Next-Door Neighbour

Chapter 16: I'm sick

Valentina.

My head hurts and my body too. I hear noises around me. I can't tell where they are coming from. I hear muffled voices around me. Someone is talking, but I can't make what they are saying. Is someone in my room? Where am I?

Two hands appear on me, they cover me with the blankets. The blankets are soft and cosy. My body is covered in goosebumps. But I feel better now. I feel those warm hands on my forehead, they are patting my head. It's a soft rhythmic tap that instantly put me back to sleep.

***

My eyelids are heavier than usual. It takes me a few blinks to be able to see properly. I don't recognize where I am. I'm in Caleb's room! When did I land here? Events of last night flash in front of my eyes. Right! I fell sick!

Caleb's mom is asleep beside me on the armchair. She is in a deep sleep. Snores escape from her now and then. Her petite figure is resting in a calm posture on that chair. I can't see her face because her neck hangs loosely on her shoulders. Why is she sleeping here? For me? If I am sleeping here where is Caleb?

I try to locate Caleb but he is nowhere. I look down at myself, I'm still wearing the same dress I wore at the dinner. There must be at least four blankets on top of me. My throat feels dry, I look for a bottle of water but I can't find one.

If I were in my room. I would first take a long hot shower, changed into some fresh clothes, checked my temperature, made some soup for myself, took tablets and would go back to sleep until I was completely fine. That's how I took care of myself when I was sick all these years.

But this situation was different. I was still in dirty clothes, didn't know my temperature, my throat was itchy and my boyfriend's mom was sleeping beside me. I spot the thermometer beside her, kept in the tray beside a pot of water and wet cloth. I lean to get hold of the thermometer without having to get up from the bed.

"Valentina, dear," Comes rasped voice of Caleb's mom.

I stumble upon the pot and drop the thermometer in the water. His mom immediately gets hold of the thermometer and takes it out of the water.

She yawns before she speaks, "Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay." I give her a weak smile. It is awkward as it is. "I just wanted to check my temperature."

"Oh, honey. You should've woken me up." She says and puts the thermometer in my mouth. "How do you feel?" She asks. I nod affirmatively. We wait for the thermometer to make the 'beep' sound. I look at her and she is looking at me with concern. I still don't understand why did she have to stay by my side all this time.

"Not bad," She says after taking out the thermometer, "You still have the fever though," She looks at me.

"You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine after a good sleep." I say and she smiles.

"Well, I agree with that," She nods and puts back the thermometer in the tray. "Are you hungry?"

I nod hesitantly. She gives me another smile. Ten minutes later she is back in the room with another tray—a bowl of soup, a glass of water and tablets. I extend my hands to take it from her but she refuses. She insists that she feeds me while I am lying on the bed.

This woman that is sitting in front of me had put me to sleep when I fell sick on their dining table. Slept on the chair beside me the whole night, while I slept on her son's bed. She made soup for me at three in the morning. And now she was feeding me like I was her child. Why would anyone ever do that? That too, for a stranger? I was not completely a stranger to her but we had only met a few hours ago.