Her Turn

Punk had been on the road for about a week and a half or so....he was finally coming home today and it felt good. He'd spend time with the kids and Lacy. He opened his front door and walked inside, noticing nobody was in the living room. "Anybody home?" he called out as he shut the door.

"Ah, shit," Lacy cursed from the kitchen before a loud clang was heard and the water started to run. Brandon and Allison had asked for grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, pulling her out of bed to come downstairs to do so. She was so damned sick that she ended up almost falling asleep against the counter and ended up burning the bread. Phil coming in had woke her up, and she threw the hot skillet into the sink to run water in it. "In here," she called out as her voice cracked. Sore throat.

"Mommy, what's that sme-- DADDY!" Brandon ran down the stairs to come and greet him in the living room.

He was heading to the kitchen but then saw Brandon coming down and went to greet him. "Hi Brandon." he said, going to pick him up.

"Hi Daddy," Brandon greeted him cheerfully. "Mommy's making us grilled cheese. Do you want one? I tell her to make it." He nodded.

Punk chuckled a bit. "No, I'm good. I ate before, but I'll go see if Mommy needs help." he said as he kissed Brandon's cheek, heading to the kitchen.

What they would see when they walked into the kitchen was smoke. Lots of smoke. And Lacy coughing up a storm while scrubbing the skillet in the sink.

Lacy was coughing because she was sick, Brandon was coughing because of the smoke. "Daddy, I go back to my room." he frowned.

Punk put Brandon down. "Go to your room.' he nodded and covered his mouth and nose, not to inhale the smoke. "Jesus, what happened?" he asked as he went by Lacy. "Come on, out of the kitchen." he said, grabbing her to pull her out.

Lacy managed to pull one of the windows open before Punk pulled her out of the kitchen. She leaned lazily against the wall with her shoulders slumped. It was easy to see that she was exhausted and hadn't been sleeping well, if at all. She could hardly keep her eyes open. "I just..." she coughed a little. Sounded very, very congested. "Brandon and Allison were hungry and wanted grilled cheese... I just lost track of time. Honest."

He looked at her for a moment, noticing her posture and how she sounded. Not good. "...are you sick?"

"No, I'm no--" She let out a loud sneeze, covering her mouth with her arm. "Not." she shook her head.

"Are too." he said. "Get to bed."

She shook her head with a sniffle and pushed off of the wall to go back into the kitchen. "I have to make the kids lunch."

"I'll do it." he told her. "Just go to the room and get in bed."

She sighed heavily and wasn't in the mood to argue. She had no energy. "Fine." she went upstairs.

"Thank you for listening." he chuckled to himself as he went to the kitchen.

"Bam Bam you lie, daddy's not here." Ally shook her head as she came down the stairs. "Mommy?"

"She's in her room." Punk said as he finished clearing up the kitchen of the smoke and then started making their lunch.

"Daddy?" She giggled and went into the kitchen.

"That's my name." he chuckled as he saw Allison.

"Hi Daddy!" Ally grinned and hugged him around the leg. "How long you home?"

He picked her up and kissed her cheek. "I am home for five days."

"Five days? Long time." She grinned. "Mommy make us lunch?"

"Very long time." he nodded. "She was...but now I'm finishing the sandwiches for you."

"Where mommy go?"

"She went to bed because she's sick."