Franky's day started with a trip to the bathroom. Her respite from morning sickness had been short lived.
She reached up, and flushed the toilet before standing, and making her way to the sink. She rinsed her mouth with a handful of water, then grabbed her toothbrush.
She was trying to be as quiet, and as quick as possible. Emily had slept in their bed that night, and she didn't want the young girl to wake up to find her gone.
The brunette had just settled back into bed when she felt Bridget's hand on her arm. She looked over at the older women.
"I'm okay," she whispered, answering the silent question.
They laid there for a few more minutes. Just before the alarm was set to ring, Bridget reached over, and turned it off.
"Stay with Em, baby," she said as she stretched, and gave Franky a quick kiss.
The brunette felt Emily start to stir beside her. She ran her fingers through the young girl's hair in an attempt to soothe her to sleep for a couple more minutes.
"Mom?" she mumbled, half asleep.
Franky paused for a moment. She was unsure if Emily was dreaming, or if she was just not quite awake yet, and confused.
"It's just me, bub," she whispered, as she placed a kiss on her forehead.
The young girl opened her eyes briefly, then snuggled in against the brunette.
Franky laid there with her as long as could without risking her being late for school.
"We need to get up now." It sounded half-hearted, and the brunette knew it. She was still feeling nauseous, and tired.
"I'm sleepy," Emily mumbled.
"I know. I am too, but we have to get up." Franky hoped that it wouldn't take too much more convincing to get her out of bed, or she'd want to give in and go back to sleep as well. "Come on."
The brunette slowly pulled herself away from the young girl, and sat up on the side of the bed. She felt a small tug on the back of her shirt.
"No, bub, we're getting up." She reached behind her, and patted Emily on the legs, before standing up. "Go wash up, and get dressed."
"I'm tired." The young girl pulled the blankets in around her to fill the void left by Franky.
"Em!" It had come out sharper than Franky had expected, and she saw the immediate look of surprise on Emily's face. She closed her eyes for a second. Her nausea was coming back. "Please, just get up, and get ready."
The young girl got up, without a word, or a smile, and walked to the bedroom door. She glanced back once at the brunette on her way out.
Franky sat down on the edge of the bed again, and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She didn't like how Emily had looked at her when she was walking out; like she was waiting to be yelled at again. She really hadn't done anything wrong besides being a bit stubborn about getting out of bed. The brunette remembered plenty of times before when the same thing had happened, and she'd tickle the young girl until she was more awake, or scoop her up, and carry her over her shoulder out of the room. Not this morning though. This morning, she'd raised her voice because she herself wasn't feeling well.
She stood once again, and made her way quickly out of the bedroom. She was going to be sick. As soon as she entered the hallway, she saw that the bathroom was occupied. Of course it was; that's where she'd told Emily to go. She dashed towards the front door, and out across the porch. She managed to make it to the bushes along the inside of the fence before her stomach emptied for the second time that morning.
"Franky, wha-" Bridget had been in the kitchen when the brunette had done her sprint out the door. She hadn't realized what was going on until she saw the younger woman bent over double in their front yard. "Baby." The blonde walked over, and rubbed her back.
Franky stood up straight, and chuckled to herself.
"What's funny?" Bridget couldn't possibly think of what could be humorous about the situation.
"These poor bushes. Shayne peed on them, then I threw up on them." She shook her head with a small smile on her face.
"Shayne…wha-, wait…when did he pee on them?" The blonde knew that wasn't at all important right now, but it was like her brain had been distracted by that information, and needed to know the details.
"The first night I brought him home when he was drunk." Franky thought that seemed like forever ago now.
"Ah." Bridget gave a small nod. She noticed that the younger woman had turned serious now. "What's wrong?" She reached out, and placed a hand on her back again.
"I kind of yelled at Em just now. Well, not really yelled, but I was maybe a bit harsh. She just didn't want to get out of bed, and I wasn't in the mood to play around. I got frustrated." The brunette couldn't help but feel bad.
"It's okay. We all have times like that." The older woman tried to comfort her. "We'll just see how things are at breakfast, and if we need to talk about it, we will." She gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's go inside."
"Okay." She leaned in for a kiss, then quickly pulled back, remembering the reason why she was standing outside in her pyjamas first thing in the morning.
"Come here." Bridget stretched up, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Emily was sitting at the table eating her breakfast by the time that Franky had gotten washed up, and dressed.
"What do you feel like this morning?" Bridget asked as the brunette entered the kitchen. She was just finishing up packing their lunches, and getting her own breakfast.
Franky grabbed a glass from the cupboard, and filled it with ice, then cold water. She always felt warm when she was nauseated, and she found sipping on ice water helped with that.
"Just toast again." She gave the blonde a quick kiss. "I can make it."
"Are you sure? It won't take long." Bridget had already taken the loaf of bread from the cupboard.
"I'm sure." The younger woman reached out, and took the bag.
Franky leaned back against the counter, and watched the other two eat breakfast while she waited for the bread to toast. She was lost in her thoughts, and when the toast popped up, it caused her to jump a bit. She caught Emily's smile out of the corner of her eye, and she was happy that at least the young girl wasn't too upset to see the humor in the situation.
"Are you excited to tell your classmates about lunch at the restaurant?" Franky had cleared everything through Emily's teacher, but they had agreed that the young girl should be the one who got to tell the class about it.
"Yeah." The young girl glanced up at her as she took another spoonful of cereal. "We're making the menu when I get there after school, right?"
"Uh, we might have to do that later at home, or maybe tomorrow." She saw the young girl's face drop for the second time that morning, and she hated it.
"You said we could do it after school." Emily had stopped eating now, and was looking at the brunette, waiting for her reply.
Franky made eye contact with the blonde. They both knew why she had to change her plans with the young girl.
"I know, bub, but after I told you that, Auntie said she needed my help too, and what she needs me to do has to be done today. You don't need the menus until Monday." Franky was trying to explain, but Emily wasn't looking any happier. "You understand?"
The young girl gave a half shrug, along with a small nod, and went back to eating.
The brunette looked down at her toast. She knew she should eat, but her stomach was still churning. She could tell that Bridget was watching her with concern.
They all sat in silence until Bridget noticed that her niece was done eating.
"Go get your bag from your room, Em. I'll drop you off today." The blonde knew that normally Franky did this, but she could tell the younger woman might appreciate some help today. She waited until Emily had gone into her room before she moved over to sit beside the brunette. "She's okay, baby."
Franky had her hair tied back, so the blonde reached up, and gently ran her fingers over the nape of her neck.
"I know," the brunette said as she closed her eyes, and lowered her head, concentrating on Bridget's touch. "That actually helps."
"This helps the nausea?" she asked as she continued her motions. She saw Franky nod. "It's probably just a distraction." She couldn't think of any medical reason why it would make her feel better. "You should try to eat some of your toast."
"I can't. I feel like I'm two seconds from spewing again. Just the thought of it." The brunette shook her head.
"Okay," the blonde said, softly. She heard Emily walking through the hallway. "Promise me you'll drink though, and try to eat something later."
"I will." She turned her head, and placed a quick kiss on Bridget's lips. "I love you."
"I love you, too." The blonde didn't want to leave her, but they all had to get their days started.
"So what's with this meal you're making?" Shayne asked as he began to shut down the kitchen for the night.
"It's just a favor Gidge owes some guy from work." Franky didn't want to get into too many details. She knew that Bridget probably shared more with her about her work than she really should.
"And you have to take it to his house? We don't even offer delivery. Can't he come pick it up?" He noted the fridge temperature on the daily log sheet.
"It's a personal favor. He wanted a meal from me, not the restaurant. He's kind of an ass. Anyway, his date is at eight, so anytime after seven thirty should be fine." She began selecting the ingredients she'd need.
"I'm coming with you when you drop it off." They were already closed for the evening, and Shayne figured he could get done everything he needed to while she was cooking, and be ready to leave with her.
"I'll be fine. I'm just dropping it off, then going home." Franky appreciated his concern, but it wasn't like she was going to a stranger's house. She knew Fletch from her time in Wentworth, and he was Bridget's coworker.
"It wasn't a question." He stopped what he was doing, and waited until she made eye contact with him.
"Alright." The brunette could tell he was serious, and honestly, she didn't have the energy to argue with him.
"Ready?" Franky asked Shayne as she did one final check to make sure she'd turned off the gas.
"Yeah, just let me grab my bag." He hung his jacket on the hook beside the door as he went into the back room to get his stuff.
"I'll clean up in the morning," she said as she saw him survey her work area when he returned. She was so tired that at this point coming in a bit early tomorrow actually sounded better than staying there any longer.
They were both quiet on the drive over.
"This is it." Franky double checked her phone for the address that Bridget had sent her earlier.
Shayne didn't even wait for her to get out of the car before he was up, and had gathered everything in his arms.
"I can carry something, you know." The brunette appreciated his help, but she didn't like feeling like she was being taken care of either. At least not by anyone except Bridget.
"I've got it. Lead the way." He tilted his head towards the door, and waited for Franky to start walking before he followed along.
The brunette stepped up to the door, and rang the doorbell. It was only a few seconds before Fletch showed up.
"Someone ordered delivery?" Franky tried to turn on her best fake charm.
"Yeah, come in." Fletch stepped to the side to allow her to pass. "Didn't know you were bringing a helper," he said as he eyed Shayne when he walked past.
"He's my sous chef," she stopped when she got to the kitchen, and turned around, "and my friend."
"You cooked this though, yeah?" He lifted the corner of the lid, and peeked into one of the trays that Shayne had placed on the counter. "That was the deal."
"Yeah, I did. I'm just giving him a ride home." Franky was annoyed that he couldn't refrain from being an ass for even just a few minutes. "You've got honey-ginger cedar plank salmon, with pesto cauliflower mash, and a side garden salad. For dessert there's an assortment of mini cheesecakes, which you'll probably want to put in the fridge until you're ready for them, and wine." She held out the bottle.
"Thanks." He took the bottle from her, and examined the label.
"All good?" The brunette held eye contact with him. She wasn't just asking if the meal was okay, but also confirming that this fulfilled Bridget's part of their deal.
"Yeah, all good." He gave a slight nod as he sat the wine down on the counter.
"Alright then, we're off." Franky didn't have any more to say to him, and she was ready to go home.
Fletch didn't say anything more as Shayne and the brunette walked back down the hallway, and out the door.
"Didn't you say that meal was for a date?" Shayne asked as he opened the car door.
"Yeah, that's what Gidge said." Franky fished her keys out of her pocket.
"Well where is she? It's five minutes until eight." He had a small grin on his face.
The brunette looked in the driveway, then along the street. There were no extra cars parked anywhere.
"Maybe she's running late." Franky gave him a cheeky smile. "Or she stood him up."
"That's what I'm thinking." He said with a chuckle as he got into the car.
"Hey, babe." Franky came home to find Bridget relaxing on the couch. She leaned over, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
"Hey." The blonde couldn't help but smile. It was good to finally have her wife home after a long day.
"Where's Em?" The brunette looked around, but didn't see, or hear her anywhere.
"She's in her room getting dressed. She just got out of the shower." Bridget studied the younger woman's face. "You alright? Everything went okay with Fletch?"
"Yeah, I'm just glad to be home." Franky stopped herself from saying she was tired. She didn't want to make the blonde feel back for prolonging her day. "And yes, everything went fine. Shayne insisted on coming with me to deliver the food, then I dropped him off at Vera's."
"He's protective of you. I'm glad you have him." She exchanged a small smile with the brunette.
"Me too." Franky gave her a kiss. "I'm going to have a quick shower, then I'll help Em with the menu."
"Alright." Bridget watched her walk down the hallway towards the bathroom, and briefly thought about joining her.
"Oh, hey, bub." The brunette reached down, and rubbed the back of Emily's shoulder as the young girl wrapped her arms around her waist. "I'm going to shower, then we can work on your menu, okay?"
"Okay." Emily gave her an extra squeeze before she went to join her aunt on the couch.
Franky was glad to see that Emily didn't seem to be too upset that she hadn't let her stay and help with Fletch's supper. Bridget had picked her niece up on her way home from work, and they had spent the evening together.
The brunette undressed, and stepped into the shower. She positioned herself so that the stream of water hit her right between her shoulder blades. Her nausea had come and gone for most of the day, but she had managed to eat a bit throughout the day, and keep it down. She was getting hungry again, so as soon as she'd felt her muscles relax, she washed herself so she could get out and get some food.
"Alright, what do you think we should have for appetizers?" Franky sat down on the couch with Emily, and Bridget. She'd gotten herself a bowl of cereal and fruit, and grabbed a pencil and pad of paper.
"I liked what we had when I got to eat at the show." The young girl settled in beside her, and leaned against her arm.
"Uh…" Frank remembered the dinner service, but other than that it was kind of a blur. "You might need to remind me."
"The board with the veggies." Emily looked up at the brunette like she should have remembered that.
"Ah, the charcuterie board." Franky wrote it on the paper. "I think one appetizer is good. I'll do veggies, fruit, cheese, and crackers. There will be something on there everyone likes. What about the main meal? We should pick three, and they can each choose one."
"Mac and cheese!" The young girl giggled.
"How did I know you'd pick that?" The brunette reached over, and tickled Emily's side, making her giggle, then wrote down the suggestion. Franky's homemade mac and cheese was something that got requested a lot in their house. "What else?"
"I liked the little burgers." She smiled up at Franky again.
"The sliders?" She saw Emily nod. "Okay we can do a plate with a regular burger, a cheeseburger, and maybe a little chicken burger. What do you think about pizza for the third option?"
"Everyone likes pizza," the young girl giggled.
"Yeah, they do." Franky couldn't help but giggle as well, a bit. "What about dessert?"
"Unicorn cookie ice cream sandwiches!" Emily had taken no time to think about that. "Shayne said he'd help me with them."
"You talked to Shayne about this?" The brunette didn't know why, but the news that the young girl had discussed this with him made her feel a bit sad. Cooking together was their thing.
"Yeah. You were in your office." Emily tried to read her face. "Was that okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, of course." Franky smiled, and shook her head to clear it. "You guys can make those Thursday afternoon, so we can put the ice cream in them on Friday. I think I'll make just a simple cake, too."
"I like cake," the young girl said as she reached over and stole a raspberry from the brunette's bowl.
"I know," Franky said with a small laugh. "Anything else?"
"No." Emily shook her head.
"Okay. I don't have to email this to your teacher until Sunday, so if you think of anything else, we can change it until then." The brunette set the pad of paper and the pencil on the coffee table, and went back to eating her cereal.
"Come on, love, time for bed." Bridget reached out her hand to her niece.
"It's early. Franky just got home." Emily looked at each of the women.
"I got home really late today, bub. It's past your normal bedtime," the brunette said as she took another mouthful of cereal.
"I want to sit with you." The young girl crossed her arms.
"Go to bed," Franky urged her. "I'll be home at my normal time tomorrow, and we can hang out."
"I want to hang out now!" Emily said with tears in her eyes.
"You're tired, love, come on. I'll read you a story." Bridget had known it was probably a mistake to let her stay up late, especially after a long day.
"I want to stay here." The young girl wiped her eyes.
"Em, if you don't go now, then there's no story for the next two nights." The blonde didn't like punishing Emily, but she was getting older, and needed to learn that tears and tantrums wouldn't work.
The young girl got up off the couch without a word, but gave Bridget a sideways glance on the way by.
"Thank you." The blonde pretended she didn't see it, and followed her niece down the hallway to tuck her in.
By the time Bridget returned, Franky had finished her cereal. She dropped down beside the brunette, and immediately felt the younger woman's arm around her, pulling her in close.
"You okay?" Franky asked softly.
"Yeah, she's just tired." The blonde tried to suppress her yawn, but failed.
"Sounds like you are, too." The younger woman turned her head, and placed a kiss on Bridget's temple.
"Mmm. Let's go to bed." The blonde patted Franky's thigh as she started to stand up.
"Best offer I've had all day." The younger woman stood, and picked up her empty bowl. "I'll check the doors, and be in in a minute."
Franky made her trip around the house checking doors, and turning off lights, on autopilot. When she made it to the bed, she fell asleep in what had to be a record time. The last thing she remembered was her head hitting the pillow, and Bridget putting her arm over her.
