The next few weeks saw the Patriots begin to settle into town. American flags were popping up left and right. The soldiers were always visible on constant patrols. It was said to be for protection and to provide the sheriff's office with more manpower. The politicians made their rounds, making sure to get their faces out in the public. It felt that there was a dinner or party every weekend, along with a town meeting every Wednesday.
Nora had tried to casually question her friends, needing to know if they were as skeptical as she was. Sandy had laughed it off, Lucy had gossiped about the apartments that had been opened for the higher officials, and the others seemed unaffected. Either they didn't feel the occupation would last or weren't concerned by the persistent efforts.
Nora tried to keep an open mind. Maybe Randall Flynn had been small faction. Maybe they weren't all bad. If she didn't know better, she didn't think she would be so wound up about the presence of the government. As far as she could tell- besides being creepily perfect- nothing bad had occurred in the weeks since their arrival. It was the last week of September before she felt she found some sort of evidence to prove her anxiety.
Alex came home from school on Friday, dropped his backpack, and sprinted for the backyard for his daily batting lesson with Miles. Nora sat at the table and retrieved the papers from inside the bag. There were the typical papers she expected- a spelling test graded as 90, math homework, several drawings. Then, at the bottom of the stack was a flash of blue. She frowned as she shuffled the pages to reveal an American flag. Her son had taken great care to color in the blue and red sections of the flag.
It wasn't a problem. There was nothing wrong with learning about history. The thing was- there hadn't been anything like this in the three weeks since school started. She had questioned her son too. They didn't say a pledge, there was no hint of America in the classroom, and she didn't expect them to be cracking open the history textbooks in first grade.
She set the flag onto the table, then stood up and walked outside onto the porch. She watched as Alex hit three balls in a row and Miles prided him with a grin.
"Ten minutes are up kiddo." She called. Alex's shoulders slumped in a clear sign of distaste but he dragged himself towards the porch anyway. He knew the deal. He had ten minutes of play time with Miles to take the edge off but then homework had to be done- especially if he had an assignment over the weekend because that was not going to be hanging over their heads for two days. The rest of the night was his, except for whatever chores he needed to take care of.
Once inside, he settled into his seat, and got to work. She sat next to him in preparation for his inevitable call for help. The kitchen was silent as he worked, frowning in concentration as he carefully worked on his subtraction worksheet.
"Do you know about Halloween?" he asked a minute later. He shook his head slightly, trying to flip his hair out of his eyes. She did him a favor by pushing it to the side, silently making a note to get him a haircut in the near future.
"Yeah. What brought that up?"
"Jake and Kyle were talking about what they were going to dress up as. Mrs. Callahan has a bunch of costumes that she brings out but Jake's mom always makes his. Christopher thought I was weird because I've never done it."
"Really?" she was torn on the topic. On one hand, she knew the kids in Philadelphia participated in the holiday. Then again, Bass had kept Alex so withdrawn from society, it wasn't a real surprise. "Well, do you know what you want to dress up as?"
"I get to go?"
"Don't you want to?"
"Yeah. They said everyone passes out food and candy. There's a new girl in my class. Her dad is a soldier and she says they have real candy."
"That'll be exciting. Halloween is fun. Everyone dresses up and you run from house to house and knock on doors and yell trick or treat."
"Do you have to trick people if they don't give you anything?"
"No. Sometimes people do but that's usually only if they're being bad."
"Are you going to dress up?"
"Ah… I don't know. I didn't think about it. I didn't even realize that it was getting to be that time of year. I could come up with something. Do you think your dad will?" Nora smiled in amusement at the thought.
"Will what?" Miles asked as he returned to the room.
"Alex wants us to dress up for Halloween."
"What?"
"Everyone goes trick or treating here."
"Oh. I'm-" she could hear the refusal in his tone, as could their son. Alex ducked his head, a frown on his face. Nora glared at Miles, who sighed inwardly. "I think it would be cool. We'll have to do something awesome. Jedi or pirates."
"What's a Jedi?" Alex looked up questioningly. His father groaned, then gestured at the papers on the table.
"Finish your homework. I need to start your real education ASAP."
Nora rolled her eyes but refrained from commenting. She watched Alex pensively for a moment, then reached for the flag drawing.
"What's this?" she held it up for his inspection.
"Oh. Mr. Pat brought that in."
"Who's that?"
"He helps Miss Broderick in class."
"I've never heard you mention him before."
"He comes a couple times. He works with Mr. Grant."
Nora glanced at Miles, who was now leaning against the counter with a glass of water and listening as well. She ran through the politicians she had met but couldn't place someone named Pat.
"Have I met him?"
"I don't think so. I only see him at school. He says it's his job to teach the kids."
"Does he teach when he comes in to class?"
"Yeah. Miss Broderick sits in the back."
"What does he talk about?"
"America."
"Like what?"
"Like the states and the flag and the presidents. He said we have to know who the real presidents are." Alex looked towards Miles, then faced Nora completely. "He said Bass and Dad are bad people."
"How did that come up?"
"He talked about how there used to be a real country and not a bunch. He said they were fake and bad and only hurt people. He asked if any of us knew the names of those."
"Did anyone know them?"
"Jake said California. I… I said the Republic." He looked ashamed to say it. "He said that was the worst one. He didn't know who I was though. He called them Sebastian Monroe and Miles Matheson, like we had to know their names. He didn't say it to me. Everyone else got scared. I wasn't. I knew he was lying- about Dad at least."
There was a loud clang as Miles slammed the glass into the sink and straightened up. Alex recoiled into the seat as he walked by.
"I'm going to go find that movie."
"Am I in trouble?" Alex asked quietly.
"Of course you're not." Nora smoothed a hand over his hair. "No. Your dad just- he doesn't- it's fine. I'll be right back. You okay with the math?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." She stood from the table and followed the path upstairs to the attic. When they had moved in, most of the two story house had been decorated with generic furniture from previous tenants. No personal effects had remained but upon later inspection, they had found several boxes of books and DVDs in the attic. She stood in the doorway as Miles dug through one chest. "You should go talk to him."
"About what?"
"Well, he thinks you're mad at him. Or that he's in trouble."
"I'm the bad guy."
"I didn't say that."
"No. I am the bad guy and he doesn't get that."
"Would you rather he looks at you like you're the monster?" she sat down on the edge of a crate.
"The reason he was able to let go of Bass so easily was because he realized he had been lied to."
"So you're not angry at the idea that the Patriots are wedging their way the school to start their subtle brainwashing."
"No, there's that too but-" he cut himself off with a huff and pressed his palms into the sides of the chest. He felt like flinging the entire piece across the room.
"You're scared he's going to hate you for what you did."
"He can't hold me unaccountable for what I did and punish Bass for what he did. Same thing I told Charlie about Rachel. We all did awful things."
"Bass kidnapped him." Nora stared across the attic with a dark glare. "In my opinion, that tops everything."
"It doesn't matter."
"Of course it does!"
"I've killed people. Tortured them, torched cities, ripped kids from their families."
"So have I."
"And that doesn't bother you?"
"You know it does."
"We don't deserve him."
"Fuck you!" she shot off the crate and went to stand directly in front of him. "You want to stand there and think you need absolution or whatever, fine. But I've had enough. I lost my child Miles. For six years, I dealt with that every day. That's more than enough punishment for me. After all we've been through, how can you say that?"
"It's not like they're lying. Eventually, he's going to find out the truth and that makes us just as bad as them."
"Not even close. Miles, he's seen us fight. He knows what we've done."
"He saw us fighting Militia. He thought we were doing it to help. Like a pair of fucked up vigilantes."
"Wasn't that what the Republic was?" her voice softened and she moved closer to touch him. "You're not Bass."
When he didn't respond and refused to meet her eye, she grabbed his jaw a bit forcefully, and repeated herself.
"You're not Bass. We both have done things we regret. He's going to find out the truth, you're right but things are different." She paused, trying to find the best way to explain herself. The look in his eyes was killing her. "Baby, he's not going to hold you responsible."
"He's so naïve and stupid. He doesn't even entertained the idea that I could be who they say I am."
"He's a kid. He doesn't know the General. He doesn't see him. He sees the guy who fought like hell to protect him, to forge some kind of bond with him, who risked everything to come find him and take him home. He sees you. I know how you feel about him and I know how hard this has been on you and I wish- I wish so badly that you would completely let go and allow yourself to appreciate and fully immerse yourself in him. There are plenty of moments when I see you do it. I know you can. We've talked about this. He adores you. You're scared of losing him. I am too and- and I know I haven't been the easiest to deal with lately. I know you've been holding back, trying to be there for me and that isn't fair. You should not and do not need to shoulder everyone's stress and fear. He's not going anywhere, for any reason. I don't care what happens. I'm not letting it."
"Isn't that was Bass did? Not let the monster be seen and acted like Dad of the Year when they were together? There doesn't seem to be a difference."
"We're not lying to him."
"We're just hiding an entire chapter of our lives."
"Weren't there things you didn't know about your parents until you were older? I don't see it being any different than that. We're not torturing people in our basement. We have a past. Is it one I'm proud of? No. But when that time comes- that we have to talk about it with him, we're going to deal with it carefully so he understands." she waited a moment to see if he was going to respond at all. "You know what's going to throw a wrench in your relationship? Pulling stunts like this. You scared him down there. He thought you were mad at him. He can't grasp that you can be angry at a situation and not the person in the situation. He is naïve and innocent and I think he feels the same way we do- that something is going to happen to change how we feel about him. Make sure you say something to him when you go downstairs."
She turned to walk back down the stairs but stopped when she heard him speak.
"I didn't mean it, when I said we don't deserve him."
"Yes you did. Otherwise you wouldn't have said it."
"Well, I don't deserve him, at least."
"Okay."
"Okay, what?"
"I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm not going to indulge your self-hatred. I know you're not going to change your mind. So, okay. Find the movie, finish your pity party, and come downstairs."
The Star Wars series proved to be a hit with Alex. Once he settled into Episode IV, he quickly became enraptured with the storyline and characters. He voiced several complaints when Nora insisted they stop to eat dinner. He only gave in when Miles promised they would watch Episode V promptly after dinner. Now, it was close to the end of the movie, and despite his insistence to continue onto Episode VI, he seemed to be falling asleep.
Nora was already asleep, which surprised Miles. Though, when he thought about it, she seemed to have been going to bed earlier and earlier the past few nights.
The closing credits finally began to scroll about ten minutes later. He waited for Alex to order a quick change of the DVD but it didn't come. Miles glanced over to find his son asleep and slumped against Nora's arm.
The sight of the two of them stirred something within him. He didn't doubt that he loved them- he had told Nora that its intensity scared him. He hadn't expected it or wanted it for the longest time. What right do you have to want any of this?
He didn't deserve either of them and God knew they could do so much better than him. But they want you. You're trying your best. You're changing. For how long? To him, it felt like the more they settled in to this life, the more relaxed his wife was becoming and the more restless and stressed he was becoming. Good things didn't last very long. Guys like us can't have that- his words from months ago echoed in his head.
You do have that, you stupid bastard. Nora was right- the only way you're going to lose this is if you act like an asshole.
He sighed inwardly, then pushed his inner struggle aside. He pointed the remote at the TV, turned it off, and then turned his attention to Alex. His son settled comfortably into his shoulder as he carried him upstairs to his bedroom without complaint. Miles considered it a victory when he laid Alex down and pulled the blanket over him- all without hearing a peep.
"Dad," the groggy voice caught his attention- fuck- and he turned slightly to look at him from the doorway. Alex was propped up on his elbow, rubbing idly at his eyes with the other hand. "We- we-"
He yawned loudly, cutting off the rest of his statement. The tired, dopey expression made Miles smirk slightly. Alex blinked a couple times, swallowed, and then tried again.
"We were gonna watch the other movie."
"We were until you fell asleep."
"I'm up now."
"Yeah but it's late. Go back to sleep."
"I didn't get a story."
"Cause you fell asleep."
"I'm up now."
Typically, Miles struggled to stand his ground when it came to Alex. It was easy to give in when he wanted to hand this kid the world, especially having missed the first six years of his life. Tonight, he wanted to walk away- too worked up by the conversation earlier in the day.
He knew he shouldn't avoid his son. He hadn't done that when he reemerged from the attic but he also hadn't tackled the issue head on like Nora suggested. Instead, he had ignored it, as though ignoring it would pretend the past sixteen years of his life hadn't existed. But that tactic would only last so long.
"Go to sleep." He insisted. The look on Alex's face was nothing short of wounded and it stabbed Miles worse than any sword he had ever received. Despite playing into the pretense that everything was fine, he had caught his son looking at him throughout the day with an odd gaze in his eyes. Miles knew Alex was upset and worried, just as Nora had told him, and he felt like an asshole for putting the kid through hell when none of it was his fault.
"Okay." He shuffled back so he laid against his pillow and rolled onto his side, one hand tucked under his head. Miles watched him silently for a moment, then cursed himself inwardly, and walked towards the bookshelf.
"One chapter. One. No more." They had finished The Prisoner of Azkaban nearly a week ago and it had taken him that long to find The Goblet of Fire. He grabbed the copy off the shelf and settled onto the bed.
"It's okay."
"No. We'll do this."
"I- I'm sorry." Alex whispered slowly. It was then that Miles realized how short he sounded and felt more guilt. He stopped flipping through pages and looked over at his son, who seemed to do everything he could to avoid his gaze.
"Damn it," he muttered under his breath and tossed the book onto the mattress. "Alex, look at me. Hey,"
When he refused to, Miles slipped a hand under his jaw and lifted his face up. His chest ached as he saw Alex fighting back tears.
"It's okay. Come here," he pulled him close and cupped the back of his head comfortingly. "I'm sorry. Okay? You don't have to apologize. I can be a jerk a lot of the time."
"No you're not."
He shut his eyes at his son's weak defense of him. He understood what Nora had meant earlier. Alex practically idolized him, thought everything he did was the greatest thing. Miles assumed that he had only done good things- as evidenced by his son's adoration and his wife's gazes that clearly read seeing you in Dad Mode melts my ovaries- even though he felt as though he was screwing Alex up for all eternity half the time.
But he wasn't. He knew that, somewhere deep down past his insecurities. He would even venture to say he was a good father. He, who had the patience the size of an ant, sat through first grade homework, nightmares, relentless questions, and the sometimes frustrating task of getting Alex to break out of his shell. He tried to be fun, as seen by the baseball, guitar lessons, and half-built tree house. He would literally die for him.
Yet, all those things didn't quite matter in Miles's head because any redeeming qualities he might have went out the window when he thought of himself as General Matheson. That part of him was never going to go away, no matter how far down he pushed it. No matter how far away they moved or how average they tried to be, he was scared shitless that he was going to make a reappearance. That was not the person he wanted his son to see.
"I didn't mean to get him to talk about you. I was just answering a question. I know I'm not supposed to say things but-"
"Stop." Miles quickly put an end to Alex's rambling. "It's fine. I'm not mad at you. I- I think you're going to start hearing a lot of things as you get older, especially in school and with your friends. Some of the time, it's not going to be pleasant. I don't- I don't want you to- there are things that you don't need to know about now and when you do find out, I want it to be from me. People are- they can be vicious and twist things. Promise me that if you do find yourself in that situation, you'll- you'll come to me and-"
He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Redeem, defend, apologize?
"There's more than one side to a story. Just remember that." He muttered. Alex gave a small nod, not entirely sure of the conversation they just had, and it made Miles sigh for what felt like the hundredth time. "I am sorry. Okay?"
"Yeah."
With that, Miles reopened the book and turned to chapter one. Alex snuggled against his leg as he began to read and by the end of the chapter, he was fast asleep. Miles folded the first page of chapter two and tossed the book aside. He reached awkwardly over the sleeping boy to turn the lamp off, then laid next to him for a moment. He kept his arm wrapped tightly over Alex and pressed his face into his hair.
I'm trying. I know it's not great- I definitely fucked up today- but I am trying. I shouldn't be asking for anything but I can't lose this. The last thing I want is to let him down.
He knew that much. It was what had prompted this mini meltdown today after all. That proves you care, doesn't it? More than Bass did, I'm sure.
The thought made Miles tense. He was tired of thinking of his old friend. More importantly, he was tired of comparing himself to him in terms of Alex. Stop sitting there thinking the kid's going to look you in the eye one day and say you're just as shitty as he is. You're his father. Bass was a fucking interloper.
He could have stayed there all night, he realized, as he began to fall asleep. He would have too, if he hadn't remembered Nora was still asleep on the couch. He forced himself up, carefully stepped over Stitch, and went back downstairs.
Before getting his wife, he made sure the lights were off and the doors were locked. Then, he realized Charlie and Jason still weren't home and wondered what they could have been up to. They both had a key but he would leave a light on for them. The lack of their presence troubled him as he walked back into the living room. They had left early that morning and now it was close to eleven. They're adults- skilled, fighting adults. They're fine.
"Nora," Miles kept his voice low, not wanting to startle her. It seemed that she was in too deep a sleep to have mattered anyway. He called her a few more times but she didn't stir. He gave up and maneuvered an arm under her knees to pick her up. He slipped her arm over his shoulder and wrapped his other arm behind her back. She murmured quietly and nuzzled his shoulder but didn't wake up as he carried her up to their room.
"Mommy. Mommy. Mommy?"
She sighed into her pillow as she heard Alex calling to her. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found him standing at her side of the bed. Behind her, Miles was pressed against her back and breathed softly in her ear as he continued to sleep.
It was still dark out, which she didn't take as a good sign. He was waking her up because something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" she sat up slightly, fought back a yawn as she tried to guess what the problem could be. It wasn't thundering and he wasn't crying, so it couldn't have been a nightmare.
"I don't feel good."
"Okay. What's wrong?"
"My head hurts and my stomach too."
She gave a small nod as she sat up completely and set her feet on the ground. The motion caused Miles's arm to fall from her waist and she felt him move, then his hand was on her back.
"S'wrong?" he mumbled, still mostly asleep.
"Nothing. I'm going to get him something for his stomach. Go back to sleep."
"Need me?"
"No."
"'Kay." His hand slipped away as she stood up and he didn't make another sound. Nora placed a gentle hand on the back of Alex's head and steered him out of the room. He was quiet as they entered the kitchen and she sat him at the table.
"Do you feel like you're going to be sick?"
"A little." He slumped onto the table, pillowed his head in his arms, and looked overall pathetic. Nora watched him with a worried eye as she made a cup of ginger tea for him.
"How long were you feeling like this?" she tried to think of any signs that would point to him getting sick. Now that she thought about it, he had hardly touched his dinner, but she had chalked that up to his impatience and wanting to get back to his movie.
"Not long."
"Anyone sick at school?"
"A couple."
"Okay. You probably caught a virus." She poured the hot water into a mug and stirred as she walked towards him. He made a face as he saw the cup but didn't argue as she handed it over. "It'll settle your stomach."
He stared into the mug with a grimace but slowly began to drink it as she stroked his hair back. He was warmer than usual. Probably just a virus. Now that she was mostly awake, it dawned on her this was the first time he had been sick since they had gotten him back. Her stomach churned at the thought but she pushed the feeling aside. Kids got sick. It was a normal part of life. They would handle it. Except it wasn't like she could send Miles out to the nearest CVS for some Tylenol.
This was the part she hated the most about the Blackout. There were no modern means of handling illness. It was funny how she didn't really care when it had just been her and Miles. They got sick, whatever. They dealt with it. Alex got sick and he had the Plague. Part of being a mother, I guess. Not wanting to see your kids suffer or be in pain. Added bonus of the world we live in and knowing the risks of everything.
"Do you feel like eating something? I don't want you eating anything crazy. Just some toast or crackers."
"No." he shook his head slightly and finished the rest of his drink. She stared at him with a frown, trying to decipher his mood at the moment. She understood he was sick but she had known him long enough now that she could tell when something was truly bothering him.
"What's the matter?"
"I don't feel good."
"I know. Anything else bothering you?" when he didn't answer, she added, "Honey, you can talk to me. I'm not going to get mad."
He blew out a heavy sigh and stared down at his hands. He kept his head down and began to whisper, low enough that she had to lean in just to understand him.
"Do you and Dad love me?"
"Would I be sitting down here at three in the morning if I didn't love you?" she retorted, trying to hide the sting that the question prompted. "Come here,"
She pushed his chair outward in order to reach him and he climbed onto her lap to curl around her. She held him close, leaned her head against his as she rocked him gently.
"We love you more than anything. I promise you that is the absolute truth. Why would you think we wouldn't?"
"Dad-" he hesitated, not sure how to finish.
"Did you guys talk?"
"Yeah."
"What did he say?"
"He said he was sorry and he wasn't mad at me but- but he was."
"No, he wasn't. I know you thought he was but he wasn't. Things- sometimes things happen and-" she paused. She was used to Miles's mentality and his reaction to certain things. How did she explain that to a seven year old? "You know how you get upset about things? Well, Dad and I get upset about things too and sometimes we need to deal with it in our own ways. If your dad gets mad, it's not because of us. It's easy to get confused though, which isn't right on his part and he knows that. People get upset and mad, Alex. They'll fight and argue but that doesn't mean they don't love each other. You're going to see your dad and me fight sometimes. It doesn't mean anything."
"I'm trying to be good."
"I know. Honey, I don't expect you to be good all the time. That's called being human. We make mistakes and accidents happen. Are there going to be times that we aren't happy with something you did? Yeah. You'll get punished and there will be consequences and we'll talk about what you did wrong but we still love you. You didn't do anything wrong today. I don't even think Dad was angry. He was more… upset at what happened at school. That wasn't your fault."
"I know. But- but Bass would get mad and- and he didn't- the last time, he got mad and he made me leave."
"What are you talking about?"
"When he was hurting you. He made me leave. Suzanne took me to the other house and it was because I yelled at him. He just made me go. He didn't say why."
"No. No, Alex, that's not why. He- he didn't want you to know what was happening. He wanted you out of the way so you couldn't interfere. He didn't send you away because you were bad." She was quiet for a moment, watching the tears building up. "Are you afraid that Dad and I are going to make you go away if you're bad?"
He gave a small nod as a tear dripped down.
"And you think we wouldn't have a problem with it because we don't love you?"
Another nod.
"Sweetie, you could not be any further from the truth." She tightened her arms around him. "Alex, I love you more than anything in this entire world. Your dad does too. Trust me, we do. I know things have been- you don't have to worry about us. I wish none of this had ever happened. You don't deserve to have to deal with the fallout from Bass. I know it's confusing. The thing is- the thing is that Bass- he-"
"He didn't love me."
"I can't answer for him. If you think that, I'm sorry. I know how it feels to think that someone you cared about doesn't love you. I don't want you to experience that. But please do not think that your dad and I don't love you or would stop loving you because that is never going to happen. We both have told you that plenty of times."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I know you need reassurance and that's fine." She leaned back slightly so she was able to look him in the eye and touched his cheek gently. "I know things have been pretty fun and simple around here since we moved and you've really only seen the good sides of us. It's going to be like that a lot of the time and we're going to try our hardest to make sure it's like that most of the time. But there's hard times in life too and I don't want you to get scared or feel insecure. That's life. It's how we grow and learn. It's part of being a family. So, any time you might get a timeout or Dad or I get annoyed, you can't worry that we're not going to love you. I promise you there is nothing you could do that would ever make me stop loving you. I know it's difficult sometimes to separate us from Bass and Rachel but you never have to worry about us. That's part of being a real family. It's how you learn who the true important people are in your life. Okay?"
"Okay."
"It's not fair how things worked out and I am so sorry. It's kind of hard to talk about right now because you're still so young and there's a lot that you don't understand. But, it feels good being with us, doesn't it? It feels right?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah. That's going to keep happening. The more time we spend together, you'll see that we're going to become much closer and you're going to trust us more."
"I do trust you."
"I know but you still think of Bass and Rachel and how it felt the same way."
"But it wasn't."
"Exactly. As time goes on, that feeling is going to go away and this nervousness won't happen anymore. I understand how you feel and I can imagine what's going on in your head. You have one experience with them and you worry that we'll be like that too. But we're not and you'll see that. It's going to take time but until then I'm going to keep reassuring you and reminding you how much you're loved. Dad too. Okay?"
He nodded as she kissed his forehead, then he laid his head on her chest, tucked carefully under her chin.
"Did you love me even when I wasn't with you?" he whispered.
"Yes. I thought about you every day."
They remained sitting together quietly for a few minutes until she glanced at the clock and knew they had to go back to bed.
"Your stomach feel any better?"
"No. I think I'm going to puke." He jumped off her lap before she could respond and began to vomit in the garbage can. She stayed at his side, rubbing his back gently as he emptied his stomach, and sighed inwardly. It was going to be a very long night.
After what felt like an eternity- Nora swore she hadn't seen someone puke so much since she had experienced morning sickness- she managed to hustle him back into her bedroom and tucked him in next to Miles. His arm wrapped around their son instinctively- there was a warm body, he must cuddle it- and she heard him make a confused noise. She finished wringing out the cold rag for Alex's head and listened to the short exchange from the bathroom.
"You're not Nora."
"No." Alex sounded pitiful and Miles easily picked up on that. Any sense of sleep exited his voice and his concern was evident. How could either of them doubt how much Miles cares for him?
"You okay buddy?"
"I threw up."
"Gross. Ah- what the hell?" he jumped as the wet rag hit him in the side of the head. Nora glared at him through the darkness, despite the fact he could barely see her.
"Put that on his forehead. I think he has a virus, just fair warning for when we have it in a few days' time."
"Great. I hope you're as nice a nurse to me as you are to him."
"Play your cards right and we'll see. Honey, there's a bucket over here if you think you're going to get sick again. Just let me know, all right?"
"And if you're going to puke and can't get up in time, aim it at your mom."
"Miles!"
The weak chuckle Alex emitted was worth Miles's teasing. Nora had a hard time fighting the smirk off her face as she slipped into bed.
"You two are terrible." She muttered, wrapping an arm gently over her son. She kissed the side of his head and he turned his face so he was pressed into her shoulder. "Go to sleep, okay?"