Love isn't easy

Chapter 15: October 2019

October 2019

"Achoo!"

Lisa's loud sneeze startles the nine-week-old baby boy currently nursing in Roseanne's arms. He stops feeding and jolts against Roseanne's chest blinking heavily, looking at her confused.

"It's okay. Your momma is just really loud when she shouldn't be sometimes."

Roseanne gently kisses his head and the baby, satisfied with the answer, goes back to eating.

"Momma is loud."

Two-and-a-half-year-old Annie giggles with a milk-filled bottle still in her mouth as she lies next to Roseanne playing with the baby's feet. Roseanne chuckles because she is well aware that Annie has no idea Roseanne wasn't exactly referring to Lisa's sneezes when she said that.

Annie and Coraline had woken up close to an hour ago and as it usually happens in the mornings, they'd transferred from their rooms to the big bed. Coraline - soon to be four - enjoys her last few days before preschool starts by laying next to Annie and giving her undivided attention to the bright colors dancing around the television while she chugs down her breakfast bottle.

It's just before 7:30 AM and even though Lisa is supposed to be on leave from work because of the newborn, she got a call from Nicholas the night before begging her to come in. They desperately need her brain for at least a day to go over files of a case they can't seem to piece together. Lisa brought up the possibility to Roseanne who consented to Lisa going even though it would mean her first day alone with three kids came much sooner than she expected. Roseanne is not convinced she's ready for that just yet, but Lisa promised it would just be a few hours and, as it tends to happen, in the end, Roseanne gave in.

Lisa walks out of the bathroom in the khaki slacks that according to Roseanne "make her ass look fantastic" and a grey button-down shirt with the top buttons still undone. Roseanne immediately noticed that something was wrong with her wife. She's a little too pale and she seemed...off.

Lisa walks into the closet looking for a blazer to go with her pants.

"Achoo!"

Lisa startles Mattheo again. He doesn't look expressly jubilant at all to have his meal continuously interrupted. Roseanne runs her hand up and down his tiny body trying to soothe him. Lisa walks out of the closet and over to her dresser where she starts to stuff her pockets with all the things she needs.

"Babe, you okay?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Come here."

Lisa knots her brow and looks at her confused.

"Why?"

"Come here, Lili."

Lisa walks over to the bed and simply stands by it feet away from where Roseanne sits with the baby.

"Closer, Lisa."

Lisa finally bends down to Roseanne's height. Roseanne examines her face closely and then places her hand on Lisa's forehead and neck.

"I knew you felt warm last night. You're sick."

"I'm not."

Lisa stubbornly dismisses the notion as she walks away and back to getting ready.

"Lisa, you have a fever. It's not high, but you still have one."

"Nonsense. The sneezing is just allergies."

"You're not allergic to anything. Call Nicholas. Tell him you can't come."

"They need me there."

"You're going to make it worse. Get back in bed and I'll go get you some meds."