Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Keeping the spark

Chapter: Keeping the Spark

The next morning, Y/N woke up feeling the familiar heaviness creeping back into her chest. The lightness from the day before, where she had laughed and played with Billie and Finneas, seemed to have faded overnight. She sat up in bed, staring blankly at the wall, trying to summon the energy to face the day.

But it wasn’t there. The spark that had briefly ignited inside her felt dim again, and the exhaustion settled deep in her bones.

She shuffled downstairs, her steps slow and quiet. Billie and Finneas were already in the kitchen, Finneas flipping pancakes again—this time with chocolate chips. Billie was humming something softly under her breath, her phone on the counter with a playlist running in the background.

The moment Y/N stepped into the room, both of their heads turned toward her. Finneas’s face lit up in a small, hopeful smile. “Morning, Princess. Want some chocolate chip pancakes? Special recipe, just for you.”

Y/N offered a weak smile in return, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Sure,” she mumbled, sliding into her usual seat at the table.

Billie’s eyes flicked to Finneas, concern flashing briefly in the look they exchanged. They both saw it—the difference in Y/N. Yesterday, there had been laughter, silliness, a glimpse of the sister they missed. But today, the spark was dim again.

Billie leaned on the counter, watching Y/N carefully as Finneas slid a plate of pancakes in front of her. “What’s on the agenda for today, Your Highness?” she asked, trying to keep the mood light.

Y/N poked at her pancakes with her fork, her shoulders slumping. “I don’t know. I don’t really feel like doing anything.”

Billie’s smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered. She sat down next to Y/N, nudging her gently with her elbow. “Hey, that’s okay. We don’t have to do anything. We could just hang out, watch movies again, or… I don’t know, whatever you want.”

Y/N sighed, the energy to even respond feeling too much. She felt bad, knowing they were trying so hard to cheer her up, but it was like a wall had gone up inside her, blocking out the joy she had felt yesterday.

Finneas joined them at the table, his eyes soft with concern. “Y/N, it’s okay to have off days. You don’t have to be up and bubbly all the time.”

Billie nodded in agreement, her hand resting gently on Y/N’s arm. “We’re just happy to be with you, no matter what you’re feeling.”

Y/N bit her lip, the small lump of emotion she had been holding down rising in her throat. She didn’t want to be a burden, didn’t want to make them feel like they always had to cheer her up. But the truth was, she didn’t know how to feel any different.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Finneas frowned, leaning closer. “Sorry? For what?”

“For… I don’t know. For being like this. I don’t want to drag you both down with me.”

Billie’s expression softened, and she reached over, pulling Y/N into a gentle side hug. “You’re not dragging us down, Y/N. We’re just trying to help you through it. You don’t have to apologize for feeling how you feel.”

Y/N leaned into Billie’s embrace, the warmth of her sister’s arms offering a small bit of comfort. But the heaviness in her chest didn’t disappear.

Finneas stood up suddenly, walking over to the counter and grabbing a spoon. He scooped up some whipped cream from a bowl and, without warning, plopped it right onto the tip of Y/N’s nose. “There. Now you’re officially the whipped cream princess.”

Y/N blinked, surprised, as the cool cream sat on her nose. She looked up at Finneas, who had a silly grin plastered on his face, and then over at Billie, who was trying not to laugh.

“Finneas, really?” Y/N muttered, but there was a small flicker of amusement in her voice.

“Hey, someone’s gotta make you smile,” Finneas said with a shrug, grabbing a napkin to gently wipe the whipped cream off her nose. “And I’m not above cheap tricks.”

Billie chuckled, leaning her head against Y/N’s shoulder. “He’s right. We’ll do anything to get a smile out of you.”

Y/N shook her head, a tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “You guys are ridiculous.”

Finneas raised an eyebrow, his tone playful. “Ridiculous? I prefer the term ‘charmingly eccentric.’”

The lightness in the room started to creep back in, and even though Y/N still felt the weight in her chest, she couldn’t help but appreciate how hard her siblings were trying. They weren’t pushing her to feel better—they were just… there, with her. And that meant more than she could put into words.

Billie shifted slightly, pulling Y/N even closer. “Remember when we were little and we’d make forts out of all the blankets in the house? We could do that again. Just hide in a cozy little fort and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”

Y/N smiled softly at the memory. “Yeah. That was always fun.”

Finneas stood up again, clearly determined. “Alright, it’s settled. Blanket fort, movie marathon, and maybe some popcorn later if the princess is feeling up to it.”

Y/N’s heart warmed at the idea. It felt comforting—safe. She hadn’t realized how much she needed that, just a place where she could be herself without the world’s expectations pressing down on her.

Billie got up too, taking Y/N’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go find the biggest blankets we can and turn this living room into our kingdom.”

Y/N allowed herself to be pulled along, her spirits lifting just a little. As they gathered blankets and pillows, piling them in the center of the living room, Y/N watched Finneas and Billie with quiet gratitude. They were doing their best to keep the spark inside her alive, even when she felt like it was slipping away.

Once the fort was built—complete with twinkling fairy lights that Billie had found in a drawer—they all crawled inside. Y/N lay between her siblings, the weight of the blankets surrounding her like a protective cocoon. Finneas put on a lighthearted movie, one they’d all seen a hundred times, but the familiarity was comforting.

As the movie played, Billie reached over and held Y/N’s hand, squeezing it gently. “We’ll get through this,” she whispered, her voice soft but full of determination.

Y/N looked over at her sister, her eyes tired but filled with gratitude. “I know,” she whispered back, her voice fragile. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”

Finneas, hearing the quiet exchange, leaned over and kissed the top of Y/N’s head. “Never. We’re in this together, okay?”

Y/N nodded, her heart swelling with warmth. It wasn’t easy, and the road ahead still felt long and uncertain. But right here, right now, wrapped up in the safety of their blanket fort, with Billie holding her hand and Finneas keeping the atmosphere light, she felt a tiny flicker of hope.

And that was enough for now.