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He snorted. “Nice try.”
“I thought so,” she muttered as he turned away to give her privacy. She peed then flushed, and he spun back as she washed her hands. She squealed as she looked in the mirror, trying to finger comb her hair.
“Hush, you’re perfect.” He wet a washcloth then lifted her onto the counter to wipe her face. Grabbing her toothbrush, he put toothpaste on it.
“Open.”
“My breath stinks?” she wailed, huffing out a breath into her cupped hand then trying to sniff. “Oh no. I probably smell.” She sniffed at her armpit.
“Juliet.” He had to fight hard to hold in a grin, not wanting her to think that he was laughing at her. When he kind of was. But not in a mean way.
“I don’t care if your breath stinks or you do—”
“So, I do stink then,” she cried.
“Hush, no, you don’t. But I thought brushing your teeth might reset your brain. It’s probably silly—”
“No, it’s not.” She opened her mouth. “Ahh.”
God, she was adorable. “I’m brushing your teeth. I don’t need to see your tonsils.”
She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. Too used to Xavier telling me to open my mouth. I mean, when he checks me over. Happens rarely. I hate the doctor. Not Xavier. Just visiting the doctor. Oh, just brush my teeth, please.”
He complied, brushing her teeth for her before picking her up.
Once more, she wrapped herself around him.
“What do you need now?” He hated that he didn’t just know. But there was only one way to find out.
“I don’t wanna be on my own.”
“Then you won’t be. I can sleep on the beanbag in your room.”
She shook her head, a shudder worked its way through her, and she gulped in a breath.
“All right, shh. I can climb into bed with you.”
It would be a tight fit, but he’d make it work.
“The sheets are wet,” she whispered, then she stiffened. “I didn’t pee them, though. I just . . . the sweating.”
“It’s okay, baby girl. We’ll get them sorted tomorrow morning. You can sleep in my bed, I’ll sleep on the floor. Anything you want?”
“Blankie,” she told him.
Walking to the bed, he grabbed the blankie with her pacifier attached. Not easy when he was holding her, but he managed.
Then he shifted her weight onto his hip so he had one hand free. She sucked on her pacifier, rubbing her blankie under her nose as he carried her down to this bedroom. He set her down on the bed, but she let out a tiny distressed noise. Then she reached for him.
He crouched down, placing his hands on her thighs. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t go.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I was going to get you a T-shirt of mine to wear.”
“Oh. Thanks.” But she clutched at his shirt, not letting him move.
“Baby girl, you have to let me go.”
