𝖛𝖎𝖈𝖎𝖔𝖚𝖘 ↠ sweet pea [2]

|| THIRTY-NINE ||

"Hey," Lauryn said softly as Sweet Pea's eyes fluttered open. He smiled slightly, barely awake but knowing the sound of her voice anywhere. She was stroking his head as he napped on the couch, planting soft kisses on his temple down to his cheek. "I made Mac and cheese. Want some?"

"Mm," he hummed back, which was hard for her to take as a yes or no. She pulled the blanket up to over his shoulders, rubbing his back gently before kissing him a final time.

"I'll keep some in the microwave for you to heat up, baby, okay?" Lauryn told him, as she got up off of the floor. She looked at her fiancé who'd fallen asleep again already, which made her smile.

She loved him and their daughter more than anything in the world, and though things seemed grim and she felt to be the cause, looking at them told her everything was going to be okay, one way or another.

When she was sitting at the table scrolling through her phone, a cry came from Courtney's room. She got up, pushing the chair in before going to her daughter.

"What's the matter, huh?" she asked sweetly, picking the infant up and cradling her. The baby stopped crying once Lauryn had picked her up, but was still whimpering. "Nightmare, baby? Yeah, I know. Mommy gets them, too, sometimes."

The little baby glanced up at her, her little eyes wet and shiny, but she smiled gummily as if to admire her mother. 

"Yeah, it's okay, sweetie. Mommy's here," Lauryn comforted, holding her upright just over her shoulder. "I got you."

"Morning, Angel Face," Sweet Pea greeted groggily as he joined the girls. Lauryn giggled, thinking he was kidding.

"It's evening, Pea," she reminded him, and he glanced out the window confusedly. "You've been asleep a few hours. I told the others we'd hang out another time. Figured you'd need to rest after what happened."

"Oh." He rubbed his aching head, screwing his eyes shut as the blood in his head pulsed rapidly.

"You okay?" Lauryn asked, taking his hand so he'd have some stability. She tried to make sense of what didn't feel right in that moment. "Go lie back down."

"I'm fine. Still shaken up after earlier, I guess," he said, shrugging. His ankle was stiff, and his right side hurt with every step. 

Lauryn studied him with uneasiness, noticing how he was trying to hide his pain, something she knew him relatively well for. "I still think you should go to the hospital, Sweet Pea."

He just shook his head. "It's pointless. I'm fine. Knowing them, they'll probably rack up another ridiculous medical bill."

"At least we'll know if you're okay," Angel Face said, her fingers clutching his scratched forearm.

"I am okay." Sweet Pea insisted for a final time, hiding the graze with his other hand. "How are you doing, though?"

"I'm feeling better," she nodded. "Really. I think just not having Rich around anymore is enough to, at least, give me a little closure."

"That's good." He kissed her on the cheek lightly. "They'll get him, someone will, for sure. He can't run forever."

"I hope you're right. I've been a little scared of leaving Courtney alone in her room, knowing he's out there. He's not done with us, I know it," Lauryn said, dread coating her voice. Her fiancé pulled her and his daughter into his arms, hoping to give her some kind of reassurance.

"I've got you. We can move Courtney's crib into our room if you want," he offered, Lauryn's wide eyes meeting his thankfully. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, caressing her pretty face with a kiss on her nose. "Anything for you. I love you."