Fred was never good at taking care of Maggie when she was sick. It was hard watching his little girl suffer with the symptoms of her cold, especially when there wasn't anything else he could possibly do. He gave her cold medicine, he wrapped her up in as many blankets as she wanted, and he let her sleep with him in his bed. There was absolutely nothing he could do, so he resorted to his last option, driving to his brother's house and having his wife help him. She was always so good with kids, especially with his daughter. They had some kind of connection that was inexplicable to everyone. He loved seeing them together, especially after the ordeal his brother and sister-in-law went through five years before. He knew that it was hard for Lucille watching Maggie grow up knowing her own son will never be able to do so, but she never turned him down when he asked for help and he owed so much to her because of it.
Once he pulled up to the familiar Langston house, he turned off his car, took his daughter out and walked to the front door, father and daughter both in their pajamas. He wasn't sure if Lucille and Henry would be up because it was 10:15 at night, but he needed their help. He couldn't handle seeing his little girl suffering this much and he knew of all people, Lucille would be able to help. Luckily, they where both up because Lucille opened the door, also in her pajamas.
"Fred?" she said, surprised at the unexpected appearance of her brother-in-law. "What's the matter? Is everything okay?" she asked as she looked at the sick girl in his arms. Fred just smiled at Lucille. He looked desperate and Lucille could tell. "Come on, get in here," she added as she stepped out of the door way and let Fred and Maggie into the house. She couldn't turn down her brother-in-law and niece, especially when she was so sick and he was so desperate.
"Thank you," Fred said as Lucille closed the door behind him.
"Henry's in the living room," Lucille replied as she smiled at Fred and then started to transfer Maggie from his arms to hers. "Let me see my little girl," she added as Maggie wrapped her arms around Lucille's neck and her legs around her waist. Lucille knew that Fred wouldn't come over unless he tried everything, so the only thing left for her to do was give her some motherly affection. She walked around the hallway and into the living room while she rubbed the five-year-old's back. She softly whispered things in her ear and when her breathing started to slow down, she walked into the living room where the boys where still watching TV. Lucille sat in between both of them and both Langston brothers looked at Lucille and Maggie. Maggie wasn't entirely asleep, but she was close to it.
"How are you able to do it, Luce?" Fred asked as he looked at his daughter resting against Lucille's body. Lucille softly laughed as she looked down at her niece and she started rubbing her back again. Maggie's limbs where limp resting on each side of Lucille's body and her head rested against her aunt's shoulder.
"I have the touch," Lucille said teasingly as she looked at Fred and scooted closer to him so she was resting against his body. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she moved around on the couch so her feet where resting on top of Henry's lap. Henry rested his hands on top of her shins and squeezed them lovingly as he watched his wife and brother interact.
"You two need to get a room," he said teasingly. Lucille looked at Henry, smiled and laughed.
"Come here, honey," she said as she sat up straight, leaned over and kissed her husband before leaning against Fred again. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders once more and looked down at his daughter, who had fallen asleep. Lucille followed Fred's gaze and looked down at her sleeping niece and smiled. Maggie was like a daughter to Lucille. When Jacob died, it was the hardest thing she had ever gone through and probably ever will go through. She had talked with Henry multiple times about having more kids, but she couldn't bring herself to go through with it because it felt like she would be replacing her son. But with Maggie, it was like she had another kid, without the feeling of replacing Jacob.
"Is she asleep?" Fred asked. He knew she was asleep, but he always loved seeing his sister-in-law with his daughter.
"Mhm," Lucille replied as she looked at her niece and smiled at the little girl. "That's my girl," she added softly. Maggie had helped Lucille with the grieving process of losing her son and she could never repay the little girl. Both Langston brothers looked at Lucille and just smiled. Silence fell over the family as Henry and Fred both went back to watching TV. But Lucille started to fall asleep. With the heat from her niece and the comfort of Fred's arm wrapped around her shoulders and Henry's hands on her legs, it was easy for her to fall asleep. The silence that had fallen over the happy family was comforting and they stayed silent as Lucille fell deeper into sleep. When Fred looked down at Lucille, he realized his sister-in-law was asleep and he moved her so her head was resting in his lap. Maggie moved around in her sleep after her father moved her aunt so she was lying in between Lucille and the backing of the couch. She nuzzled the side of Lucille's chest and sighed unconsciously. She then let her thumb wonder to her mouth and rested her folded elbow across Lucille's stomach. Fred watched the entire thing, a smile on his face. He never knew how Lucille did it and it always amazed him.
"I don't know how she does it," Fred said to Henry. Henry looked over at his brother and then down at his wife and niece and smiled as well.
"I know, she always had a knack for it," he replied. He always loved watching his wife with kids. She was so good at motherhood and it suited her. He loved that about her. But when Jacob died, it absolutely crushed her, understandably. But with Maggie, it's like none of that happened. She was able to put that grieving into helping Fred raise his little girl and Henry loved that almost as much as motherhood suiting her. This wasn't an uncommon picture with the Langston family. True, it wasn't usually under the circumstances of Maggie being sick, but there where numerous times when Lucille would fall asleep with Maggie next to her husband and Fred and it was something all of them enjoyed. Lucille loved being able to fall asleep with a child in her arms, Fred loved knowing that Lucille had someone to take care of when he needed someone to help and Henry loved how happy Maggie made his wife. As the Langston brothers watched the rest of the program that was on when Fred came over, both boys started to fall asleep, each of them not wanting to move Maggie or Lucille. When the program ended, both of them where sleeping. With the TV still on, they slept for the rest night, Lucille and Maggie sleeping in between the two of them. The next morning, as each respective parent woke up, they went about their day as if they hadn't all slept next to each other on the couch the day before.