Chapter 42 It's All About Attitude

So, the next morning, Ellie got yanked outta dreamland by George again. He was already dressed and had breakfast in hand, but Ellie? She felt like she'd been hit by a truck. Her body was screaming at her, every muscle sore, and she felt like a wet noodle. When she tried to sit up, her lower belly was like, "Nope, not today."

George saw her struggling to sit up, only to flop back down with a groan. He chuckled and helped her up, but that just made things worse. The dull ache she had down there last night turned into a full-on fire when it rubbed against her clothes.

"Hiss..." She winced, her face scrunched up in pain.

"What's up?" George asked.

She shot him a sideways glance, her cheeks turning red. "It hurts... I think I need to take a day off today..."

Every little move was torture. No way she could go to work to handle those children like this.
Before she could even finish her thought, George was like, "I know you're feeling like crap. I already called in for you when I went out to grab breakfast."
"Huh?" Ellie blinked, confused. If he took a day off for her, why the heck did he still wake her up?

Seeing her puzzled look, George gently helped her scoot to the edge of the bed, being super careful not to let her butt rub against anything. "Even if you're not going to work, you still gotta eat breakfast. Skipping meals ain't good for you. Plus, I got some ointment. So, you can eat, slap on the ointment, and then crash again."

Whoa, he even got ointment?

"Do you, uh, know what to buy?" she asked, a bit skeptical.

George paused, then said, "I looked it up online."

Ellie nodded, slipping on her slippers. George immediately grabbed her arm to help her stand up.

"I don't actually need help..." she mumbled. Sure, her legs were wobbly, but she could still walk. It was kinda embarrassing to be supported like this... especially since it was obvious why she needed the help.

But George acted like he didn't hear her and kept supporting her as they walked out. Ellie felt her cheeks heat up and caught a glimpse of the low cabinet George had accidentally moved last night.
"Oh, right, that cabinet's all tilted now," Ellie pointed out.

"Don't sweat it, let's eat first. I'll fix it later," George replied.

"..." Ellie just sighed.

George helped her plop down on the sofa and then headed back to the bedroom. He moved the low cabinet back to its spot, but this time, he made sure the fan was covering the power outlet. It was one of those moves that seemed casual but was totally on purpose, like he was setting up a trap or something.

Ellie felt like she was being poked with needles while trying to eat breakfast. She couldn't finish and reluctantly put down her chopsticks.

"Um... where's the ointment you bought?" she asked.

Thinking she wanted to check it out, George quickly put down his chopsticks and walked over to the TV cabinet. He bent down, opened the drawer, and pulled out the ointment, handing it to her.

Without even glancing at it, Ellie stood up, her knees wobbling.

George looked surprised. "You done?"

"Um, I can't eat anymore," she said, her legs shaking as she made her way to the bathroom. She planned to clean up and apply the ointment herself.
But George was right on her heels like a shadow. "What are you gonna do in the bathroom with the ointment?"

"To apply it, duh," Ellie replied, rolling her eyes.

"You're gonna do it yourself?"

"Well, yeah. Who else?" She couldn't believe he was asking. It's just ointment, not rocket science.

George frowned and stepped into the bathroom ahead of her.

Ellie was taken aback. "What are you doing?"

"Um... if you can't see properly, it might be tough to apply the ointment. Let me help you."

She blinked, stunned, and just stared at him.

George felt the awkwardness creeping in. After a moment, he said, "I just wanna check if it's still as bad as last night. I'm not trying to, you know..."

Ellie pursed her lips, trying not to laugh, and nodded. "Then let me wash up first."

George noticed her trying not to laugh and felt his face heat up. He ducked his head and stepped out of the bathroom, snatching the ointment from her hand as he passed by.

"Hey... You..." Ellie tried to protest, but it was no use.

Ellie spun around and caught a glimpse of George, a sly grin creeping onto her face before she ducked into the bathroom. This guy... he'd been acting all kinds of weird since he got back. One minute, he'd sneaking in without a peep, and the next, he'd showering her with gifts.

Even their, uh, private time had gotten a bit... different. Maybe it was 'cause he knew he wouldn't be jetting off for work anymore, and they could finally think about having a kid?