The next day, Leon woke up a bit early and proceeded to put all of the wedding gifts in the trunk of his car. By the time, he got back to the hotel room, Leon noticed that Sharon was getting ready to wake up. Then Sharon sprawled around the bed to see her husband up and about.
"Morning, honey. I let you sleep for a while longer, but I got the gifts already back in the car." Leon said after giving Sharon a morning kiss.
"Morning, darling. I could have helped you out." Sharon said in response.
"It's okay. So, what do you want to do for breakfast and lunch?" Leon asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm, well how about we eat breakfast here before checking out and then find a suitable restaurant for lunch on our way home." Sharon answered with a smile.
"I like the sound of that." Leon said in a calm manner.
Then a short time later, Leon and Sharon looked to see that Nicole was getting ready to wake up. Leon got his clothes that he was changing into and went to the bathroom to get dressed. Sharon was figuring out what to wear until she seen Nicole lay up on the bed.
"Morning, mommy." Nicole said with a smile.
"Morning, sweetheart. I found you an outfit to wear for today." Sharon said as she not only pulled her outfit but a suitable outfit for Nicole as well.
"Morning, sweetie. Ok, honey. Bathroom's all yours." Leon said to Nicole and Sharon once he got out of the bathroom.
"Morning, daddy." Nicole said in response.
"Did you sleep good?" Leon asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm-Hmm" Nicole answered honestly.
"Ready to head back home?" Leon said with a smile.
"Yeah." Nicole said with a beaming look.
Sharon then got out of the bathroom dressed and signaled Nicole for her to go get dressed in the bathroom. Nicole nodded as she hopped out of the bed and went to the bathroom with her outfit. Then Sharon and Leon packed up their bags while waiting for their daughter to get dressed.
"I'll go ahead and find us a table. Here put your bag on top of mine." Leon said as he was about to leave the hotel room.
"Okay, me and Nicole will see you soon then. Love you." Sharon said with a smile.
"Love you too." Leon said back.
Leon then went down to the main area of the hotel to see if tables for breakfast were available and there were a few. However, Leon decided to put his and Sharon's bags in the car. Then he went to the reception desk to tell them about the check out for the hotel room and Karen's room from the previous couple of days. The receptionist took care of the charges after Leon paid the bills once he received it. Upon taking care of that business, Leon found a table nearby and right as he sat down, he sees Sharon and Nicole coming in his direction.
Sharon prompted Nicole to set her bag before going up to the buffet to see what she wanted to eat for breakfast. Then a short time later, Nicole returned with a plate filled with an apple, pancakes, and a banana. Leon and Sharon were impressed with what their daughter got and then they went up to the buffet line to get their food.
"Mommy, Daddy." Nicole said with a curious smile.
"Yes, Nicole." Leon and Sharon said in unison.
"Since we're a big happy family now. I was wondering, can I have a baby brother or sister?" Nicole asked after she took a bite of her breakfast.
That question sent a shockwave into Leon and Sharon's minds while looking at each other. Before saying anything, Leon and Sharon chose to take a bite of their breakfast.
"Well, sweetie…umm. What inspired you to ask that question?" Leon said with a nervous feeling on his face.
"Leon, please. She's our daughter I think she is at the age where she needs to know that topic. Forgive your dad, sweetheart. It's uncertain right now. But first I think we need to explain something to you first." Sharon said with a sigh to both Leon and Nicole.
"Oh, okay. Mommy, but what are you and daddy talking about that I need to know about first." Nicole said with a puzzled look on her face.
"Nicole, sweetie. If I think where your mom is going with this. Do you know where babies come from?" Leon said with a deep sigh.
Nicole shook her head no and Leon figured that he let Sharon explain to Nicole about the talk. Leon then proceeded to take his, Sharon and Nicole's trays to the trash.
"You know where babies come from, Mommy?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm-Hmm. The way I am going to explain it to you is the way I was first told by your Nana when I was about your age." Sharon said with a smile.
Then Sharon began telling the story to Nicole, who was becoming intrigued. Once Leon made it back to the table, he caught wind of the very end of Sharon's tale. Leon's eyes were mind boggled which got Nicole got to laugh.
"Mommy, I think your story creeped out daddy." Nicole said after her laughter died down.
"Hmm what do you mean…. oh honey. Did the story really creep you out?" Sharon said in response before looking at Leon.
"A little bit, I couldn't believe your mother told you a tale like that when you were young." Leon said with the look on his face fading.
"Yeah, I know. But anyway, that's the best example I can give of where babies come from." Sharon said with a nervous feeling.
"Okay, Mommy." Nicole said in response.
Then Leon, Sharon and Nicole left the hotel for the journey back home. On the car ride, Nicole had a look on her face which caused a bit of concern for Sharon who got Leon to take notice of this as well.
"You okay, sweetie?" Leon said out of concern.
"My tummy is acting weird." Nicole said with a nauseous look on her face.
"Okay, I got the car parked on the side of the road." Leon said as he took precautions.
Sharon got out of the car to let Nicole out, once that happened Nicole started to vomit on the side of the road. Realizing what just happened, Leon scurried through the car to see if there was a bottle of water and luckily there was in the trunk away from the bags and gifts. Leon and Sharon waited a second before letting Nicole back in the car just to check to see if she wasn't feeling nauseous anymore and it was deemed safe.
"I think we should go straight on home, honey. I mean if Nicole's not feeling well I don't want to risk the chances of her getting any sicker." Leon said with a calm tone after handing Sharon the bottle of water.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. If you need me to I can sit in the back with her just to make sure she's doing okay. I know the stains got on her outfit." Sharon said with a concerned look on her face.
"We better check on her before continuing our road trip home." Leon said with a calm tone.
Then Leon and Sharon checked on Nicole to see that she had sweat all over her face and the realization came that Sharon had to give Nicole a drink of water. After giving her the drink of water, Leon and Sharon got back into the car to continue the journey home. However, about twenty-five miles later, Leon noticed a sign for an urgent care center that accepts walk-ins.
"Honey, how's Nicole doing?" Leon asks out of curiosity.
"Well…it looks like she's still the same right after she got in the car. Why do you ask?" Sharon said in response.
"I'm thinking that we should take Nicole to this urgent care clinic to see what they have to say." Leon said with a bold statement.
"Okay, darling. Nicole, sweetheart, wake-up." Sharon said right as she was going to get Nicole up.
Upon entering the urgent care clinic, it didn't take long for Leon to fill out some paperwork and explained that the walk-in was for Nicole. About ten minutes later, a receptionist calls Leon, Sharon and Nicole to an available examination room. Then shortly afterwards, a doctor entered the room to examine Nicole and that is when Leon and Sharon explained what happened.
"Hmm…you mentioned that your daughter felt nauseated earlier today. Did she have anything in the last 24 hours that could have been suspicious in smell?" The doctor asked out of curiosity.
"Well, you see we had a wedding yesterday followed up with a reception. Not unless some of the food that got put in catering was….." Leon said upon realizing where the doctor was going at.
"It might be that your daughter contracted food poisoning from that. So, Mr. and Mrs. S., I would recommend that your daughter is to get rest and drink plenty of fluids." The doctor said before leaving the room.
Leon and Sharon nodded to the doctor's statement before they along with Nicole began to leave the urgent care clinic. Then an hour passed before Leon and Sharon noticed that they were approaching the house. Sharon, who sat in the back with Nicole carried her into the house and put her in her bed before heading back outside to Leon who was cleaning up the car seat.
"How was she when you laid her down, honey?" Leon asked out of concern.
"I think she's feeling a little better but when I carried her, there was a pool of sweat coming from her back. I don't know, darling." Sharon said with a sigh.
"Let's take this step by step, okay. I know that Nicole definitely needs a bath. For now, let's give her some rest." Leon said in a comforting way.
"Yeah, I agree. How about I make her some soup for lunch to see if that'll help her feel better?" Sharon said in response.
"Of course, that's a great idea. You do that while I unload the stuff out of the car." Leon said before kissing Sharon.
Sharon went inside to prepare the soup for Nicole while Leon was putting everything else away. When Leon was putting Nicole's things away in her room, he noticed that Nicole was starting to wake up.
"Daddy…. I'm sorry for putting you and mommy through this." Nicole said with a sad look on her face.
"Oh, sweetie. Don't blame yourself. Me and your mom are doing the best to take care of you. Speaking of which, your mother just got done making soup that would help you feel better. I know what you might be thinking right now just by looking at your outfit, me and your mom have considered that you should take a bath once you got all rested. Okay." Leon said in a reassuring way.
"Thank you, Daddy." Nicole said in response.
Leon then headed downstairs to see that Sharon was indeed fixing Nicole's bowl of soup with the intention of bringing it up to her. Before Sharon could bring it to Nicole, Leon told his wife about the conversation that he had with Nicole and she had a smile upon understanding everything that transpired. Leon headed to the living room and began to unwind a little until Sharon made it downstairs.
"She really likes the soup, Leon. It is really helping Nicole out. Great idea, wasn't it, darling?" Sharon said as she began to sit on the couch.
"It sure was, honey. I'm bushed, what about you?" Leon said as his eyes were groggy.
"Not really, my love. You want me to wake you once I get lunch done?" Sharon said as she noticed how tired Leon was getting.
"Sounds like a plan to me, honey." Leon said before drifting off into a nap on the couch.
Sharon got up and went into the kitchen to see what she could make for her and Leon. However, before she could pull the ingredients that she needed Sharon heard a thud coming from upstairs and went to check on Nicole. By the time Sharon got to Nicole's room, she saw that Nicole was up and had placed the bowl on the floor.
"Are you okay, sweetheart? I heard a thud and came to see if you were alright." Sharon said with concern.
"Yes, I'm okay, Mommy. I got down with my bowl of soup and was getting ready to take that bath like Daddy wanted me to." Nicole said in response.
"Oh, okay." Sharon said after picking up the bowl.
Then Sharon went back to the kitchen to put the bowl in the sink and began to make her and Leon's lunch. "That was really close, I thought something bad happened to Nicole. I'm surprised that Leon didn't hear the thud during his nap." Sharon thought to herself while she was cooking lunch. It was a few minutes later that the lunch had got done cooking and Sharon put it on plates.
"Leon, darling. I got lunch ready." Sharon said as she woke up Leon.
"Okay, thank you for waking me, honey." Leon said as he woke up.
Once Leon and Sharon prepared to sit down to eat their lunch, they see Nicole coming downstairs with a clean set of clothes on and chose to sit in the dining room even though she had eaten.
"I feel a whole lot better." Nicole said with a smile on her face.
"That is good to hear, sweetie. See that's what eating soup, getting rest and taking a quality bath can do." Leon said in response.
"Well, you're going overboard here. But yes that does help. The point your dad is trying to make Nicole is that if you come across advice from either of us, family, a friend, teacher, or doctors use your judgment to follow it." Sharon said with calm tone.
"Okay, Mommy." Nicole said in response.
"Hmm…this is really good, honey." Leon said after taking a bite of his lunch.
"What is it that you and mommy are eating?" Nicole said out of curiosity.
"It is spaghetti using whole wheat pasta since me and your dad have been doing the healthy diet for a while now. Except yesterday was our cheat day but no worries, sweetheart me and your dad started to get back on it today." Sharon said with a smile on her face.
"Oh, okay. I was wondering when you and daddy would get back into that because…." Nicole said out of curiosity.
"Wait a minute, I'm starting to understand why the events of today happened. Sharon, this might sound like a long shot, but I think I know why Nicole got sick earlier, a change in dietary habit which matches with the timeline we gave the doctor earlier." Leon said with an epiphany.
"That sounds about right, darling. I mean the only foods we have given Nicole is the same ones we eat, and she loves them. Then one day out of that routine she gets sick, it makes sense. Nicole, sweetheart, you trying to get what me and your dad are saying?" Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Yes, Mommy. You and Daddy know that I like the healthy foods and the diet you're doing to ensure to make sure to see me grow up." Nicole said with honesty.
"Me and your mom are proud of you, sweetie. I mean for telling us that statement and being appreciated for what we're doing for you." Leon said with a smile on his face.
Nicole then hugged her parents before she headed up to her bedroom. Sharon had finished eating her lunch and noticed that Leon was getting full of his lunch. So, Sharon picked up the plates and cleaned them off along with the rest of the dishes that were in the sink. Leon noticed a conflicting look on Sharon's face while she was cleaning the kitchen.
"Sharon, honey, what's the matter?" Leon said out of concern.
"Oh, it's that I am scared, darling." Sharon said with an honest tone.
"What is it that's scaring you?" Leon asked in response.
"I'm afraid that I'll be out of shape, Leon. I mean since we're back on our diet and haven't done any exercises in a while." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"It's okay, honey. To help you feel better, I felt the same way myself each time I got healed up from an injury. It will take some time before we get back into the shape we were in." Leon said in assuring tone.
"Thank you for being supportive, my love." Sharon said upon kissing Leon.
"Of course, Sharon. If you want to get the mats ready, then I will get the bottles of water filled up for us." Leon said with a smile on his face.
"Okay, darling. It'll be a minute though because I got to switch into my workout clothes." Sharon said as she left the kitchen.
Leon filled up the water bottles and went into the living room to move the coffee table. Then Leon saw his wife coming back downstairs wearing a cut off shirt with a sports bra and leggings. Once Sharon brought the mats and placed them on the floor she looked at Leon who was stretching his arms and legs. That's when Sharon did the same thing as her husband.
Once the warmup was over, Leon and Sharon decided to do a core and cardio exercise routine. Partway through the routine, Sharon ran out of breath which put her worst fears to the test and Leon who had got done with that particular segment gave her a sip of water and encouragement to finish the exercise. Then the rest of the exercise routine consisted of nonstop encouragement between Sharon and Leon.
"Whew, that routine whipped us both out." Leon said as he reclaimed his breath.
"Yeah, my heart was pounding like crazy and still is. I'm drenched in sweat, whew." Sharon said as she was catching her breath.
Upon resting on the sofa for a while, Leon and Sharon arranged the living room back to the way it was. Then Sharon went upstairs to get ready to take a shower while Leon went to check on Nicole. Once he got to Nicole's room, Leon could see the look that Nicole was giving him.
"Daddy, you smell weird and look all red." Nicole said with a precarious look on her face.
"Sweetie, me and your mom had finished up doing some exercises. So that's why I am like this but no worries once your mother gets done with the shower I'll clean myself up." Leon said with a smile on his face.
"Okay Daddy." Nicole said in response.
Some time later Sharon got out of the shower with clean clothes on and signaled Leon that the bathroom was all his now. Then Leon left Nicole's room to go take a shower but not before meeting Sharon halfway who gave him fresh clothes to wear post shower. "I know Missy bear, but I hope mommy or daddy freshen up the house, so we don't smell their sweat and odor." Nicole thought to herself while playing with her precious teddy bear. Sharon entered Nicole's room a minute later and sat next to her daughter.
"Mommy, do you have some kind of air freshener?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"We should have some in the storage room, sweetheart. Oh, did your dad come in here while I was in the shower. We'll put them in important parts of the house." Sharon said in response.
"Yes. You smell pretty, Mommy." Nicole said with after smelling an angelic smell.
"Thank you, sweetheart. I was wanting your opinion on something." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Yes what is it?" Nicole said in response.
"How would you feel about trying a veggie burger for dinner tonight?" Sharon asked out of curiosity.
"I'll try it, Mommy. I mean since it is not that much different from the other foods that you and daddy have been eating as of late." Nicole said honestly.
Sharon had a smile on her face and noticed that Leon was reentering Nicole's room after taking his shower and took a seat between Sharon and Nicole. Then Sharon and Nicole looked at Leon with a smirk on their faces which caught Leon off guard.
"Daddy, guess what we're having for dinner that I'm going to try for the first time tonight?" Nicole said with a calm tone.
"Hmm…what did your mom say about the dinner?" Leon said while directly looking at Sharon.
"I mentioned that we were having veggie burgers for dinner, darling. But before we get started to make them there's something I need you to do for me. Can you please pull the air fresheners out of the storage room and put them over the house?" Sharon said in response.
"I can surely do that for you. Would've thought about that earlier but I forgot to." Leon answered boldly.
Leon went to grab the air fresheners and placed them in the important areas of the house. Then Sharon and Nicole smelt the fragrance coming from the air freshener and it made everything feel a whole lot better. So, Sharon and Nicole went downstairs to the kitchen to watch Leon cook up the veggie burgers.
Once Leon noticed his wife and daughter were in the kitchen he had a smile on his face. Then Sharon motioned for Nicole to set the table up for dinner. Leon who was flipping the fourth burger, saw that Sharon was standing right next to him.
"The house smells a lot nicer now, darling." Sharon said before kissing Leon on the cheek.
"Thank you, honey. I got the burgers done because I don't know how many Nicole would want so I figured this would do." Leon said as he turned off the burner.
"That's okay. Umm…do you think we should talk to her about you know." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"I'm fine with it. I mean our honeymoon is not that far away and she needs to know what's going on. Speaking of that when we are going to pack for it." Leon said in response.
"As soon as we get done with dinner. Besides one of us has to help with Nicole's bearings for her stays." Sharon remarked quietly as she placed the plate of burgers on the table.
Leon nodded as he sat down, then he prepared a burger for Nicole and placed it in front of her. After taking a sniff of her food, Nicole took a bite of the veggie burger and noticed that her parents who took a bite of theirs were waiting for a response.
"So, what do you think, sweetie?" Leon asked out of curiosity.
"It's pretty good, Daddy." Nicole said in response before taking another bite.
"That's wonderful, sweetheart. There's something that your dad and I have to tell you." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Okay, Mommy." Nicole said as she placed her burger on her plate.
"Your dad and I are going to be out of town for a few days to celebrate our honeymoon. I know it sounds like that you would be here all by yourself, but we wouldn't do that. So, we've came up with a way for some to watch you while we're gone." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Huh?" Nicole said in response.
"Your mom is saying that we found people that would split their time watching you while we are away. For example, you would spend a couple of days at a person's home before trading off. So, your mother and I asked Auntie Karen and Aunt Rita to do the favor by watching you. They didn't mind at all and you'll be going to Auntie Karen's first." Leon said with a calm tone.
"Oh okay. I understand." Nicole said as proceeded to finish her dinner.
Leon and Sharon looked at each other with concern on their faces. Nicole got done with her burger and proceeded to clean her plate, then she went straight up to her room before shutting the door behind her.
"What have we done, Sharon?" Leon said with a deep sigh.
"I know, Leon. I thought we were doing the right thing by telling her what was going on. I feel so guilty for doing that." Sharon said with a gloomy look.
"We've got to make it up to her in some way." Leon said boldly.
"But how Leon….." Sharon said with a concerned look.
"Follow me on this, honey. Nicole, sweetie, can we talk for a minute?" Leon said as right as he was about to knock on Nicole's bedroom door.
"Yes." Nicole answered as she opened the door to let her parents in her room.
"Nicole, your mom and I felt concerned about you after you left the dinner table. Is something troubling you?" Leon said with a sigh.
"Why did you and mommy tell me about your trip now instead of earlier?" Nicole said in an upset tone.
"You're upset about we told you about earlier. We're sorry for doing that to you, sweetie. Your mom and I are going to make it up to you." Leon said in response.
"You will?" Nicole said with a smile.
"Yes, sweetie. We'll try to bring back a souvenir of some kind for you. How about that?" Leon said with a smile.
"I will like that a lot." Nicole said in an enthusiastic way.
Then Nicole embraced her parents after having the conversation, Sharon went downstairs to clean up her and Leon's plates while Leon stayed in the room. In the meanwhile, Leon laid out Nicole's suitcase in the other part of her bedroom. After putting the suitcase down, Leon laid out on the floor and began to relax.
"Daddy, what you are doing on the floor?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Oh, nothing really, sweetie." Leon said in response.
"Ok. Daddy?" Nicole said with hesitation.
"Yes, sweetie." Leon answered.
"What happens if I want to come back home while you and mommy are gone?" Nicole said out of curiosity.
"Hmmm…. I'll talk it over with your mom to see what can be done, sweetie. How come you ask this now?" Leon replied out of curiosity.
"Daddy, it's that sometimes there are things that overwhelms me. You know I can handle the times we go over to Aunt Rita and Uncle Lynn's but there are instances where it can get out of control for example. That's the kind of things I'm afraid of." Nicole said honestly.
"Oh, Nicole. I understand what you mean. Speaking of which, Sharon, honey. Can we talk out in the hallway for a moment?" Leon said once he noticed that Sharon had entered Nicole's bedroom.
Sharon was a bit curious why her husband needed to discuss something in the hallway. Before stepping out of the bedroom, Leon handed Nicole one of her stuffed animals and kissed her on the forehead.
"Sharon, I was talking to Nicole and addressed something to me about the babysitting situation. She wanted to know if she could at anytime while we're gone on our honeymoon come back home." Leon said with a calm tone.
"Well, I'm fine with it just as long as whoever has her has to do house sitting. But why this out of the blue?" Sharon said in response.
"Hmm…..she did mention something about the fact that she gets overwhelmed sometimes. Now that I think about it, Nicole's specialist had mentioned to me one time when I started to learn about her diagnosis that people with her condition can experience an unusual array of emotions including ones that overwhelms a person in a stressful situation." Leon said honestly.
"That makes sense, darling. I'll text Karen and Rita about this, while you tell Nicole that we're okay with her request." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Hold on, Sharon. Instead of having Nicole going to my sister's or your sister's. Why not have your sister stay here during the entire time while we're gone. I mean Rita is only two blocks away from us so if Karen needed anything she wouldn't have to travel far. Ask them about that to see if that's okay." Leon said with clarity.
"Yes I like the sound of that idea, darling. I'll get right on it." Sharon said after kissing Leon and pulling out her phone.
Leon went back into Nicole's bedroom and put her suitcase back in the closet. This completely put a curious look on the face of Nicole as she noticed her father coming to sit down right next to her on the bed.
"Sweetie, your mom and I were talking. After thinking about what you had told me earlier, we're going to have your Aunt Karen come down here to babysit you instead of spending the night at her house. If your aunt Karen ever needs anything while we're gone, remember that your aunt Rita and uncle Lynn's house is only two blocks away." Leon said while rubbing Nicole's head.
Nicole had a huge smile upon hearing that and proceeded to give her dad one of her stuffed animals so that he could play with her. A couple of minutes later, Sharon entered the room and Leon had motioned Nicole to pause what they were doing.
"Hi, Mommy." Nicole said with her smile.
"Hi, sweetheart. Did your father already tell you the good news?" Sharon said in response.
"Hmm-Hmm. I can't wait for Auntie Karen to come." Nicole said with a burst of energy.
"Guessing everything went good, honey?" Leon asked out of curiosity to Sharon.
"Yes, everyone is on board with it all. I see you're having fun with the stuffed animals." Sharon said with a smile.
"Oh, yeah. Well here come and join us." Leon said as he handed a stuffed animal to Sharon.
"Oh, okay." Sharon said with a smile.
Then Leon and Sharon played a game with the stuffed animals which made Nicole laugh a little before she joined in. This lasted for a while until Leon and Sharon passed out on the floor, Nicole with Missy Bear in her hand went to her parents' bedroom to grab a blanket to lay on top of them. After placing the blanket on her parents, Nicole had sat on her bed with her trusted stuffed teddy bear had thought of many things.
Two hours had passed, Nicole was about to head to the bathroom when she saw her father waking up from the floor of her bedroom. Once Leon came to he nudged Sharon to wake up as well.
"Mm…how long were we asleep for?" Sharon said once she woke up.
"A couple of hours. How come you didn't wake us, sweetie?" Leon said while looking at Sharon and Nicole.
"I wanted to Daddy. It's that I thought you and mommy were tired, so I didn't want wake you." Nicole said in a neutral way.
"Oh, sweetie. That's very thoughtful of you. I know that me and your mom have been under pressure lately which caused us to be tired and such." Leon said in a reassuring way.
"Yes, sweetheart. Thank you for letting us get that rest I know these past few weeks your dad and I haven't had much time to take a load off like that." Sharon said in response.
Nicole felt better that she was being appreciated for what she was doing and wanted to say something but couldn't since she had to use the bathroom. Leon and Sharon went to their bedroom taking their blanket with them. Leon sat on the bed while Sharon pulled out the suitcase from the corner of the bedroom. This prompted Leon to find two pages containing itinerary information which was on a shelf under the bed.
"What time does the flight leave out from Detroit?" Sharon asked while she was putting in clothes into the suitcase.
"It leaves out of Detroit at 11 AM and we have a layover in LA which will be two hours, then we won't reach Honolulu until mid afternoon their time or late evening here. Because Hawaii's a five-hour time zone difference from us." Leon answered while looking at the itinerary.
"Okay, so that would mean I have to tell Karen to be here early in the morning. What about on the day we come back?" Sharon said with a calm tone.
"It says that the flight leaving from Honolulu is oh boy 4 AM and this one has a shorter layover but in Las Vegas this time, then we won't reach Detroit until late evening. We'll wait until it's closer to time about staying at a hotel there or go straight on home." Leon answered boldly.
"Alright, we'll see what happens when the time comes." Sharon said with a smile on her face once she finished packing her suitcase.
"This shouldn't take long for me. I hope." Leon said as he was beginning to pack his suitcase.
"Leon, darling. I'm putting the itineraries of our flights and hotel reservations in my purse." Sharon said as she picked up the itineraries.
"Ok, honey." Leon said in response.
"You know what. I love you." Sharon said in a cute voice.
Leon got a bit nervous hearing that he zipped up his suitcase without noticing his hand was inside it. Before saying anything Leon got his arm unstuck and kept his cool.
"I love you too." Leon said as he officially got done packing his suitcase.
"Is your hand okay, darling?" Sharon asked once Leon joined her in the bed.
"Yeah it's alright." Leon answered after kissing Sharon.
"Oh, shoot I almost forgot to tell Karen about what time she has to be here in the morning. Leon can you hand me my phone it should be on your side of the bed." Sharon said with a sigh.
Leon found Sharon's phone and handed it to her. Then Sharon turned around so she could get the message that she wanted to send to Karen out. While that was going on Leon took the time to massage Sharon's shoulders and upper back.
"Your hands are warmer than usual darling." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Warmer? Is that a bad thing, honey?" Leon said with concern.
"No, not at all. It's making things smoother than usual that's all." Sharon said with a smile on her face.
"Oh okay." Leon said in response.
Then Sharon got a response from Karen which she nodded to it before putting her phone away. Leon noticed this and stopped massaging Sharon who now turned around to look directly at him.
"I heard back from Karen and she said that was fine since she was actually getting ready to leave to head this way in a little while. Reason is that her residential complex is currently being inspected for something which she found out the minute she got there. She thought about staying with us until it's safe for her to go back into the complex." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"I don't mind Karen's company at all, you know that honey. Want me to set up the guest room or do you want to?" Leon said with a calm tone.
"We both can do it. Besides, it'll be a couple of hours before she gets here." Sharon answered boldly.
Then Leon and Sharon went ahead and got the guest room ready for Karen's arrival. While that was going on Nicole peered out of her bedroom to see what the commotion was about and walked into the guest room to see. Leon and Sharon who had finished decorating the guest room noticed Nicole standing there with a curious look on her face.
"What's going on?" Nicole asked out of curiosity.
"Sweetie, it looks like your Aunt Karen is coming here starting tonight and she'll be staying with us for a while since her place is under some kind of inspection. So, until the moment when it's safe for her to go back to her complex your Aunt will be here in the guest room." Leon said in response.
"She's coming here tonight. Yay." Nicole said with excitement.
"Now, sweetheart. I know how pumped up you get each time your aunt comes over but by the time she shows up…" Sharon said with a sigh.
"Sharon, honey. I know where you were going with that, but can you let Nicole stay up a little longer. I mean she had a rough time on the way home and took a nap afterwards." Leon said in response.
"Oh alright." Sharon said in response.
Nicole had a smile on her face upon hearing that and went to her bedroom. Leon had a sigh since he knew going against his wife on a small scale could lead to the silent treatment for a short time. So, to compensate for this Leon went downstairs and worked on tuning up his guitar since it had been a while since he last played it. Sharon on the other hand decided to make a vegetable smoothie out of the blender.
Then a few minutes later, Leon gave up on tuning his guitar for now after it played the same funky note four times. Sharon noticed how frustrated Leon was getting and poured him a glass of the smoothie.
"Thank you, honey. About what happened back there…." Leon said as he took a sip of the smoothie.
"Don't worry about it, Leon. You were right and I should be the one taking the fall here. I understand what you meant back there, besides Nicole's still a kid and she should have some fun like this only once in a while." Sharon said after sipping her smoothie.
"Yeah. Hmmm…. this smoothie's good. What did you put in it?" Leon said out of curiosity.
"Let's see I put in some carrots, tomatoes, and some peppers not the spicy kind because I know how our stomachs can tolerate that." Sharon said after looking at the glass.
Leon was about to say something before hearing a knock on the front door. Sharon proceeded to answer the door upon noticing that it was Karen, and she hugged her sister after Leon took her bags to the guest room. Nicole came out of her room to see her aunt in the living room and proceeded to hug her. Then Nicole went back to her bedroom for the rest of the night but not before wishing everyone good night.
"Yeah she wanted to stay up until you got here. It felt like ever since we told her that you were coming she was excited in some way." Leon said to Karen.
"The little ray of sunshine still has the same spunk of energy every time I'm around her. Well Sis and Leon at least you nothing to worry about now that I am here. I mean Nicole knows that I won't do anything careless because she's my niece and no one messes with her when I'm around." Karen said with a calm tone.
"I'm happy and glad to hear that Sis. So how was the drive down here?" Sharon said as she took a sip of her smoothie.
"Well to be honest with you, traffic was noticeably quiet, so I had no problems. However, I was listening to the radio and they said that traffic around Detroit is going through repairs so if anything happens by airport follow the detour signs." Karen said with a calm tone.
"Okay, I will be on the lookout for that. Oh, Karen, did you want something to drink?" Leon said with a smile on his face.
"Water will be fine, thank you." Karen said and Leon went to grab a glass of water.
"What did Mom and Dad say when they found out that you were coming here for a while until that situation at your complex gets straightened out?" Sharon asked Karen.
"Oh, Mom was not too thrilled about it and told me well your sister just got married and needs to focus on her life and this and that. She was a hassle, and I don't know if I talk to them for a while after that. I mean this was right before I told Dad about it and he was supportive all the way. It's just I don't know what's gotten into Mom lately." Karen said with a sigh before taking a sip of water.
"You okay, Karen?" Leon said out of curiosity.
"I'm a little upset right now, Leon. But I'm starting to get over it." Karen answered honestly.
Suddenly Leon's phone goes off and gets a message from Mrs. Carter. "Leon, I know that Karen is at your house. I was wondering if you could ask her if she has time to call me because it's important that I talk to her." The message stated.
"Karen, I don't know what's going on here, but I got a message from your mom saying that she has something important that she wants to talk to you about." Leon said with a sigh.
"Alright, I'll talk to her." Karen said with a sigh.
Then Karen stepped out on the back yard to call her mother on her cellphone. It only took a couple of dial tones before the call went out.
"Hi, Mom." Karen said when the call began.
"Hi, Karen. So, Leon did relay my message to you?" Mrs. Carter said in response.
"Yes, Mom." Karen responded back.
"Karen, I am sorry for saying the harsh things that I said earlier to you before you left for your sister's. I should have known that you were doing it to help them out and instead I put my ego above everything else." Mrs. Carter said with a powerful response.
"Mom, I am sorry too for butting heads with you. I'm glad we understand each other now and tell Dad I love him. I'll talk to you guys sometime tomorrow to notify you when Leon and Sharon get to their destination." Karen said in response.
"Okay, Karen. I'll tell him. Talk to you tomorrow. Love you." Mrs. Carter said before ending the conversation.
"Love you too, Mom." Karen said before hanging up the phone.
Once Karen went back into the living room, she noticed that Sharon had her head on Leon's shoulder. That's when Karen decided to take a picture of the cute moment which almost startled Sharon for a second.
"So, how did it go?" Leon said out of curiosity.
"We made up and she understands why I chose to come here." Karen answered boldly.
"I'm glad to hear that." Leon said.
"Want to try a sip of my smoothie, Sis?" Sharon said out of sincerity.
"No thank you, Sharon. You guys are back on the health kick again?" Karen said in response.
"Yes, Sis. You know me I've been conscience with my health and since Leon has that thyroid issue which needs to be monitored on top of him not wanting to be out of shape for being a retired professional athlete." Sharon answered honestly.
"You got me there, Sharon. I bet it was hard to get back into the swing of things especially after having the wedding." Karen said with a calm tone.
"It didn't affect me as much unlike your sister here. But I know that when me and her will be on our honeymoon will be the tough challenge." Leon said with a sigh.
"Oh yeah I forgot, Hawaii has a mix of decent cuisine and also they're not cheap on things when it comes to tourists because of their taxes is the one of highest in the country." Karen said with a sigh.
"You had to say that Sis since one of your close friends from high school is a CPA for a top firm in the state." Sharon said with a calm tone.
"Of course." Karen said in response.
Then Leon got up and proceeded to head off to bed, but not before kissing Sharon on the forehead and waving Karen goodnight. Sharon went to grab Leon's glass and cleaned it up before heading back to the living room where her sister was.
"Shar, you are feeling okay?" Karen said once Sharon sat down.
"Oh, it's that me and Leon had a rough day today. On our way home Nicole threw up and took her to urgent care to realize that she got sick from the food she ate at our reception. Not only that was figuring out our plans with Nicole's situation while we are away being all juggled around. I mean it was hectic, Sis. The only relaxing times were playing with Nicole and getting worn out by a regimen that Leon came up with last minute." Sharon said in an anxious tone.
"You're stressed out, Sharon. Think about it by this time tomorrow you'll be relaxing on a beach somewhere with Leon or seeing the beautiful views of the ocean. No more wedding planning, just a happy honeymoon with the man who has the utmost love and respect for you." Karen said while handing Sharon her smoothie glass.
"That helped me out a lot, thanks Sis." Sharon said with a deep breath.
"Anything to do to keep my little sister happy. That's what I am here for." Karen said in response.
"I'm glad to have you as my big sister, Karen. You know." Sharon said after taking the last sip of her smoothie.
"Aww…thank you, Sharon." Karen said with a smile.
"I'm feeling a bit tired. How about you, Sis?" Sharon said after yawning.
"Yeah, a little bit. I know you and Leon have a long day of traveling tomorrow. So, if you guys leave before I wake up, is there anything you want me to do?" Karen asked before Sharon took a step on the stairs.
"If Nicole's still asleep tell her that we love her, and we'll call once we land. Other than that, there's nothing I can think of Sis." Sharon said before she headed off to bed.
"Okay, have a good night, Sis." Karen said with a smile on her face.