Just Hold Me

Chapter: 10

I wasn't able to get up this morning.

When I went to take a shower, but instead ended up bringing a box of tissues and an extra blanket with me.

My nose is super red, my eyes are flushed, and it's so cold.

I don't know what happened. I was perfectly fine last night.

Almost. I kept coughing.

So now my throat hurts as well.

I was asleep when mom came in my bedroom.

"Emily?" she says quietly. "Are you okay?"

I groan quietly at an attempt of getting out a yes.

"You're sick?" she asks, resting a hand on my forehead. "You have a fever."

I pull away. "I'm fine," I mutter.

"What are you feeling?" she asks me.

"Nothing," I say harshly.

She removes some of the used tissues from my bed. "I'll be right back with some soup."

"No," I say, trying to sit up. "I'm fine, mom. Seriously."

She looks at me sadly. "Just let me take care of you," she says. "It's been so long." She waits a while. "What are you feeling?" she asks again.

"My throat hurts," I say after a while. "It hurts to do anything. And it's cold."

She nods. "It's probably the flu. I'll be back with your soup.

I'm too tired to argue right now. I lay my head back down and am back to sleep in an instant.

When mom came back, she was holding a tray. There was a bowl of soup, some medicine, a cup of tea, and a water bottle.

I remember when she would give that to me when I was little.

But she doesn't want that any more. She wouldn't have given me away if she did.

"Here you go," she says softly. "I brought you some tea for your throat and medicine for your cold. Although I'm pretty sure it's the flu."

I don't say anything.

She removes the hair off my face. "I have a day off today and the girls are with Jonathan. It'll just me you and me."

I look at the soup for a while, wanting to cry.

How does she know my favorite soup? This was all a long time ago. She shut me out after a while. Making me feel more alone than ever.

"I wouldn't eat it right away either," she says. "It's still hot."

I look at her.

Her face was red. Her eyes starting to water. Lips slightly quivering. "I wanted to..." she trails off, choking back a sob.

I look back down at my food and shake my head. "You don't have to talk," I tell her.

It wasn't mean. It's the truth. There is no point in talking if we don't have to.

She looks at me, her eyes pleading. "You can't hear me out?"

Slowly, I drink some of the tea. "It's not bad. It tastes weird."

She smiles kindly. "I don't think they have tea in New York, do they?"

I shake my head. "I get the one from McDonald's. With extra sugar."

She laughs quietly before it quickly does down. "What are you doing after high school?"

I lean my head back. "I'm thinking about going to modeling school. But I don't think I should."