the sick day (part two)
It turned out that Jamie had gotten sick. It took about a week after Dani had initially felt sick for the same dread to catch up to Jamie. Dani was afraid she may have missed it at first if she hadn’t noticed that Jamie didn’t make tea in the morning. Tea was always something left up to Jamie.
Dani hadn’t attempted to make her tea again. Well, until today.
Jamie hid not feeling well so well that Dani felt guilty for not noticing the signs before. The red eyes and slight cough that she attributed to allergies. Jamie didn’t have allergies. Maybe she could blame her brain fog from still being kind of sick herself.
“You’re sick.”
“Am not,” Jamie argued and Dani only rolled her eyes, just like Jamie had done nearly a week ago.
But Jamie didn’t give in as easily as she had. It took nearly Dani forcing her back into bed for her to even admit that she didn’t feel well. The admission was said with such little care, like there wasn’t a need to take a break.
“The Baileys are coming to--” cough, followed by another cough, one that made Dani even shake with the force. “They’re coming to pick out flowers for their daughter’s wedding today.”
Well. That arose a little bit of a problem. Dani’s idea of closing shop for the day to spend time with Jamie wasn’t possible. For her, it had just been a regular day with no appointments.
“Well, you can’t go down to the shop, that’s for sure.”
Jamie seemed to be itching to get back up, but Dani used her hand to press against Jamie’s chest. “No, I mean it.” She tried to make herself seem as strict as possible, putting on her “teacher voice” as she called it. It had been a while since it was needed, but she knew how to be direct when needed. “You are staying in bed.”
“Dani.”
“No, I’m not hearing any excuses. You will stay in this bed. I prohibit anything else.”
“The flowers are…”
Dani brought her hand to Jamie’s face, feeling the fever through Jamie’s cheeks. The action seemed to calm Jamie down, her anxiety slowly seeping away from the room. “All the notes are in the books. The Baileys know me. It’ll be fine.” And the arguing slipped away, Jamie sunk back into the bed and Dani only smiled a little. “I’ll finish with the appointment and then come back.”
The room was quiet, so Dani turned on the TV to a random game show and put the volume down low. She adjusted the sheets around Jamie, so that she was tucked in. She couldn’t help herself from brushing off some hair from Jamie’s face, pushing the curls around her ear. “Stay in bed. Sleep, okay?”
The Baileys were fine. They had a good idea on what they wanted the flowers to be for the wedding and reception. Dani didn’t claim to be an expert by any sorts of imagination. So she relied heavily on Jamie’s notes and ideas that had been written down.
Well, she wouldn’t really call it written down. It was scrambled around drawn flower arrangement ideas. Dani had learned Jamie’s script enough to understand what was being said.
Another charming thing her girlfriend did. The little sketches of flowers that were left around the shop always brought a smile to Dani’s face. It was nothing that Jamie would claim to be proud of, but Dani adored them all. There was always some idea running in Jamie’s head.
The flower shop had been Jamie’s idea. She had dreamed it. And Dani wouldn’t let Jamie’s dream die. It was maybe a little too early in a relationship to open a business together, but it didn't matter. Dani didn’t know how long she had left, so she was in.
Jamie had said as much when she was pitching the idea. It had been after a night in the motel upstate. Another time that Jamie had opened herself up for Dani to see. When Jamie shared, she poured her heart out and Dani was blessed to be the person who she shared it with.
“I want to share everything with you. The good, the bad, it all. As long as it’s me and you, Poppins. I’m in.”
Dani blushed as she remembered what happened after that conversation. Because it was everything she had been missing. It had been everything she had feared. Moments passed where she was afraid Jamie would leave, decide that being with her was too risky, not worth it.
But in that moment, Dani had felt the most overwhelming sense of love she had ever experienced. Logically, she knew that Eddie had promised her the same thing, but it wasn’t the same. Not at all.
It was different because Dani wanted this too. She wanted to have all the goods and bads with Jamie, as long if it meant she had Jamie.
Jamie who was so guarded to the world, but open to her. Jamie who may act tough and scary but melted into her hands. Jamie who had never really anyone before.
She wanted every version of Jamie there was. Her Jamie.
So, she had agreed to open a business, got a loan from the bank and opened The Leafling with Jamie.
Dani wasn’t sure she would ever love anything as much as teaching. And she didn’t love working at the shop the same, but it was different.
She loved it because it was theirs.
Once the Baileys were done and satisfied, Dani quickly closed up shop. The rest of the customers could wait til tomorrow.
Jamie, bless her heart, was still in bed when she returned. She had gone out on an errand before heading upstairs.
The hot soup and tea sat on the kitchen counter as she sat on the bed next to Jamie. Her eyes were closed and her mouth open, in a peaceful slumber. Dani couldn’t help herself for pressing a light kiss against Jamie’s head before she retreated out of the bedroom.
It must have been nearly two hours before she saw Jamie make her way out of the bedroom. Jamie just looked so small walking with her pajamas on and their duvet wrapped around her body.
“You’re up,” Dani quicked as she pushed to the side of the couch and patted down next to her. “Come sit with me.”
Jamie made the trip slowly, wiping at her nose at one point.
“You feeling any better?”
Jamie just shook her head and Dani took the gesture and stood up to go grab the tea she had purchased early. “Let me just warm this up.”
Dani knew that Jamie hated when she put it in the microwave, but it was so much easier than warming it up on the stove.
Jamie didn’t seem to mind today, instead she had made herself into a ball on the couch, staring as Dani moved about in the kitchen.
“Here.” Dani handed Jamie the cup of tea. “Drink, it’ll help your throat.”
Perhaps she seemed too suspicious or it was the fact that she did not make tea well at all that stalled Jamie’s movements. “It’s not poison. I bought it from the coffee house next door.”
Jamie sighed in relief. “Thank fuck.”
While Jamie was drinking, she dug around in the shopping bag she had put the cold medicine in. “I know I finished up the rest last week, but the pharmacist said this was the best option.”
Dani wasn’t sure if she had something on her face or what, because Jamie just stared up at her with a look of almost disbelief. Dani pulled a face and Jamie blinked out of the moment and brought the tea back up to her mouth for another sip. “What?” Dani had to know what had made her look like that.
“It’s just… no one’s ever really cared before.”
The words broke Dani’s heart.
“Well,” Dani wasn’t sure what were the right words to say. “Well, now you do. So take this.”
Jamie took the medicine given quickly, her eyes drawn back to the tea cup.
Once Dani was sure Jamie had everything, she sat back down on the couch next to Jamie. Jamie still seemed so small as she put down her cup and pulled the duvet back across her lap. “Come here,” she asked as she opened up her arm to allow Jamie to sneak in.
The TV in the living droned on as Jamie cuddled next to her.
Dani was dreadfully hot, but she wasn’t going to move. Not when Jamie’s breaths had become more shallow and her weight was pressed against her side so comfortably. Any movement she made was met with a small groan or mumble as Jamie adjusted with her as well. So Dani found the most comfortable position she could on the couch and relaxed into it.
She watched the TV as Jamie fell asleep on top of her and thought about how much she loved Jamie. How absolutely precious she was and how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her.
For as long as she was around, Jamie would always have someone who cared.