Growing Up |TAYVIN (Sequel To AWRFT) *discontinued*

35. Behind My Back

*Taylor's POV*

"Good Morning, honey. How are you feeling?", I whisper, as Ellie stretches out beside me and opens her eyes.

I had been awake for hours, just watching my family as they slept beside me, thinking about anything and everything.

"I feel yucky, Mommy", Ellie whimpers, scooting closer to me and shaking her head.

"My poor baby. Why don't we just stay in bed and watch movies today, as soon as Daddy and the boys wake up", I coo, kissing the top of my daughter's head and wrapping my arms around her body, which was shivering.

"Mommy?", Ellie asks, looking up at me with panic in her eyes.

"What is it, El?", I ask, sitting up in the bed and pulling her up beside me, trying not to wake anybody else.

"I'm going to puke", she whispers.

The words hit my ears in a matter of milliseconds, and I leap off the bed, picking Ellie up from underneath her armpits, and run towards the master bathroom.

Just as I kick the door open, Ellie turns her head away from my body and empties the contents of her stomach onto the bathroom floor, narrowly missing the toilet, and our pyjamas, by only a few inches.

"I-I didn't m-mean to it just-", Ellie starts rambling, but her breathing starts to become less regular, and she is unable to finish the sentence.

"It's okay, bubba. Accidents like this happen when people are sick. You're not in any trouble", I say reassuringly, moving her onto my hip and stepping around the vomit, to make my way out of the bathroom.

She rests her head on my shoulder and starts crying silently, the tears dampening my pyjama shirt, as we walk through the bedroom and out the door, making our way downstairs.

"Are you okay?", I ask, kissing Ellie's forehead repeatedly as I carry her into the kitchen, placing her on the island countertop to get my breath back.

Carrying a seven year old down a flight of stairs when you're six months pregnant is not an easy task.

"It hurts", she sobs, leaning forward and almost falling off the countertop, head first.
I reach for her just in time, and she collapses against me, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Mommy is going to take care of you and make sure that you get better, okay?", I mutter, kissing the top of her head -which was now slightly damp from the thin layer of sweat that had formed on her body- and receiving a weak nod from Ellie in response.

"Do you want to take a bath and get some nice clean pyjamas on, Ellie-bug?", I ask, pulling away from her and cradling her cheeks in my hands.

"It's too early, Mommy. C-cuddles for j-just a little b-bit", she stutters, leaning against me again.

I sigh and nod, grabbing the hair tie that I had on my wrist, and tying her hair back in a ponytail, out of her face.

"Do you want to watch something on TV?", I whisper, picking her up once more and carrying her to the living room.
I sit her down on one of the couches and she starts to whine, almost immediately.

"No, Mommy. Don't leave me", she sobs, her bottom lip quivering as she looks up at me with watery eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, Ellie. I was just going to get you a glass of water from the kitchen", I say, frowning a little, as I lean over and kiss her temple.

"No, I don't want water. I just want you, Mommy", she cries, taking the opportunity to wrap her arms around my neck and to pull me towards her.

I sit down beside my baby, who is visibly very upset, and wrap an arm around her.