5. Lucy
5
lucy
While I thought food from Sunny Bird was incredible last night, the next morning, my entire body protested at the thought of ever eating pasta again. I spent the majority of my morning in the bathroom, slumped by the toilet, and it took me quite some time to gather the strength to stand back up.
Luke knocked on the door a few times, offering his help, but I assured him the best thing he could do was give me some space. He reluctantly agreed and settled in the living room, waiting for me to come out.
By the time I got there, he had already set some of the essentials in the room—a cup of chamomile tea, a heat pack for my stomach, a warm, fuzzy blanket draped over the couch, and a Christmas movie playing softly on the TV.
I let out a small groan as I shuffled to the couch, where he greeted me with open arms.
“You don’t look too good, sweetheart,” he said gently, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. I melted into his embrace, too weak to move anywhere else. “Should I call Landon to come check on you?”
“No, it will get better. I’ll be fine,” I reassured him. While Landon was a doctor and dealt with far worse things daily, the last thing I wanted was for him to see me in this state. “If it doesn’t pass in a day or two, then I’ll reach out to Landon for help. Deal?”
He nodded, guiding me gently to the couch. There was one thing that made the day more bearable—my Advent calendar. As I sank into the blanket’s warmth, I made a mental note to steal his idea for next year. Everyone should experience a love like this at least once in their lifetime, and I was determined to make it happen for him, too.
Today’s slot in the Advent calendar was lighter than expected. I was anticipating another reservation, something we could perhaps hold off on until I was fully recovered. Instead, I found a tiny note in Luke’s chicken handwriting. It read, ‘go to the librati.’
I squinted at the note, trying to make sense of what a ‘ librati ’ could be. It was a term Luke had never mentioned before—was it a new store or a restaurant? My mind raced, but I couldn’t come up with anything.
“Luke…why don’t you take me to this librati ?” I asked.
Luke took the card from my hand, inspecting the words with a bemused expression. “Luce, it says ‘library,’” he said flatly. “Go to the library .”
“Oh…” I pressed my lips into a thin line, offering him an apologetic smile. In my defense, his handwriting was so narrow it was hard to read. Landon might be the family’s doctor, but Luke had a doctor’s handwriting. “Sorry. That was my bad.”
I flashed him a smile before standing up and heading into the library. My sickness was pushed to the back of my mind for a few moments of excitement. The moment I opened the door, my gaze was immediately drawn to the new rolling library ladder.
My mouth gaped open in sheer belief. I had mentioned a few times that I wanted one, given the size of our shelves, and Luke promised that he would make me one…but I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly—not with all the work he had been doing around the house. This certainly wasn’t on the list of priorities, or at least, I hadn’t thought it was.
For a moment, my stomach issues were forgotten. I turned toward him and pulled him into a tight hug, my heart pounding with so much love it felt like it might burst.
“I can’t believe you did this. Oh, my God. When did you even find the time…” I trailed off, overwhelmed, as he placed a gentle kiss on my temple.
“It’s been a secret project I’ve been working on for a while. You spend a lot of time here, so I wanted it to be perfect for you. Go on,” he said with a playful tap on my ass. “Try it out before I take you back to the living room.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. A few long strides brought me to the rolling ladder, and I climbed onto it, letting it glide smoothly across the sleek floor. The motion felt absolutely glorious—I could hardly believe I finally had my own rolling ladder.
“Thank you. Seriously. I don’t even know…” I shook my head as I hopped off the ladder. “I don’t even know what I did to deserve all this…”
“You didn’t have to do anything, sweetheart. Your existence has always been enough,” he said. I wanted to kiss him, but the sudden wave of nausea reminded me why that might not be the best idea, so I held back. Instead, I took his hand and headed back into the living room, eager to spend a little more time snuggled up with him before he had to leave for work.
I had hoped the sickness would have eased by the next morning, but it hadn’t. It looked like yesterday would repeat itself—I’d spend most of my day glued to either the couch or the toilet. Luke wanted to stay with me to take care of me, but I insisted he go to work. It was best for him to focus on his job while I concentrated on getting better in peace without him witnessing me at my grossest.
By the time he got home, I had managed to shower and wash my hair, though I didn’t have the energy to go through my full curly hair routine.
“Hey, sweetheart.” His voice echoed through the house as he unlocked the front door. “Are you feeling any better?”
Luke required regular updates throughout the day, and it had been an hour since my last one. My condition hadn’t changed drastically—I was still sprawled out on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, with a cup of lukewarm tea on the coffee table.
“I’m okay. I feel…slightly better,” I said as he walked into the living room. How he managed to look so good while I felt so awful was beyond me. He wore black jeans, a white shirt, and a leather jacket, with his brown hair slicked back. Everything about him made me want to rip his clothes off and jump on him right there and then.
“I’m glad to hear it. You look a little better, too.” He set down a tote bag he had been carrying. A scent spread through the room—one that instantly piqued my interest in the best way possible.
“What do you have over there?”
“I brought you some soup,” Luke replied. “Eve insisted I stop by on my way home and bring you some of the pumpkin soup she made.”
They weren’t joking when they said mothers knew best. Pumpkin soup sounded like the perfect remedy, especially when Luke heated it up and brought it to me, along with a water bottle to keep me hydrated. By the time I finished the comforting meal and took in some much-needed hydration, I felt significantly better.
Luke gestured toward the Advent calendar. “You haven’t opened today’s slot,” he pointed out. “Did you want to do it now?”
“I do, but if it’s another date somewhere, I will have to request a rain check. I hope you won’t mind…”
“You’re in luck, then, because it is not another date. In fact, it’s something I think you may find useful…” Without any further prompting on his end, I reached for the fourth slot and opened it up. Again, it was a note from Luke, though this time I could read the letters much more easily— ‘a spa date at home.’
I smiled up at him. “As long as you don’t mind that I have been sick the whole day…”
“You think a little bit of vomit will stop me from having a good time?” He shook his head. “You better think again.” He stood up, his expression determined. “I will, however, need a few minutes to sort everything out before I come back to take you for your date. Will you be okay being on your own for a few more minutes?”
With a light shove against his shoulder, I pushed him away playfully, signaling that it was fine. “I spent the whole day on my own. Go, I’ll survive a few more minutes,” I reassured him.
Luke practically vanished after that—whatever he had planned took up all his attention and determination. When he reappeared about ten minutes later, he was shirtless, only in his pants. Despite my sickness, I couldn’t help but be distracted by his effortlessly attractive appearance.
“Come on. Let’s get you to the bathroom,” Luke said gently, approaching me and scooping me up from the couch.
“Real romantic,” I murmured into his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck to hold him close. He smiled but refrained from saying anything as we headed into the guest bathroom—the only bathroom in our home with a bathtub.
As we stepped inside, I was met with a sight that took me completely by surprise. The bathtub was filled with soapy water, and the air was infused with a soft lavender scent. The room was dimly lit, with candles flickering softly around the tub. I hadn’t expected this level of care and thoughtfulness, especially given how I’d been feeling.
“Luke…” I started. He always managed to know what I needed when I needed it.
He didn’t respond, focusing solely on me as he carefully set me down. He began undressing me with deliberate tenderness, starting with the oversized sweatshirt I had borrowed from him, then the sweatpants. As he removed each layer of clothing, the brush of his fingers against my skin made me shiver, igniting a deep, aching need for him.
Once he had undressed me, he helped me step into the bath. I had wanted to take a bath earlier but didn’t have the energy, so this felt like the perfect gift. The warm water enveloped me, soothing my muscles and relaxing every fiber of my being as I leaned back and closed my eyes.
“A date requires two people to participate, you know. You should join me…”
“That was originally the plan,” he explained as he picked up a washcloth and gently dragged it across my skin. That soothed me even more. “But I am participating in my way. I want to take care of you, to make you feel good, and judging by the expression on your face right now, I’m doing a good job…”
A small exhale left my lips. Luke paid attention to every inch of my body, caressing it with the washcloth until he was all done cleaning me up, and helped me step out of the bath again. I didn’t know what he had put in the bath, but I could swear I felt even better. Maybe it was the combination with the pumpkin soup—I couldn’t tell.
He helped dry me off with a towel and then guided me into our bedroom. A smile tugged at my lips.
“I know I said I’m feeling better, but I’m not feeling this better,” I teased, still wrapped in nothing but a towel, as I gestured toward the bed.
Luke laughed, retrieving a moisturizing cream I hadn’t seen before.
“Don’t worry, that’s not what I have in mind. At least…not yet,” he joked. I gestured toward the cream he was holding.
“Where did you get that from?” I asked, intrigued. The vanilla scent was inviting, and it looked like it was from a high-end brand.
“I picked it up specifically for moments like this. I went out to get it before I came home. Now, lie down so I can keep taking care of you.”
I did so without any more protest. When I lay on the soft, freshly washed sheets of our bed—courtesy of Luke this morning—he gently flipped me onto my stomach and positioned himself carefully on top of me, making sure not to put any of his weight on me.
His strong hands glided over my body, applying just the right amount of pressure to ease every knot that had formed from stress. The sensation was incredible, making my mind relax and melt under his touch. I had no idea where he had learned to give such a perfect massage, but I was grateful for it. He seemed to hit every right spot, touching me just the way I needed. I didn’t want him to stop. Small moments like this were certainly something I saw myself getting used to by his side.