STEPHANIE

I heard the sound of my alarm clock and reluctantly opened my eyes, even after nine hours of sleep, I was sleep deprived, and in addition I was indescribably cold and dizzy. I got out of bed and got ready, because today it was my turn to prepare breakfast.

I combed Astra and fed her, because Nicole had previously warned me that if she saw any hair on her furniture, she would have to throw it out. I did not share her opinion, but at least we reached a compromise.

I went into the kitchen and made Nicole’s coffee first, because she was unbearable before the first coffee in the morning, and then I put tea on for myself too.

"Good morning, sister," she greeted me happily, which was completely unexpected for her.

Besides, she got up an hour earlier than needed. I really don't know how she manages to function with so little sleep and with that she manages to be positive at work... She was wearing her purple uniform, and her hair was raised in a high tail and I have to admit she looked ravishing.

"Good morning," I greeted her softly.

“Stephanie, why are your cheeks so red?” She approached me anxiously and gently rested her hand on my forehead.

"For God's sake, you're on fire!" Nicole started to panic, and I just looked at her confused.

My sister was known for always exaggerating when it came to me, but now she really looked worried. I didn't seem to be sick for a long time, so I forgot what she could become.

"I feel great, don't overdo it," I protested.

"Go to bed and lie down immediately, I'm going to get a thermometer," she began issuing orders again.

"I don't want Nicole, I promised to make breakfast..."

"You can't even stand on your feet, leave breakfast to me and go to bed."

"Nicole, I graduated at medical school, I guess as a doctor I know how to take care of myself..."

"That's great and I'm a maxillofacial surgeon, so I claim you're doing it very badly," she ignored my words and went for a thermometer.

"I want to see you in bed in two minutes," she snapped.

Realizing that I would feel best when I went to bed, I listened to her words and headed for my room, and Astra followed in my footsteps. I settled on the bed and wrapped myself in my favorite plush blanket, and Astra tried unsuccessfully to jump next to me. I laughed at her actions and helped her up, and she curled up next to me happily.

"Here you go," Nicole came into the room and handed me the thermometer.

"There's no need for that...",

I tried to answer her, but she gave me only one reproachful look that let me know that she was not in the mood for my games. I took the thermometer, and she carefully followed my every move and then settled next to me on the bed, starting to play with my hair.

This reminded me of a period when we were just beginning to live alone. Nicole was in her second year of college, and I started high school. I remembered very well my first cold and Nicole's panic in my eyes because she didn't know what to do. She had lectures, but she did not go that day. I even think that these are the only lectures she missed for the whole faculty. Instead of leaving me alone, she stayed next to me in bed and played with my hair, fantasizing with me about the life we ​​would one day live.

The squeak of a thermometer brought me back from memory, but Nicole somehow took it before me.

“39.2!” She panicked even more now.

"That's it, I'm calling Ana to move all the exams for today..."

"I told you nicely not to leave the hospital without a jacket, but you had to pretend to be smart and walk around in a thin uniform in the winter!"

"Nicole, I'm not a child, and you have patients to take care of. You can't just cancel an operation you scheduled two months earlier."

"But Stephanie, you're my number one. Even though I know you've grown up a long time ago, you'll always be my little sister to me, one day she won't disturb anything," she drew me into a tight embrace.

I knew she was lying, but she would never admit it.

"Are you working today? Should I call Will?"

"For God's sake, Nicole, don't interfere in my residency! And he treats me  differently since he found out that you are my sister, and I don't want him to favor me even more," I scolded her for her proposal.

"And I'm not working today, I'm free."

"No matter how irresponsible you are, you would go to work with this temperature..." She said to herself, but I still heard her.

"Please?!"

"Wait, I'm going to get ibuprofen," she quickly walked away from me and went to the bathroom to get me medicine.

Astra looked at me with her big brown eyes and still didn't understand what was happening, and I started stroking her. This puppy is slowly but surely starting to win my sister's heart, and as far as I can see, she will soon be spinning us around her little paws.

Nicole came back with a glass of water and handed me a pill that I was reluctant to take. Even though I hadn't finished medicine, I wasn't a big supporter of taking medication.

My sister then settled down next to me on the bed again, and Astra was between us. She exaggerated, but in a way I liked her attention. Our hug was interrupted by Nicole's office phone and she immediately got up to answer.

"No matter what is an emergency, Ana, Stephanie is ill and today I don't care how influential he is...", I heard her talk.

"Nicole, you're going to work today and the discussion is over If I need anything I'll call you," I said, not paying attention to the fact that she was on the phone.

“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” She asked me anxiously.

"I'm sure Nicole, go," I smiled at her.

"All right Ana, I'll take him. I'll be there in fifteen minutes," she said, and hung up.

She approached me and pulled me into another tight hug, then kissed me on the cheek.

"And you little one, take care of my sister so that I wouldn't give you to the first passer-by," she turned to the puppy on my bed and gently stroked it.

"I'll call you when I'm free to check on you and if you need me I want you to call me right away, nothing is more important to me than your health..."

"I understand, and now you are leaving, I'm tired and I want to sleep."

Honestly, I didn't want her to leave, but I also didn't want her to change her schedule because of me and work overtime to make up for it in the end.

"In half an hour, take the temperature again to see if she's down, and you're taking the medicine again at eleven, make yourself some soup and eat it..."

"Of course Nicole, and you're late for work."

"I love you sister," she said and kissed me on the cheek once more.

“I love you too!” I tossed after her before she ran out of the apartment.

As soon as I was left alone with Astra, I went back to bed and curled up under the blanket. That medicine didn't help me too much, and I felt indescribably tired and I just wanted to fall asleep.

I don't remember when I fell asleep, but I know that I was awakened from it by the doorbell and Astra's growl. Someone seemed to be sitting on that door bell... I reluctantly headed for the door, ready to criticize someone.

"Leo, what are you doing here?" I asked my boyfriend in surprise, who was the cause of all the previous noise.

"You didn't answer my calls, so I decided to see what it was about," he said.

He pulled me closer to him and then kissed me passionately as only he knows. I can swear that his lips were the cure for my cold, because for a moment I completely forgot about the headache and shivering I felt.

“Why are you so hot?” He asked me confused as he stepped away from me.

"I have a cold, Leo," I told him an obvious fact that he obviously did not understand.

"Wait, are you telling me that the doctor got sick?" He asked me and burst out laughing.

He laughed out loud as if this was some of the funniest jokes in the world, and I shot him a look and crossed my arms over my chest.

"It's not funny Leo, just because I'm a doctor doesn't mean I'm not a human being."

"I'm sorry, but this is so ironic," he continued to laugh.

"Maybe I should call some handsome colleague to take care of me..." I suggested, and his smile immediately disappeared from his face.

"You wouldn't do that...", his voice became cold and I felt his jealousy, which in a way fed my ego.

"Well, if there's a need for that, why not?" I joked with him, but he didn't understand.

"I'll take care of you, you don't need another man next to you."

He entered the apartment and closed the door, then gently lifted me into his arms and carried me to the living room. I tried to break free from his grip, but he wouldn't let me.

“Leo, put me down, I was just kidding!” I exclaimed, but he ignored my words.

"But I didn't," he said, continuing to walk around the apartment.

"Leo, you're going to drop me!"

My dizziness intensified, and I was sincerely afraid that he would accidentally drop me, because no one has worn me this way so far. I felt like I was going to get sick and the moment he put me down on the set I ran to the bathroom and vomited, and he came after me and readily held my hair.

"Leo, please leave, I don't want you to look at me like this, and I don't want you to get sick either," I asked weakly, but he stayed in the same place.

"Stephanie, don't talk nonsense, I'm here for you, it will take a lot more than one cold to drive me away," a runaway lock of hair gently moved from my face.

I felt a tear of the jacket running down my cheek, but he immediately wiped it away.

“Are you feeling better now?” He asked me gently.

"Yes, can you please leave and let me wash my teeth?"

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He looked at me suspiciously.

"I'm fine," I said, getting up, but he was still holding me.

"Then I'll go out, but if you need me I want you to call me," he kissed me on the forehead, then heeded my wish and left.

I approached the sink to tidy myself up and saw my pale expression in the thaw, my lips were dry and my hair was indescribably tousled.

What have I done in my life to deserve him? He is so attentive and gentle, and yet he also knows how to stir up all my emotions in just one moment and awaken a fiery lust in me. He is simply perfect, and yet he chose me and looked at me as if I were the most valuable thing he possesses.

I know that everything happened relatively quickly, but I fell in love with him so much that I could no longer imagine my life without him in it. He was a source of happiness and motivation for me, which always made me move forward.

When I washed myself, brushed my teeth and made sure I didn't look like a scarecrow, I came out of the bathroom and headed for the living room, but it was empty. I was walking towards the kitchen and I heard Leo's voice and it seemed angry to me.

"Max, this isn't funny. I asked you nicely how to take care of a sick person, and your laughter doesn't help me!"

"Man, I'm not exaggerating. She looks like a ghost, and she just vomited..."

His phone conversation elicited a sincere smile from me, but I didn't want him to know that I was eavesdropping on him and I simply went to my room pretending that nothing had happened.

I had twelve missed calls and five messages, of which eight were from my sister and four from Leo.

I must have been really tired when I didn't even notice that my phone rang ...

I read the messages and replied to Nicole that I was fine and that I had simply fallen asleep.

“Stephanie?” I heard Leo calling to me anxiously.

"I'm in the room!" I informed him, and he ran to the room.

"I thought you got sick again..."

"Right now you're acting like Nicole, I'm fine and I'm sure you have a job to go back to."

"I've cleared the schedule for today, and that's not something you should worry about," he frowned.

"I have to worry, Leo. The world doesn't revolve around me, and your corporation won't run on its own!"

He didn't say anything about this, but approached me again and pressed his lips to mine, thus interrupting my criticism. I didn't complain, because I could never resist his lips. Each of his kisses aroused an explosion of all my senses in me and made me forget everything around me. He wrapped his arm around my waist pulling me even closer to him, and I ran my hand through his soft hair.

I didn't want to move away from him, but to my great regret, I needed oxygen.

"You're right, Stephanie, the world doesn't revolve around you, but you are my world," he whispered softly in my ear, and I felt the well-known electricity flow through my body.

"You know I can easily infect you, but you still keep kissing me. Why?" I asked him, my hand still running through his soft hair.

"I don't care about the common cold, when I have a handsome doctor by my side," he winked at me and smiled slyly.

Our moment was interrupted by the doorbell and I wanted to ignore it, but Leo stepped away from me and headed to open it. I didn't expect anyone, but I let him get rid of the unwanted guest on his own.

I took my favorite blanket and settled on the corner set in the living room, and my boyfriend came back carrying bags full of food.

"I don't know how to cook, but I ordered you soup," he smiled proudly at me.

"Leo, you shouldn't have done that, I'm not hungry..."

At the very smell and thought of food, I could feel my stomach cramping, but Leo was adamant in his intention to make me eat.

"You look like you're going to pass out at any moment. Stephanie, you have to eat something..."

"Leo, I can't," I shook my head, and then I felt the urge to vomit and ran to the bathroom, and he was next to me again, holding my hair and consoling me that everything would be fine.

This time he refused to come out and closely followed my every move as I tidied up, and worry and sadness loomed on his face. When I finished he picked me up in his arms again and carried me to the living room. He sat down, and then he lowered me into his lap and started playing with my hair.

"Maybe we should really go to the doctor now..."

“I don’t want that now Leo, let me rest,” I said, lowering my head to his chest.

He kissed me gently on the forehead and continued to play with my hair, then he pulled the blanket and covered us. I felt fatigue overwhelm me, but this time I was so happy and confident.