to argue again. “She’s sleeping now,” she added. “There’s a good chance she might not even wake up again tonight.”
He bit his lip and looked down, his brow furrowed, and Lauren knew she had made headway.
“I wouldn’t want you to have to leave work because of us,” he said.
“My shift ends in less than an hour. Deb won’t care if I head out a bit early today. Really, Michael. It’s fine.”
He was quiet for a minute before he said, “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. Go. Take your test.”
He exhaled heavily before lifting his eyes back up to her face; the look in them caused a tightening in her chest, and she felt her breath stop. He stared at her that way for what seemed like forever before he spoke. “Thank you.”
Lauren swallowed. “You’re welcome,” she said, finally finding her voice.
For a moment, he just looked at her, and then he blinked quickly, snapping out of it as he started rummaging in his pocket. “Here,” he said, pulling what looked like a crumpled receipt out of it. “Take my cell phone number.” He reached over and grabbed a pen off the front desk and scribbled quickly on the scrap of paper before he pulled a key off his key ring, handing them both to her. “Call me if anything changes, if you need anything.”
“I will,” she said, taking them from him and closing her hand around them.
“Okay,” he said, standing and taking a reluctant step backward. “Okay…so…”
Lauren smiled. “So…good luck,” she said, motioning with her head toward the door.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-hearted smile. “Thank you. I’ll be home right after. Around seven-ish.”
“We’ll be there.”
He took another step backward, looking down at Erin one more time before he lifted his eyes to Lauren.
She smiled reassuringly. “Go,” she said again, nodding toward the door, and he nodded once and turned, walking back out of the door and toward his car.
Lauren watched him leave through the window before she turned to look back down at Erin, sound asleep on her lap.
“Hey Deb?” she called softly, and a second later Deb poked her head back out of the office. “Could you grab the spare car seat from the back room? I’m gonna take her home.”

Lauren stood at the bathroom sink, letting the water run until it turned warm. Once it reached the right temperature, she grabbed a washcloth from a pile of folded towels in the corner and held it under the faucet, gently wringing it out before she turned off the water and walked back out to the living room.
Erin was sitting up muscle flex in the side of his jaw7 shoulder on the couch, her eyes half closed, and Lauren knelt in front of her, wiping her mouth with the warm cloth. She felt Erin lean into her touch.
“Better, sweetheart?” she asked, and Erin nodded.
The poor thing had nothing left to throw up. Lauren had to pull over once during the drive to Michael’s, but Erin had just retched out the door, producing nothing. Then again, once they’d gotten home, Lauren had rushed to bring her the trash can, only to have her heave over it to no avail. Lauren was giving her tiny sips of water, but she dared not risk anything more than that.
“I’m sleepy,” Erin mumbled, and Lauren wiped her cheeks and forehead with the rag.
“I know. How about we try to lie down?”
“‘Kay,” Erin sighed, falling over the side, and Lauren grabbed a pillow and placed it under her head just in time.
“The trash can is right here, okay?” she said, moving it close to the couch.
“Are you leaving?” Erin asked, a touch of panic in her voice.
“Of course not,” Lauren said, sitting on the couch beside her and placing her hand on Erin’s leg. “I’ll be right here with you until Daddy comes home.”