Now it's second nature.
Around nine, I hear movement upstairs. I get Harper situated in her bouncer and head up, finding Nora trying to get out of bed.
"What are you doing?"
"I need to check on Harper?—"
"Harper's fine. She's downstairs playing. You're getting back in bed."
"Tyler, I can't?—"
"You can and you will." I firmly guide her back to the bed. "You took care of Harper all weekend while she was sick and I was gone. Now you're sick, and I'm taking care of you. That's how this works."
"I'm not used to people taking care of me."
"I know. Get used to it."
I bring her more water and check her temperature, still 100.8, before making her promise to actually rest.
"I'm going to make you soup," I announce.
"You don't have to?—"
"I'm making you soup. It's probably going to be terrible, but you're going to eat it anyway."
Her laugh is weak but genuine. "Okay."
I head back downstairs with the baby monitor, Harper’s babbling happily in her bouncer in the living room, and attempt to make soup. I find a can of chicken noodle in the pantry—does that count as homemade if I heat it and add stuff?I decide it does.
I add extra noodles from the box in the cabinet, some frozen vegetables, and...is that too much pepper?Probably.
Fifteen minutes later, I'm carrying a bowl of questionable soup upstairs, along with crackers and more water.
Nora's sitting up in bed, looking slightly better but still pale and weak.
"Soup delivery," I announce.
She takes the bowl, tries a spoonful, and I can see her trying not to react to whatever's wrong with it.
"Is it terrible?" I ask.
"It's... unique."
"That bad, huh?"
"It's the thought that counts." But she keeps eating, and I count that as a win.
I sit on the edge of the bed while she eats, Harper's sounds coming through the monitor. This feels weirdly domestic—taking care of my sick girlfriend in my bed while our daughter plays downstairs.
"Thank you," Nora says quietly. "For taking care of me."
"You don't have to thank me, Red."
"I do, though. I'm not—I'm not good at this. At letting people help."
"Yeah, well. I'm not people. I'm the guy who loves you." I brush her hair back. "You took care of me when I had no idea what I was doing with Harper. When I was completely lost and terrified. Now let me take care of you."
She sets the soup aside and looks at me; there are tears in her eyes.