Christine was in full nesting mode.
Fresh linens in the guest room, windows cracked just enough for the breeze, and a lemon lavender candle burning softly in the hallway. The house smelled like warm linen and mild citrus, and the kettle on the stove had already whistled twice that morning.Jenn was due any minute. She'd spent the last few weeks trailing Stevie through Europe, road-managing the chaos with all the grace of someone juggling flaming torches while smiling politely. Stevie's final show in Hyde Park had been a triumph. And now, Jenn had finally come to rest her bones—at Christine's place.The knock came just as Christine was fluffing the last throw pillow on the couch. She opened the door with a grin and immediately wrapped Jenn in a hug."You look like you've been *backstage since Paris,*" Christine teased, gently taking Jenn's duffel. "Come in, come in."Jenn smiled, a little tired but still glowing from tour adrenaline. "London was a ride. I slept for four hours and still feel jet-lagged in my *soul.*"Christine laughed, leading her to the guest room. "Settle in, then come down for coffee. Unless you'd prefer tea, hydration, or therapy. I offer all three."Ten minutes later, they were sitting at the kitchen table, mugs of coffee in hand. Jenn recapped the chaos—Stevie's dramatic scarf shortage in Milan, the espresso machine meltdown in Berlin, and the mystery fan who followed them from Amsterdam to Dublin dressed as a tambourine.Christine listened with the amused, indulgent smile of someone who'd seen it all before and still somehow loved it.By dinner, Jenn was noticeably quieter. She poked at her risotto, laughed less, and rubbed her throat a few times. Christine clocked it—but didn't say anything. Until later.After dinner, they curled up on the couch with mugs of chamomile and a rerun of *The Great British Bake Off*. By 11, both were yawning. Christine said goodnight, pausing to feel Jenn's forehead with the back of her hand. No fever."Just tired," Jenn rasped with a shrug.Christine frowned. "Hmm."The next morning at 8, Christine was in the kitchen making her usual cup of black coffee. Jenn padded in, hoodie draped around her and eyes half-shut."Hey, morning," Jenn croaked.Christine turned sharply. "That's it. Couch. Now."Jenn blinked. "What?""Couch. No coffee. You're getting tea.""But I want coffee..."Christine handed her a glass of orange juice. "You're getting vitamin C. And silence."Jenn groaned, dramatically slumping onto the couch like she'd been wrongfully exiled.As she sat there with the juice and a throw blanket, her phone buzzed in the kitchen. Christine glanced at the screen: *Krystal*.She answered it and stepped out onto the back porch. "Hello?""Oh! Hi, Christine," Krystal said brightly. "I forgot Jenn was staying with you this week.""She is," Christine replied. "Though she's not doing much talking—lost her voice. Acute laryngitis, poor thing.""Ahh. Is she *really* sick, though?"Christine frowned. "What do you mean?""Well, when we were kids, she used to fake sick sometimes. There's actually a test."Christine raised an eyebrow. "A test?"Krystal sounded far too proud. "Yep. You take the fluffiest feather you can find and tickle her foot while she's asleep. If she laughs uncontrollably? She's faking it. If she just giggles and stops, it's real."Christine blinked. "That's... shockingly specific.""I know my sister," Krystal replied smugly."Fine," Christine sighed. "But I *already* believe her.""Uh huh," Krystal said. "Let me know."Christine hung up, stepped inside, and paused when she saw Jenn fast asleep on the couch, cocooned in blankets.Then she looked to her decorative vase—filled with Stevie's gifted feathers. Well. If ever there was a moment.She pulled out the fluffiest one, tiptoed over, and gave Jenn's foot a delicate swipe.Jenn twitched, giggled softly, then quieted. Christine tried again—same reaction.Satisfied, she stepped back.Suddenly Jenn's eyes popped open and she croaked, "KRYSTAL MADE YOU DO IT."Christine froze. "Of course she did."Jenn groaned and pulled the blanket over her face. "She always *does this*."Christine laughed. "Don't worry. You passed the test."---The rest of the day, Christine cared for her like a pro.She brought hot tea with honey and lemon, homemade vegetable soup, cough drops in a crystal dish, and even moved the TV tray table closer to the couch. Jenn communicated mostly in hand gestures and eyebrow lifts, occasionally texting things like "pls more tea" or "do u have Vicks."Christine put a cool cloth on her forehead just because it made Jenn relax.Later that afternoon, as Christine handed her another hot mug, Jenn texted,**"Thx for taking care of me. You're the best."**Christine smiled and said, "Of course I am."Then she added with a wink, "And tell your sister that next time, I'm tickling *both* feet. With glitter."
