The Flu

Alishia was in her room, turning this way and that in front of her full length mirror, hoping that the dress she picked out was good enough. She took out her phone to take a picture of it to send to Troy. He responded quickly telling her that she looked fantastic as always. She smiled, but that turned into a slight frown when she felt her stomach gurgle. She ignored it, thinking it was probably the lunch she had. It had been doing that since she ate earlier that day.

Walking out to get her purse and keys, she felt it gurgle again. She felt the bile coming up and ran into the bathroom, her knees hitting the floor in front of the toilet, just in time.

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Troy had everything planned out. The dinner was perfect, the lighting, the music, even the plates and silverware he had picked out. Everything had to be just right for tonight. He had told Alishia to get dressed up because he wanted tonight to be special. He smiled at the picture she sent him. He knew that whatever she wore would look amazing on her.

While he was walking around his place, quadruple checking everything, he heard his phone ring. Seeing it was Alishia calling, he quickly picked up.

“Hey babe, you on your way?”

“No, Troy, I don’t think I’m gonna make it tonight.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know, I think it’s the flu.”

“The flu? How’d you get that?”

“I’m thinking it was Ashton. She had it and I think I caught it when I went to check on her the other day.”

Troy sighed looking around at the elaborate set up he had spent hours putting together. He shrugged, it could wait. He shrugged out of the suit jacket he was wearing, heading to his room to change into something more comfortable.

“I’m on my way over.”

“Oh, no, baby you don’t have to.”

“My girl is sick and I’m coming to take care of her.”

“I don’t want you getting sick either.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. No more arguments.”

Alishia couldn’t help but smile at that. This was one of the reasons she loved this man so much. He was actually willing to catch the flu to take care of her.

“Fine. But if you get sick, I don’t want any complaints.”

“You won’t get any from me. Now, get in bed, I’m on my way.”

She hung up, and changed out of her dress into some of her pajamas. She crawled into bed, only to hop out and run into the bathroom five minutes later.

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Unlocking the door to her apartment, Troy walked in, balancing a tupperware container of soup he had brought for her.

“Alishia? Where are you?”

“In here,” she called out weakly,

Troy walked into her room, looking around and not seeing her. He then walked into the bathroom and spotted her sitting on the floor against the tub with her eyes closed; her hair was disheveled and she was glistening with a sheen of sweat. .

“No offense, babe, but you look horrible.”

“Thanks, sweetie. Love you too,” she joked.

Alishia opened one eye and looked at Troy. Even when she was sick, she couldn’t help but admire the man in front of her. He had on his sweats, a t-shirt with a faded logo on it and his hat, yet looked amazing to her. She managed a weak smile.

He sat on the edge of the tub and she leaned her head against his thigh.

Taking his hand to feel her forehead he said “Well, you are running a fever.”

“102.3 according to the thermometer. And I think I’ve thrown up everything I’ve ever eaten.”

“Can you stand up?”

“Barely.”

“Alright, I gotcha, c’mon.” He said while lifting her to her feet and helping her out of the bathroom.

He steered her towards her bed and helped her in.

“Lie back and try to rest. It’s gonna be okay.”

She smiled again. “Thank you, Troy.”

He waved his hand. “Like I said, my girl is sick and I’m here to take care of her. Now try to sleep.”

Alishia nodded and closed her eyes.

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For the next few days Troy stayed with her taking care of her. On the third day her fever broke and she could eat without getting sick.

They were side by side in her bed watching daytime television.

“Okay now explain this to me again,” he said.

“Okay, Sonny is the mob boss and he has control over the city. Now Franco is a cop and he’s trying to solve this issue with Anna and her son, who’s Sonny’s adopted nephew. Michelle’s son has some disease and she’s trying to get him into a study to see if they can cure it.”

He watched her as she tried to explain to him about the soap opera she had gotten into, still not following the show.

“And you enjoy this?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, mom watched it and grandma. I got into it too.”

“Okay,” he said, settling back against the pillows trying to focus.

Alishia laughed. “We don’t have to watch this if you don’t wanna.”

He turned to look at her again and leaned over to kiss her forehead. “It’s fine babe.”

When the show was over she said to him “You know I never did apologize for having to cancel on you with the dinner.”

“No need to apologize, sweetheart. You know I understand.”

“Yeah, but it sounded like you went to a lot of trouble and for me.” She looked down at her hands. “I don’t deserve all that.”

Taking her chin in his hand he raised her face to his.

“You deserve the world. I wish I could give it to you.”

“I don’t need the world, I have you. I love you, Troy.”

He smiled. “I love you too, Alishia.”

Troy looked at her hard for a minute, having a silent conversation with himself. Then he nodded and reached over to the table by the bed, opening the drawer and taking something out. Something that he had put in there the night he came over.

“Whatcha got?” She asked curiously.

He turned to her with a serious look on his face.

“Okay, so, that night I had everything all set up, thinking that I needed everything to be perfect... I know you got sick, but that made me realize that everything doesn’t have to be perfect for this.” He took a deep breath. “I had a speech and everything, but none of that matters, I just want you to know that I love you and I will always love you and care for you.”

With that he took out the little box he had been hiding and opened it showing her the ring he had.

“If you let me, I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Alishia sat there with her mouth open. Was Troy really doing this now? After seeing her sick and a mess?

“Y-you want to marry me?”

“Yes, Alishia, I do.”

“Even after seeing me like this?” You gestured to her pajamas and messed up hair.

He laughed.

“That just makes me wanna marry you more. You know none of that matters to me. What matters is that I’m with you. For better or for worse.” He smiled. “In sickness and in health.”

“So, what do you say? Will you marry me?”

Alishia nodded her head, tears in her eyes. “Yes, of course I will.”

He took the ring out of the box and slid it on her finger. She stared at it for a minute before pulling him down into a kiss.

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A day later, while Troy was still at her place. She was on the phone with her mom telling her the good news.

“Alishia? Could you come here for a minute?” Troy called to her.

“Coming!” She went back to her mom on the phone. “I gotta go mom, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay, Alishia, I gotta call your aunts and let them know we have a wedding to plan.”

She hung up the phone shaking her head. She knew already they were going to go overboard.

“Troy, where are you?” She looked around her room not seeing him.

“In here,” he said from the bathroom.

She walked in to see him sitting on the floor in front of the toilet, looking ill.

“I think I’m sick.”

She chuckled, “It’s okay, honey, I gotcha, c’mon.”

She went to help him up and into the bed.