"Are you alright." Robert asked Cora. She was feeling warm.

"I am, I think I have a head cold, but I am alright." Cora said with a hoarse voice.

"Why don't you stay in bed today, I will take the girls out so you can rest today. Your throat sounds painful."

Cora had to admit, a day in bed sounded like heaven. She felt pretty rough. Last night she got a sore throat and now her head was hurting too. "I think I will stay in bed and hopefully I (will) feel better this afternoon, I can't be sick tomorrow with Edith's birthday."

"I will ask Rosamund if she can come earlier, and we can ask Maja to take care of the food and drinks?" Robert leaned in to kiss Cora.

But Cora held him of, "Darling, I don't want you to get sick too."

Robert kissed her forehead instead. "I will go down with the girls and let you know when we go out."

Cora gave him a smile and wrapped herself in her duvet.

Robert made the girls ready to go outside, he quickly run upstairs to bring Cora tea with honey and some biscuits. She was asleep, so he set it down next to her, gave her a kiss on her cheek and said very softly: "We are going outside."

Cora woke up and her eyes were big: "I forgot! I have to make a cake for Edith!"

She was already getting up, but Robert gently pushed her back. "I will go buy a cake, how big do you want it to be? You stay in bed."

"I don't know, uhm, how many people are coming." She started to count on her fingers. "Your mama, my mama, Rosamund, Marmaduke, Maja, maybe Harold and Madeleine and 5 neighbours are coming with their kids. So we need enough for 20 people." She wanted to say more but got interrupted by a coughing fit.

Robert rubbed her back. "You lay down, don't strain yourself. This way, you aren't going to be well enough tomorrow." He gave her a worried look.

Cora knew he was right, this was more than just a head cold, it felt more like the flu.

Robert rang both Maja and Rosamund, to make sure, Cora didn't have to do anything. Maja would come in today to decorate the house. Rosamund offered to go and buy the cake.

Then he took the girls to go to the play area in the park. It was a nice early summer day. Mary brought her bike, she just learned how to ride without training wheels, Edith was on her balance bike. Isis was following behind Robert. She could walk without a lease now, she listened to commands. He was throwing ball with Isis, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hello, Robert long time no see." It was Susan.

"Susan, that's really a long time ago and I see I have to congratulate you." There was no mistake, Susan was pregnant.

She caressed her belly and smiled. "You and Cora got two little girls I see."

"Mary is our oldest, and then we have Edith." He didn't mention Patrick, because he didn't want to cry in front of Susan.

The next morning, Robert woke Cora up. "Darling, I will bring Edith to our room, so you can stay in bed."

Cora looked up with watery eyes from the fever. "I should get up."

"No, you don't. You stay in bed, I (will) bring Edith and Mary for her present and then we will go down.

Robert had already set out Edith's present in their room. Edith ran towards the big box and started unwrapping. Inside there was a little car that she could drive in herself. She always had liked cars and Cora and Robert thought this was the perfect gift for her.

Edith jumped in it and started pushing the gas pedal. Robert needed to run, to stop her from driving into the mirror. He heard Mary snort from laughing. She was sitting on the bed next to Cora, who had gotten up to see Edith unwrap her present. "You like it darling?" She asked, her voice still very hoarse.

Edith got out of the car and walked over to Cora, crawled on the bed to give her a hug. "Mama, Car, mine." She said smiling.

Cora wrapped both arms around Edith and snuggled her little girl. She felt Mary press against her side, but this was Edith's day, Mary had to accept that.

"Girls, we will leave your mother alone, she needs to rest." Robert took both girls from the bed and went downstairs. He made a light breakfast for Cora and gave it to Mary to bring it upstairs.

All the guests had arrived, and Robert was glad of the help of Rosamund and Maja. He was a little bit worried all the kids would wake up Cora.

He ordered them to play outside in the garden, that was also better for his mother, who didn't like al that busy playing.

At the end of the afternoon, all the neighbours had gone home and only the family stayed for dinner.

He heard footsteps on the stairs, and Cora appeared around the corner. She was wearing one of his hoodies on top of a tracksuit. Her eyes were a little bit clearer he saw.

"I am sorry for the way I look, but I wanted to say hi." She sat down on one of the couches.

"Darling, you don't need to be downstairs, everybody understands when you stay in bed."

"My fever has gone down, and I wanted to try the cake Rosamund brought with her.

"I baked it myself." Rosamund said proudly.

Violet's eyes grew big. "You never baked a thing in your life."

"That's true, mama, but once has to be the first time."

"Now I really want to try it." Cora said quickly to calm Violet down.

Robert had ordered dinner, he didn't want to ask Maja to make dinner for so many people. Cora was sitting at the dinner table with them, but he saw how tired she was. Once everybody was done eating, he said: "If you all excuse me, I will bring my girls to bed. And that includes you." He winked at Cora.

She willingly got up and took Robert's arm. He first put Edith to bed and came back to get Mary out of their bedroom. Cora was already back in bed and Mary was sitting next to her. Mary was talking and talking. Robert loved to see this. Some days Mary could be so loving towards Cora, he wished she was like this everyday. Cora was already asleep and didn't hear a thing Mary said. Robert picked her up and brought her to bed.

He came back to give Cora a kiss and check if she had everything. She woke up when he kissed her on her cheek.

"Thank you for taking care of Edith's birthday party today."

Robert ran his hand through her hair. "Of course, I did that. She is my little girl. You just sleep now, I will be silent when I come up later tonight.