Chapter 16 Piper
PIPER
The days leading up to Saturday seemed to fly by. As much as I didn’t want to fully admit to myself, deep down, I knew I was excited for Rock to come by.
The moment he walked in the door, Gavin’s eyes lit up, and it completely warmed my heart. Within seconds they were running around the living room playing tag. I watched from the couch and smiled at how much fun they were having.
“You can’t catch me, Rock!” Gavin exclaimed.
“We’ll see about that,” Rock said as he quickly chased him out of the room. I was about to follow them to watch their antics, when my cell phone rang.
“Hello?” I asked as I picked up my phone.
“Hi, Miss Piper.”
I heard my babysitter sniffle before a round of three sneezes left her lips.
“Don’t tell me you’re sick,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Miss Piper. I thought if I slept through the day I could fight it off, but now I’m running a fever. I can’t watch Gavin tonight. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. What are your symptoms?” I asked.
“Runny nose. Aching eyes. My shoulders hurt. My fever just tipped over one hundred and one.”
“Does your neck hurt as well?”
“Only when I move it side to side.”
“Okay, the first thing you need to do is get to a doctor. Go to the hospital’s emergency room. I’ll see you when I get into work. It sounds like strep, so you’ll need a culture and a quick round of antibiotics to help. Is your mucus any specific color?” I asked.
“It’s really green.”
“That’s not good. That could also indicate a sinus infection. Either way, you shouldn’t let it go overnight.”
“Is everything okay?”
I turned at the sound of Rock’s voice before I held up my finger.
“I’m really sorry, Miss Piper.”
“Don’t be sorry. I’ll find someone to watch Gavin. But I want your butt in the emergency room by the time I get there,” I said. “I’ll make sure you’re seen promptly so we can get you the medicine you need.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. See you in an hour.”
I hung up the phone and sighed as I closed my eyes.
I hated the fact that my babysitter was sick, but that meant I didn’t have anyone to watch Gavin for the shift I’d been called in on.
I was supposed to have Saturday off, but the other E.R.
doctor called and asked for a favor. So, I switched shifts with him.
Which meant I needed someone who would stay the night with Gavin.
Someone I trusted.
“Who was that?” Rock asked as he walked back into the living room.
“My babysitter,” I said. “I found one I really liked, but she’s sick. I think she’s got strep, but it could also be a sinus infection. Either way, she can’t watch Gavin tonight while I work.”
“Couldn't find anyone to take over your shift?”
“The doctor who would have taken over my shift was the one that threw this shift at me,” I said.
“Rock, you coming!?” Gavin exclaimed.
“Hold on a second, buddy. Let me talk to your mother for a second,” he said.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do. I guess I could take Gavin and he could sleep in one of the bunk beds the hospital has,” I said.
“Or I could watch him.”
I turned my gaze over to Rock as he stood there in the middle of my living room.
“No. You can’t do that. Supervised visits, remember?” I asked.
“But the other option is taking Gavin to a place where you can’t watch him all the time. Look, it’s almost dinner time. Then it’ll be bedtime. He’ll go down around, what, eight? Nine? Then it’s just me hanging out on your couch and sleeping until you get back,” Rock said.
“I don’t know about that,” I said. “I don’t feel comfortable with that.”
“Why not?” Rock asked. “We’ve been playing all afternoon. You’ve seen how good I am with him.”
“It’s not that,” I said as I shot him a look.
He came over to me and rubbed his hands up and down my arms.
“Nothing’s gonna happen to that boy overnight,” he said. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“He’s got a group playdate in the morning I promised him he could go to,” Piper said.
“Then I’ll take him. That’s not an issue. Where is it?”
“Redding Park. It starts at nine.”
“Are you not going to be home by then?” I asked.
“Anything can happen in an emergency room, Rock. My shift is from nine to nine, but if I get caught up in something, there’s a good chance I could work until lunch the next damn day.”
“Rock!” Gavin exclaimed.
“Just a few more minutes, buddy. Promise!” Rock called back.
“I’ll take him to the playdate and we’ll have a ton of fun. I’ll even take him out for lunch so you can come home and crash without him running underneath your feet. I’ll entertain him tomorrow so you can sleep, then once you wake up, I’m gone.”
“So now you’re bartering for more than just the night,” I said.
“Piper, you need help. And I’m sorry, but no babysitter’s gonna give you that kind of secondary support. You’re tired now, but you’ll be exhausted tomorrow. Let me do this for you. Give me the fucking chance to prove to you I can be this for you.”
“Rock, come on!” Gavin said.
“Boy, if you don’t get outside and play by yourself until I’m done talking with your--”
I clamped down onto my jaw before anything else flew out of my mouth. My son’s eyes widened as tears filled them and guilt rattled my bones. I sighed and closed my eyes as exhaustion hunched my shoulders, and soon I heard Rock talking lowly to my son.
“What did I do?” Gavin asked.
“You’re not listening, buddy. I told you I’d be out here in a second, and the more you interrupt the longer it takes me to talk with your mom,” Rock said.
“But I want to play.”
“We’ve been playing all afternoon. You can give me a few minutes with your mom to talk about some things. And if you play your cards right, we might have more time to play tonight and tomorrow as well.”
“Really!?” Gavin asked.
“But you have to listen,” Rock said. “Which means you have to play until I’m done talking with Momma.”
I put my face in my hands and I knew I had no other choice.
I needed to take a nap before this shift and I needed someone to stay with my child.
I had no one else but Rock. I knew I would worry myself sick during my entire shift, but I had no other choice.
Taking Gavin to the hospital would be a disaster waiting to unfold.
The daycare there is usually closed in the evening, so he would be stuck hanging out by himself.
He’d pick up something or run up and down the hallways or lose himself in the corridors of the facility.
I sighed as I lifted my face up from my hands and came face to face with Rock.
“I’m a terrible mother,” I said.
“You’re a tired mother, there’s a difference. Just let me help, Piper.”
“Okay,” I said.
I watched Rock’s eyebrows shoot up as I drew in a deep breath.
“You can watch Gavin. But you do it here. No taking rides anywhere else. If I’m not back here by eight thirty to take him to Redding Park, he’s supposed to be there at nine for a group playdate with some kids his age. I’m trying to help facilitate him making friends.”
“If we go to Redding Park, I’m taking him to lunch after, okay?” he asked.
“Fine. That’s fine. I need to go lay down. My body feels so heavy I can hardly move.”
“Then come on, Momma. Let’s get you some sleep.”
I felt Rock’s hands fall to my shoulders before he turned me around.
He guided me down the hallway and up the steps before he reached down and opened my bedroom door.
The darkness was comforting, and I fell into bed as Rock’s hands tried to make me comfortable.
He took off my shoes and socks and slid my pants off, then tucked the comforter all the way up to my chin before kissing my forehead.
“If you aren’t awake already, I’ll come jostle you around eight,” he said into my ear.
And the last thing I remembered was him closing my door and taking off down the hallway.