Finally, no more English pieces to write! A huge thanks to everyone who's
been so dedicated to come back and read again and again. I hope everyone
enjoys this chapter.
Please read and review!
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Tori stubbornly push the bowl of soup across the table towards Gordo who was lying back on the couch. "Drink soup," she insisted.
Gordo reached across the table and slowly lifted the spoon to his mouth. Tori grinned in satisfaction, and returned her attention to the coloring book.
"How are you feeling?" Lizzie asked, leaning towards him.
"Other than half dead, I'm doing good," he answered.
Lizzie nodded, settling back in the chair. Though she'd only realized he was sick yesterday, Lizzie could visibly see the difference already. His cheeks were sunken in, a pale ghastly look about him. His raven hair seemed limp, matted from the sweat of the fever and from the cold washcloths he insisted on having pressed to his forehead. Though she was still worried, the fear wasn't as prominent as it had been yesterday. After several of rest he'd become chatty and Tori had stayed close by, bombarding him with questions and orders.
A soft knock on the door snapped Lizzie's attention forward. Tori bolted up from the couch and raced towards the door.
"Tori," Lizzie called, reaching the door in the same instant her daughter did. Peering through the curtain, her fingers slid along the lock and she twisted the golden knob.
"Matt!" Tori squealed.
Lizzie's eyes drifted to the object conspicuously hidden behind her brother's back. A large stuffed animal of some kind that was almost to Matt's waist. Her caught Lizzie's eye and broke into a grin. He stepped aside and another squeal escaped Tori's lips. She rushed onto the porch and attempted to tackle the bear.
The deep tinkling of another laugh pulled Lizzie's head up. She smiled broadly at Miranda's approaching figure. "Isn't it just an odd coincidence that you two keep showing up at the same time?"
Miranda smirked. "Maybe, or maybe it have something to do with the fact that he drove me."
"Can I have it?" Tori asked suddenly. Her arms locked firmly around the bear.
"Well, if I can have a hug," Matt stated.
Tori didn't hesitate, she quickly let go of the bear jumped up and wrapped her arms around Matt's leg.
He laughed heartily and grabbed her up, squeezing her gently. "All right he's all yours."
"Now, you carry him upstairs for her," Lizzie commanded turning into the house.
Matt made a face but put Tori down and hoisted the bear over his shoulder. Unwilling to leave her new companion, Tori followed closely behind.
Miranda patted Lizzie on her back as she leaned back against the porch railing. "How's everything going?" she asked cautiously.
Lizzie nodded. "All right, I think he's doing better already. Tori has been his nurse so he's very well watched over."
"You know if you need help with anything, even if it's just cleaning or dinner, just call me and I'll be right over to help."
The suggestion was a honest one, a promise. Lizzie knew she had a wonderful best friend. "I'll be sure to yell when I first need help. The biggest thing I'm worried about is if Tori's going to get sick because of Gordo."
"Well, we could keep her."
"We?" Lizzie echoed, raising her eyebrows, staring wide eyed at her friend.
Miranda's tanned skin turned slightly pinker but the smile never faded from her lips. "Well, Matt could stay over so Tori could have someone else to play with beside me."
Lizzie couldn't help it, the comment dangled on her lips. "Don't you're think you're moving a bit fast?"
Miranda shrugged, her brown eyes staring off into the distance. "I've known him just as long as I've known you. It would be different if I'd just met him. But I'm so comfortable with him."
Lizzie forced a smile to her lips. Something made her feel uneasy. Maybe she was just being an overprotective big sister, but as much as she loved her bother and wanted him happy, and she only wanted the best for Miranda; she couldn't seem to assure herself that everything would be all right. "That's really good, I so happy for you both," she finally forced out.
"So you're okay with it," Miranda smiled. "That's really good, because Matt was worried that you wouldn't approve."
Lizzie felt her heart wrench. Regardless of the fact that they were looking for her approval, she couldn't bring herself to say how she really felt. "I want you two to be happy, no matter what."
Miranda lead the way inside the house and into the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator. Lizzie smiled allowing Miranda's instinct to cook take over. She knew better than to argue when Miranda felt like cooking. She loved the Spanish foods Miranda cooked and happily settled into a chair as Miranda began to mix ingredients.
As the aroma began to fill the house, Lizzie heard the footsteps on the stairs and smiled as Matt came into the room.
"Smells great," he commented.
Lizzie started to agree but felt an unusual lurch in her stomach and jumped up, pushing past Matt.
She made it up the stairs only moments before she flung open the toilet seat and gagged, feeling her small breakfast lurch up her throat.
"Mommy," Tori's timid voice called from the doorway.
Lizzie slid down to the floor resting her head against the tiled wall. She smiled weakly and reached out for her. Tori stepped forward into her mother's waiting arms.
"I'm okay," she smiled, pushing her hair away from her face as she kissed Tori lightly on the head.
She refused to think she could be sick, with what had just happened to Tori, and Gordo now sick, she couldn't afford to be anything buy healthy.
Tori stubbornly push the bowl of soup across the table towards Gordo who was lying back on the couch. "Drink soup," she insisted.
Gordo reached across the table and slowly lifted the spoon to his mouth. Tori grinned in satisfaction, and returned her attention to the coloring book.
"How are you feeling?" Lizzie asked, leaning towards him.
"Other than half dead, I'm doing good," he answered.
Lizzie nodded, settling back in the chair. Though she'd only realized he was sick yesterday, Lizzie could visibly see the difference already. His cheeks were sunken in, a pale ghastly look about him. His raven hair seemed limp, matted from the sweat of the fever and from the cold washcloths he insisted on having pressed to his forehead. Though she was still worried, the fear wasn't as prominent as it had been yesterday. After several of rest he'd become chatty and Tori had stayed close by, bombarding him with questions and orders.
A soft knock on the door snapped Lizzie's attention forward. Tori bolted up from the couch and raced towards the door.
"Tori," Lizzie called, reaching the door in the same instant her daughter did. Peering through the curtain, her fingers slid along the lock and she twisted the golden knob.
"Matt!" Tori squealed.
Lizzie's eyes drifted to the object conspicuously hidden behind her brother's back. A large stuffed animal of some kind that was almost to Matt's waist. Her caught Lizzie's eye and broke into a grin. He stepped aside and another squeal escaped Tori's lips. She rushed onto the porch and attempted to tackle the bear.
The deep tinkling of another laugh pulled Lizzie's head up. She smiled broadly at Miranda's approaching figure. "Isn't it just an odd coincidence that you two keep showing up at the same time?"
Miranda smirked. "Maybe, or maybe it have something to do with the fact that he drove me."
"Can I have it?" Tori asked suddenly. Her arms locked firmly around the bear.
"Well, if I can have a hug," Matt stated.
Tori didn't hesitate, she quickly let go of the bear jumped up and wrapped her arms around Matt's leg.
He laughed heartily and grabbed her up, squeezing her gently. "All right he's all yours."
"Now, you carry him upstairs for her," Lizzie commanded turning into the house.
Matt made a face but put Tori down and hoisted the bear over his shoulder. Unwilling to leave her new companion, Tori followed closely behind.
Miranda patted Lizzie on her back as she leaned back against the porch railing. "How's everything going?" she asked cautiously.
Lizzie nodded. "All right, I think he's doing better already. Tori has been his nurse so he's very well watched over."
"You know if you need help with anything, even if it's just cleaning or dinner, just call me and I'll be right over to help."
The suggestion was a honest one, a promise. Lizzie knew she had a wonderful best friend. "I'll be sure to yell when I first need help. The biggest thing I'm worried about is if Tori's going to get sick because of Gordo."
"Well, we could keep her."
"We?" Lizzie echoed, raising her eyebrows, staring wide eyed at her friend.
Miranda's tanned skin turned slightly pinker but the smile never faded from her lips. "Well, Matt could stay over so Tori could have someone else to play with beside me."
Lizzie couldn't help it, the comment dangled on her lips. "Don't you're think you're moving a bit fast?"
Miranda shrugged, her brown eyes staring off into the distance. "I've known him just as long as I've known you. It would be different if I'd just met him. But I'm so comfortable with him."
Lizzie forced a smile to her lips. Something made her feel uneasy. Maybe she was just being an overprotective big sister, but as much as she loved her bother and wanted him happy, and she only wanted the best for Miranda; she couldn't seem to assure herself that everything would be all right. "That's really good, I so happy for you both," she finally forced out.
"So you're okay with it," Miranda smiled. "That's really good, because Matt was worried that you wouldn't approve."
Lizzie felt her heart wrench. Regardless of the fact that they were looking for her approval, she couldn't bring herself to say how she really felt. "I want you two to be happy, no matter what."
Miranda lead the way inside the house and into the kitchen where she opened the refrigerator. Lizzie smiled allowing Miranda's instinct to cook take over. She knew better than to argue when Miranda felt like cooking. She loved the Spanish foods Miranda cooked and happily settled into a chair as Miranda began to mix ingredients.
As the aroma began to fill the house, Lizzie heard the footsteps on the stairs and smiled as Matt came into the room.
"Smells great," he commented.
Lizzie started to agree but felt an unusual lurch in her stomach and jumped up, pushing past Matt.
She made it up the stairs only moments before she flung open the toilet seat and gagged, feeling her small breakfast lurch up her throat.
"Mommy," Tori's timid voice called from the doorway.
Lizzie slid down to the floor resting her head against the tiled wall. She smiled weakly and reached out for her. Tori stepped forward into her mother's waiting arms.
"I'm okay," she smiled, pushing her hair away from her face as she kissed Tori lightly on the head.
She refused to think she could be sick, with what had just happened to Tori, and Gordo now sick, she couldn't afford to be anything buy healthy.