Promise Me Read Free

He raised his eyebrow. “Did you eat it all, you little piggy?”
    She laughed. “You said I was a monkey.”
    â€œThat’s right. So you stay in your bed and don’t climb any more trees.”
    She giggled again. “I’m not a monkey!”
    â€œI’m just making sure.” Marc kissed her forehead, then got up and walked out of our bedroom, gently shutting the door behind him. “What’s wrong with her? She looks like she’s lost weight.”
    â€œI don’t know. She came down with a headache then threw up at school.”
    â€œDoes she have a fever?”
    â€œNo. It’s probably just a little migraine or something. It will probably be gone by tomorrow.” I put my arms around him. “I’m glad you’re home finally.”
    â€œMe too.” He kissed me. “More than you know.” Then he kissed me again. We kissed for several minutes.
    I pushed him back. “You did miss me,” I said playfully.
    â€œSo, is the little one sleeping in our bed tonight?”
    I knew why he was asking and it made me happy. “No. She’ll be sleeping in her own bed.”
    â€œGood. I’ve missed you.”
    â€œI’ve missed you too,” I said. “I hate a cold bed.”
    â€œMe too.” He kissed me one more time, then stepped back. “So you made soup?”
    I brushed the hair back from my face. “Yes. It should be hot by now. Would you like some bread? I baked one of those frozen loaves.”
    â€œI would love some.”
    We walked back to the kitchen. Marc sat down at the table and I went to the stove. The soup was lightly bubbling. I turned the stove off, then ladled him a bowl. “So how was Phoenix? Or was it Tucson?”
    â€œBoth. They were both good. The economy’s hot right now, so these hospitals are pretty loose with their budgets. And the weather in Arizona is fantastic, blue skies and in the seventies.”
    â€œI wish it was here. You shouldn’t have to breathe air you can see.”
    â€œYeah, I had a coughing fit the moment I entered the valley. We need a good snowstorm to clear it out.”
    Around February the snow in Salt Lake is as dirty and gray as the underside of an automobile, and, too often, so is the air. The Salt Lake Valley is surrounded by the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west, so when a winter low-pressure front moves in, the pollution is caught inside until a big storm blows it out.
    â€œI wonder if I’m coming down with something like Charlotte. Yesterday I got up early to work out, but I didn’t have any energy. I ended up going back to bed.”
    â€œYou’re probably not getting enough sleep. What time did you come in this morning?”
    â€œAround three.”
    â€œI really wish you wouldn’t drive so late. It’s not safe.” Iset the bowl of soup and a thick slice of warm bread in front of Marc. “Do you want butter for your bread?”
    â€œYes. And honey, please.”
    I fetched the butter dish and a plastic honey bear bottle from the cupboard and set them both on the table next to Marc, then I sat down next to him at the table, my elbows on the table and my chin in my hands. “If Charlotte’s sick tomorrow, can I leave her home with you?”
    â€œI can’t in the morning. We’ve got a company sales meeting at nine, then afterwards I’m meeting with Dean to try to keep him from cutting my territory.”
    â€œHow about the afternoon?”
    â€œI can pull that off.” He squeezed some honey onto his buttered bread. “Do you think she’ll still be sick?”
    â€œProbably not. But just in case.”
    He took a bite of his bread, then followed it with a spoonful of soup.
    â€œHow’s the soup?” I asked.
    â€œYou make the best chicken noodle soup I know. It’s almost worth getting sick for.”
    I smiled at the compliment.