Chapter Thirty-Three
Calder
I wasn’t going anywhere. Felix seemed more than ready to shuttle me out the back door, but even if we weren’t in the middle of one of the most important conversations of my life, I’d still want to help. No matter what he thought, I couldn’t simply leave and go on about my Friday night.
“I ruined everything,” Madeline wailed as she, Charlotte, and Gabrielle entered the house. None of them looked in great shape. Madeline was covered in puke, but Gabrielle looked decidedly rumpled too and Charlotte was clutching her stomach.
“You didn’t ruin anything,” Felix assured her as he rushed to her side. “You’re sick. These things happen.”
“I’m sick too,” Charlotte moaned, then dashed for the stairs.
“I made a mess in Nana’s car.” Madeline was full-on crying now, face flushed like she might have a fever on top of everything else.
Felix put an arm around her, mess and all. He was such a good parent. “Nana’s car will clean.”
“Hopefully,” Gabrielle muttered, looking rather pale herself and not at all like she wanted to deal with puke.
“I could handle that mess for you,” I offered to Gabrielle, not Felix, who was busy shepherding Madeline up the stairs.
“You’re a blessing.” Gabrielle was all wide-eyed gratitude. I’d known she’d say yes, and the task bought me a little time to be useful to Felix later on too.
“I’ll grab the cleaning supplies.” I’d taken care of drunk friends enough to have the art of vomit removal down.
“Thank you, darling. I’ll see what I can do here.” But she didn’t head for the stairs, instead striding toward the dining area. “Maybe I can pack up this lovely food for you?”
“That’s probably best.” No one was going to eat anytime soon, and since she didn’t seem inclined to go on hazardous waste duty upstairs, I let her handle the remains of our dinner. Meanwhile I tackled her car, which was indeed gross, but I’d dealt with way worse. Felix helpfully kept rubber gloves along with the cleaning supplies. With any luck, maybe I’d avoid getting sick myself.
And after the earlier tense conversation with Felix, cleaning was soothing. Taking an awful mess and returning Gabrielle’s car to a pristine state made me feel good. Like I’d done something important.
“Charlotte threw up too,” Gabrielle reported as soon as I was back in the house and washing my hands thoroughly at the sink. She’d packed up all the dinner food and found a glass of water for herself.
“Oh man.” I groaned as I washed my hands an extra time. Whatever I’d managed to do for Gabrielle, it was nothing compared to what Felix was dealing with. “Poor Felix. Poor her.”
“Seldom have I been so grateful for the nanny we had when Courtney was little.” Shuddering as she set the water aside, Gabrielle tugged her flowy jacket more tightly against herself. “I already feel like I need three showers.”
“Why don’t you go on home?” I suggested because it was pretty clear she didn’t want to deal with all this. “I’m sure Felix will text you an update, and that way you’re at home if it’s food poisoning and you’re next to feel ill.”
“Perish the thought.” Holding up both hands, she took a literal step back. “We never made it to the pizza. We were stuck in traffic and then disaster happened. More than once. Charlotte said there’s a bug going around the school.”
“Ugh. That must have been hard on you.” Aiming for a sympathetic tone, I patted her shoulder. “And a bug at school explains why it’s both of them.”
“Yes, and I shouldn’t leave Felix to deal with it all alone.” She shot a longing glance at the back door.
“He’s got me.” I gently steered her toward the door. “I’ll help and I’ve got a cast-iron stomach. I’m not leaving.”
“No, you’re not,” she said slowly as she studied me intently. She nodded like she’d come to some important conclusion about me. “He’ll tell you he has it handled.”
“And he does. I’m still staying.” I drew myself up taller under her shrewd gaze.
“You’re the right man for the job.” She said it solemnly, like she meant more than simply puke duty.
“I hope so.” I wasn’t staying to prove to Felix that I was a worthy partner, but after this was all over, we did need to finish that talk. Maybe he’d come to the same conclusion as Gabrielle. Maybe.
“I think I will sneak out.” She gave me a small smile as she pulled out her phone. “I’m going to give you my number though because I don’t trust Felix to call me back if more help is needed.”
“I’ll text you,” I promised as we exchanged numbers. After seeing Gabrielle out, I grabbed some empty mixing bowls and headed upstairs to see what else I could help with.
“How are they?” I found Felix looking harried with wild hair and askew dress shirt in the hallway between Charlotte and Madeline’s rooms.
“Not the best.” He made a pained face. “You’re still here?”
“Yep. Gabrielle’s back seat needed cleaning, so I helped her out. She headed on home to shower, but I promised her updates.”
“I’ll text her in a while.” Felix pulled at his collar.
I didn’t tell him that I too planned to text her, instead holding out the bowls I’d brought upstairs. “Here. These should help if the vomiting keeps up. What else needs doing now?”
“Calder. Thank you, but you don’t need to stay.” He’d gone back to the too-patient doctor tone, which he tended to revert to when highly stressed. “I appreciate the gesture. But I have this.”
“I know you do.” I glanced around the upstairs, looking for a task because Felix sure wasn’t going to assign me something. There was a mound of dirty clothes outside of the girls’ bathroom. “But let me at least start a load of laundry for you. You’re not going to want those clothes to sit.”
“God, no. I was contemplating pitching them, to be honest.”
“It’s Madeline’s favorite sweatshirt.” I’d seen her in the hoodie advertising a cartoon franchise at least three times prior. It was a good guess that she’d miss the thing. “I’ll put a load on for you.”
“Uncle Felix!” Charlotte bellowed from her room. She might be sick but her voice box was working fine.
“Coming,” Felix called back before returning his attention to me. “I guess laundry would be good. You know where the machine is downstairs?”