Seventeen | Lyric
Seventeen
Lyric
The first two weeks of working from home and caring for the goats were more challenging than I expected.
While I did my best to find ways to balance working and caring for Chloe, I struggled so much that Cole’s mom came over every day to help.
I hated that I felt like a failure for not being able to manage everything at once, but I also hadn’t ever been in a position where I had to try to multitask so much.
The night had flown by, and the kids were already in bed as I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop in front of me while I attempted to figure out how to modify my schedule.
It wasn’t ideal, but I could switch a few things around and work in the evenings when Cole and the older kids were home.
That way, I had more time to spend with Chloe during the day.
I tapped the pencil against the table, noting all of the meetings I had scheduled that I couldn’t get out of. Even if I switched the majority of my work to the evenings, that didn’t solve the issue of the constant meetings that could only be held during the day.
I hadn’t noticed how furrowed my brows were until I caught Cole looking at me with a concerned look on his face as he walked into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.
“Still trying to figure it out?” he asked softly, leaning against the counter as he took a sip.
I tossed the pencil to the table and leaned back in the chair as I closed my eyes and exhaled deeply.
“Yep. I don’t know that I’m ever going to figure out something that works. I moved all of my design stuff to the evenings so I can work when you guys are home, but I still have daily meetings right now with corporate, so I have to attend those.”
“What time are your meetings?”
“Most are in the morning, but I have a few that are mid-day.”
“I’ll go in late so you can do your morning meetings, and I’ll see if Mom can come help out when you have the afternoon meetings.”
“Cole, you don’t have to do that,” I said with a frustrated breath. “I appreciate the help, but I can’t keep asking everyone to change their day so much. I’ll figure it out somehow.”
He set the bottle on the counter and pushed off as he walked toward me. My breath hitched in my throat as I looked up at him, his dark eyes pinning me in place as heat prickled my skin from being so close to his body.
“Lyric, we’re a team. We figure things out together. No one is asking you to do all of this on your own.”
“I know, but it feels like everyone else is having to make a lot of adjustments because of me. Maybe I should just give up on the whole fashion designer thing and take a regular job. I heard they’re looking for someone at the preschool, which would be nice because then I could take Chloe to work with me. ”
“Fashion design has been the love of your life for years. It’s been your dream as long as I can remember.
I’m not going to stand back and let you give up on it.
We’ll figure out a way to make this work for everyone.
Send me the info for your meetings this week, and I’ll let the guys know I’ll be late coming in this week.
I’ll call Mom in the morning and see if she and Dad can come by this week to help out. ”
“Cole...”
“Nope,” he said, interrupting me as he pressed a finger to my lips to keep me from talking. “This is what we do, Lyric. Please don’t fight me on it.”
I nodded and pressed my lips together because now wasn’t the time to fight with him over any of this. I needed help, even if it was just for a little while longer.
******************************
I woke up with a migraine that was so bad, I threw up the second I got out of bed. I grumbled as I took a shower, trying to force myself to get the bare minimum done so I could focus on getting the kids ready for the day.
The smell of coffee and bacon permeated the air, bringing about another wave of nausea as I walked into the kitchen, trying not to throw up again.
The kids were talking amongst themselves while they ate, and Cole packed lunches.
I walked past the table, swallowing a gulp of air as my stomach threatened to betray me again.
“Are you okay, Aunt Lyric?” Kara asked, the concern heavy in her tone.
I nodded and tried to smile as I grabbed a coffee mug and filled it, knowing I wasn’t going to drink it. Everything I did would be for the illusion that I was fine because I didn’t need anyone worrying about me.
“Hey,” Cole said, coming to stand beside me as he rested his hand on my lower back. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I lied, forcing another smile.
I winced, and I knew the second he saw it because his features changed as he went into protector mode. His eyes quickly scanned my body, looking for the source of whatever was wrong with me.
“Migraine?” he asked, blindsiding me with how quickly he figured it out that I pulled my head back in surprise.
“How do you do that?” I questioned quietly, not sure he had heard it.
“When it comes to you, I know just about everything. When did it start?”
I could feel the eyes of everyone watching me as Cole waited for an answer.
“This morning,” I replied quietly, keeping my head down to avoid looking at the light. It was bright in the kitchen most days, but today it was painfully bright.
As if being as in tune with what I needed as Cole, Kara got up and turned off the lights before resuming her seat at the table.
Cole scrunched his face to the side as he thought about whatever was running through his mind.
“Do you have your medication?” he asked.
I shook my head. I had run out before I moved in, but things had been so busy that I hadn’t made it to the local pharmacy to get a refill.
“Okay. Let’s get you back to bed for now. If you can give me the old pill bottle, I’ll take it and get it filled for you after the kids go to school.”
“You don’t have to do all of that. Thank you, but I can push through this. I know you have work, and I have a meeting in an hour anyway. Besides, someone needs to watch sweet Chloe this morning,” I replied, smiling at her so she wouldn’t feel so scared.
The happy girl who was usually full of sunshine and laughter was curled up in Ben’s lap as he finished his breakfast.
“I’m not taking no for an answer, Lyric,” Cole said firmly but with the same tone I had always found comforting.
“I have too much to do—” I objected as he gently led me away from the counter and toward the bedroom.
“Everything can wait. Please tell me who to call, and I’ll cancel your work meeting. You’re in no condition to do anything right now. We both know that this is only going to get worse, so please let me get ahead of it as much as I can.”
I nodded because he was right. I had been having migraines like this for years, so he was well-versed in what to do for me. But then again, when it came to Cole, he was well-versed in just about everything.