Cheryl inwardly sighed as she awoke to darkness and shifted slightly closer to Simon, closing the small gap that had formed between them whilst they slept, and cuddled in further to his warmth and nuzzling her head into his chest. She heard a faint cry over Simon's heavy breathing and re-opened her eyes against their will, wondering if that had been the cause of her waking up. She lightly turned her head to face the direction of her bedroom door and listened more intently, she groaned quietly out of tiredness as she heard Caden shouting her name and attempted to wriggle free of Simon's tight grasp around her body. She lightly pushed his shoulder in a weak attempt to wake him before shoving him a little harder, resulting in him grunting a little and nuzzling his head further into the pillow.
'Simon.' Cheryl said whilst pushing him again, this time watching in the darkness as he shuffled and loosened his grip on her slightly,
'Mmm?' He mumbled,
'Let us go, Caden's awake.' Cheryl ordered before proceeding to unlock his arms from around her and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and sitting up slowly, raising a hand to her head as she tried to adjust to the darkness.
'What time is it? It feels like I've only just gone to sleep.' Simon muttered as he buried himself further underneath the covers,
'I don't know.' She told him through a stifled yawn and was almost sure he didn't understand what she said but didn't have the energy to repeat it. Cheryl heard Caden call out once more and rose from the bed, folding her arms across the oversized t-shirt she'd slid on over pyjama bottoms only hours previously and made her way into Caden's bedroom. She gently pushed the door open and smiled through her tiredness at Caden who was sitting up in his bed, his thumb firmly in his mouth as he made small whining noises.
'What's up babe?' Cheryl asked and watched as he raised his arms up to her before making her way over to him and sitting next to him, leaning towards him and gently using the pad of her thumb to wipe at the tears that had streaked down his already dampened cheeks. Caden uncurled himself from his covers and crawled on to her lap and wrapped an arm around her as he cuddled into her chest, his tears beginning to stream as Cheryl lifted him up against her and attempted to comfort him. As his cries turned into snuffles, she carefully leant him backwards so she could see him and she uncontrollably smiled as he took her hand tightly in his.
'What's the matter?' She questioned again before placing a soft kiss on his forehead and focusing on him,
'Me tummy hurts,' He told her with a sniffle and she nodded her head to show her understanding before resting a hand on his tummy, the other remaining tightly clasped in his,
'Anywhere else?' Cheryl asked before bringing his small hand up to her face and kissing it lightly, making him giggle through his tears,
'Head,' He mumbled and tried to shuffle back closer to her, she put her hand out against him to keep him from manoeuvring himself any further and lifted her hand to his forehead, deciphering if he had a high temperature or not. He let out another small whimper as she stroked her hand through his hair,
'Ok baby, you wait here and I'll get you some medicine to make you better.' Cheryl told him as she lifted him off her and replaced him back into his bed as she stood up, his eyes glazed over with tears and he made a small squealing noise. Cheryl stopped from walking away and bit her lip slightly, 'what do you want?' She asked him and he raised his arms again and began to roll back his duvet to get out,
'Mammy cuddle' Caden told her as he jumped off his bed and rested his arms around the tops of her legs, Cheryl sighed softly and leant down, scooping him up into her arms and balancing him on her side, too tired to argue.
'Wait with Simon so I can get you some medicine then yeah?' She suggested as she carried him back into her bedroom and over to the bed where Simon was observing her from in the darkness before leaning down and flicking on a bedside lamp, squinting at the sudden brightness. She stood Caden on the bed and wrapped an arm around him as he leant forwards onto her, 'he's not feeling well Simon, watch him for a minute while I get him calpol.' She told him and Simon mumbled an incoherent answer that she took for a yes. Cheryl unwrapped her arm from around Caden's middle and made to step back and sighed softly as he began to cry, Simon reached out for him and winced as he pulled out of the way of his grasp and sat down to climb off the bed. Cheryl stopped harshly by the door as she felt Caden crash into her,
'Babes, come on.' She told him as she grasped him into her arms and replaced him on the bed, this time closer to Simon than previously and Simon gently placed an arm in front of him as he opened one eye.
'No!' Caden shouted as he went to follow Cheryl but Simon playfully pulled him backwards on to him and scrunched his face up in confusion as his cries grew louder. Cheryl cringed slightly as his sudden cry rang through her,
'Simon be careful, he's already not well.' Simon rolled his eyes playfully as he enclosed Caden into his arms,
'Cheryl he's fine, he's a boy. Boys like to be thrown around.' He replied, sitting up against the headboard now fully awake as Caden squirmed against his grip. Cheryl frowned lightly before disappearing out of sight; Simon stared upwards at Caden who was remaining to attempt to clamber away and shook his head slightly in amusement. 'Do you not like me anymore?' He joked and Caden stood still on the bed and faced Simon as he wiped at his teary eyes with the sleeve of his pyjama top and nodded his head,
'Aye but mammy...' Caden told him and pointed towards the bedroom door and Simon nodded back,
'Yes, mummy's coming back. Do I get a hug?' Simon asked and let go of Caden with one hand and opened his arm outwards and grinned uncontrollably as he fell into him and rested his head on his shoulder as Simon comfortingly stroked his back. Feeling his own eyes closing he emitted a sigh, knowing he couldn't sleep again yet and jerked suddenly back to reality as Caden frantically released his grip from Simon and treaded to the edge of the bed when he became aware of Cheryl re-entering the bedroom, shaking the bottle of calpol in her left hand.
'Mammy' He moaned as the tears began to gradually fall again and he opened his arms out for Cheryl to hold him, Cheryl used her spare arm to sit him down on the bed, allowing his legs to dangle over the edge and sat next to him, opening the bottle and pouring some on a spoon. She aimed it towards his mouth,
'Open.' She demanded and he shook his head at her, tightening his lips together. Cheryl raised her eyebrows at him in annoyance, 'Caden.' She stated and he quickly opened his mouth at her no nonsense tone and swallowed the medicine. 'Come on then, back to bed sweetie,' she told him and stood up, holding her arms out ready to take him.
'Mammy no.' He cried and flung himself down on the bed as Cheryl frustratedly sighed, 'I want to stay here with you,' Cheryl seated herself back on the bed, running a hand through her hair and groaning slightly as Caden crawled on to her.
'Caden why are you being such a ...' She asked without pre-thinking and quickly trailed off as Simon sniggered and sank down under the bed covers. Caden stared up at her with glassy eyes and a small frown adorning his features,
'A what mammy?' He questioned and she let out a small laugh and shuffled them both up the bed,
'Nothing baby, go to sleep.' Cheryl signalled for him to roll off her and lay next to her by tapping the space in the bed next to her, turning the light off as he snuggled in against her before kissing the top of his head and wrapping a protective arm across his small body. Cheryl listened into the darkness as she softly stroked Caden's arm and kept her spare hand linked with Simon's,
'Do you want me to take him back into his room?' She heard Simon whisper through the darkness and she glanced sideways towards when Caden had stretched out away from her in his sleep and was sniffling slightly.
'Yeah.' She muttered back, ensuring she didn't wake him and emitting a soft yawn.
