Page 18 of The Road Back to Us

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.

Eighteen

Cole

I sat at the kitchen table, making a grocery list while Chloe told my mom the longest story about her stuffies and the fight they had gotten into. I shook my head and laughed under my breath at how dramatic she was being. My mother’s eyes lit up as she listened, nodding as she held onto every word as if it were the best thing she had ever heard.

Lyric had been sleeping for a few hours and I was thankful that she was resting. I remembered the first time Lyric had gotten a migraine and how helpless I had felt, not knowing how to help her. Hell, back then, neither of us knew what to do. But then she started getting them so frequently that I learned as much as I could so I could help her through them.

“Do you need anything from the store?” I asked my mom once Chloe took a break to get some toys from her room.

“I think I’m good, but thank you. I can always send Dad later if needed.”

“Alright, I’m going to head out before Lyric wakes up. Call me if you need anything.”

I got up and pushed my chair in, thankful for my parents' support. I had no idea how Clay had handled things on his own for so long, because I felt like I was drowning most days, even with my parents' help. While I knew Lyric was strong and would figure things out, as she always did, I didn’t want her to struggle to do this on her own.