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It starts with a fever. Or, at least, that’s when Lottie finds out, so that’s where she thinks it starts. Nat had been sore when she went to bed the night before, but she brushed it off and thought nothing further of it. It wasn’t the first time she had gone to bed with sore limbs and joints, though, most times, she was able to trace it back to Lottie.
They’re just waking up when Lottie presses her usual good morning kiss to Natalie’s forehead, and she recoils when her lips are met with burning skin. She furrows her brows, confused about the sudden change in Nat’s temperature. The woman had felt completely fine the night before, her body temperature being the same as it always was when she laid in Lottie’s arms.
“Natalie, you’re burning up,” Lottie says softly, gently shaking the woman’s shoulder to get her attention.
Nat gives a weak mumble in response, feeling entirely too exhausted for someone who just slept curled up with her girlfriend for nine hours.
Lottie looks down at the woman and realizes she’s completely pulled the blankets off of herself, and she’s only wearing a tank top, so she has no reason to be so warm in the coolness of their bedroom. She feels her own forehead, the worry only increasing when she realizes Natalie is the only one who is running hot.
“Baby, do you feel okay?” Lottie questions, sitting up in the bed.
Nat groans and buries her face in Lottie’s side, fumbling for a decent grip on the woman as she pulls her close. She doesn’t want to move from her place in bed or to let go of Lottie as she tries to move.
A frown forms on Lottie’s lips. Nat is never this clingy, which immediately indicates that something’s wrong, and between Natalie’s behavior and her heightened temperature, Lottie realizes the woman must be sick. This is the first time Lottie has seen her this sick, and she hates the sight. She’s never seen Nat look so frail, it breaks her heart.
Lottie’s voice comes out in a soft whisper, “Natalie, sweetheart, I need you to talk to me.”
“Don’t feel good,” Nat mutters, and if Lottie wasn’t completely focused on her, she wouldn’t have heard it.
“Oh, sweet girl,” Lottie sighs, leaning back down and pulling the woman into her arms. “You have a fever, baby.”
Natalie relaxes in her arms, and Lottie gently rubs her back, trying to keep her girlfriend relaxed as she tries to evaluate her symptoms. She wants to do as much as she can without bothering Nat, but she knows she’s going to have to ask her what else she’s feeling.
Lottie immediately starts asking questions, wanting to get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible so she can start to help Nat, “What else are you feeling, baby? Are you feeling nauseous? Does your body ache?”
Nat nods her head weakly as she mutters, “I should move to another cabin.”
Lottie furrows her brows, “Why?”
“Don’t wanna get you sick,” Natalie says, a slight slur to her voice.
A small smile graces Lottie’s lips at the thought, but she shakes her head, “Oh, baby, you aren’t going anywhere. I’m going to take care of you, Natalie.”
Nat shakes her head against Lottie’s chest, “You can’t get sick, Lottie.”
She starts to move, but Lottie’s strong arms keep her in place. She isn’t letting Natalie go anywhere, especially not in this state. Lottie doesn’t care if she’ll get sick, she wants to take care of Nat. She mentally inventories everything she knows she keeps stocked in their quarters, and she realizes she might have to send Lisa out for more supplies as the day goes on.
“Natalie, as sweet as that is, your tongue was down my throat last night,” Lottie chuckles. “If I’m getting sick, it’s already happening.”
“I’m sorry,” Nat mumbles, wrapping her arms tighter around Lottie’s waist as she allows herself to be pushed back into the bed.
Lottie shakes her head, “Don’t apologize, baby. I’m gonna go get some stuff for you, so just lay here and I’ll be right back.”
A small whine emits from Natalie’s throat as Lottie stands from the bed, and Lottie chews at her lip as she looks down at the woman. She wants to stay with her, to hold her and rub her back as she gets some rest, but Lottie knows Nat needs to stay hydrated and to take some pain relief medication, so she has to get up to gather everything she needs for her.
When Lottie comes back with everything she could find, Natalie is still in bed, curled up with her arms around Lottie’s pillow and her face buried in it. God, she looks adorable, and if she wasn’t sick, Lottie would immediately take a picture so she could have the image forever.
“Baby,” Lottie says softly as she nears the bed. “I need you to sit up for me for a second.”
Nat groans in response, and it isn’t until Lottie is sitting on the bed beside her and rubbing her back that she finally sits up, or at least slowly attempts to. Lottie rushes to help her, propping her up against the pillows she isn’t clinging onto.
“If you tell anyone I was cuddling your pillow, I’ll deny it,” Natalie mumbles, dropping said pillow into her lap.
Lottie snorts and shakes her head, “It’ll be our secret.”
She hands Nat the glass of water and the pills she had grabbed, and she realizes she’s a lot lower on those than she had thought, so she makes a mental note to send Lisa out for more so she can make sure she has enough for Natalie for the duration of her illness. Lottie wants to get Nat settled first, comfortable and curled up in bed, before she goes to find Lisa though, so she waits for Nat to finish drinking her water, watching the woman carefully to make sure she’s okay.
When Nat sets the glass down, Lottie pulls out the thermometer and gently cups Natalie’s cheek as she brings it to her lips. Nat grunts for a moment before opening her mouth and letting Lottie place it underneath her tongue. It stays in place, as does Lottie’s hand on her cheek, until a low beep emits from it and Lottie pulls it out.
“Right at a fever,” Lottie sighs. “Just had to keep being my perfect girl, huh?”
Natalie is sure that if she wasn’t already flushed from the fever, she would be blushing at Lottie’s comment. She does manage to crack a small smile though as she rolls her eyes playfully.
The 100.4° stares back at Lottie as she sets the thermometer back down. She reminds herself to write it down so she can monitor Nat’s fever throughout the day before she looks back at her girlfriend.
“Are you still feeling nauseous, baby?” Lottie asks softly, laying her hand on Nat’s thigh as she speaks to her. She rubs it reassuringly, knowing Natalie appreciates the gentle contact when she isn’t feeling well.
Nat ponders the question for a moment before shaking her head, “Not right now.”
Lottie offers her a soft smile, “Good. That’s good baby. Let’s get you laid back down so I can go speak to Lisa.”
Natalie nods weakly and lets Lottie help her lie back down on her side of the bed. Once she’s settled in place, Lottie pulls out the two damp washcloths she had grabbed and drapes one on the back of Nat’s neck and the other on her forehead.
The cool contact relaxes Natalie, and she closes her eyes at the small relief she feels. Her hands immediately search for Lottie to pull her down, but the woman softly reminds her that she needs to go tell Lisa that she’s in charge for the day. She’s met with a groan in response, but Lottie assures her it’ll be a quick conversation and quickly throws on some clothes that are appropriate to step out in, given she’s still wearing the loose t-shirt she fell asleep in.
Lottie checks on Natalie one more time before she rushes out of the cabin to go find Lisa. It’s still relatively early, but she knows this is around the time Lisa starts heading in for breakfast, so she hopes she can catch the girl before she’s around too many people.
And of course, Lottie is lucky. As soon as she starts to approach the main building, she sees Lisa walking. She quickly calls the girl’s name and waves her over, keeping her distance from the others who are moving around her.
Lisa’s smile brightens as she walks over to Lottie, but she frowns when Lottie holds up a hand to stop her. It’s then that she realizes Lottie looks like she just rolled out of bed, her hair slightly tousled and her jewelry lacking.
“Nat’s sick,” Lottie explains when the girl is close enough. “It’s just a few symptoms, so I’m taking care of her for now. I was wondering if you could handle things for the day. It’s Saturday, so there aren’t any workshops or any important matters, I just need you to be around if anyone needs you.”
“I’m sorry Natalie’s sick,” Lisa’s frown deepens. “But, of course, I can totally do that. Do you need anything?”
With a small nod, Lottie lists off a few items, ones she knows they have around the compound, and thanks the girl for her willingness to help. It’s been a huge relief to have Lisa at a place where she’s willing to take on more responsibilities because Lottie trusts her to get things done if she needs to. She’s needed someone to help her out for a while now, but she had yet to find someone she could rely on until Lisa came around.
Of course, Lottie made sure she went through treatment first, not giving her any sort of indication of a promise for her future so as to not interfere with her treatment. But, as soon as she made significant progress and seemed that she was nearing the end of her immediate treatment plan, Lottie approached her about the possibility of becoming more involved. The girl was thrilled at the prospect, and from there, Lottie was able to feel some relief.
Sunshine Honey’s Wellness Community has been Lottie’s entire life since she started it, but now she has Natalie and she knew she needed to adjust her priorities accordingly. Now, she ends her days at a decent time, saving her evenings and nights for Nat, and she takes Sundays completely off while only being available if someone needs her on Saturdays. It’s rare that anyone bothers her, knowing she’s doing this to have more time for herself and for Natalie, so she typically has the entire weekend free.
She’s grateful Nat started feeling sick over the weekend so she could easily detach herself from the compound to take care of her. Lottie would still do it even on a busy weekday, but it being Saturday meant Lottie had to have one conversation with Lisa about the plans for the day and she’s quickly returning to her cabin, whereas canceling and rearranging things for a weekday would involve a more lengthy conversation.
When Lottie walks back into their bedroom, Natalie’s eyes flutter open and she’s immediately whining and asking for Lottie to get back in bed, so the woman strips back out of her clothes and crawls into her side of the bed. She waits for Nat to pull her close, not knowing how hot she is or how much contact she wants right now.
Of course, Natalie’s hands reach for her the instant she lays down, pulling her as close as possible. She’s half asleep, muttering about how tired she is, so Lottie just wraps her arms back around her and kisses the top of her head, telling her she’s here now so it’s safe to sleep. Nat buries her face in Lottie’s chest, not caring about the fact that her skin feels like it’s on fire because she has Lottie now, Lottie who is going to take care of her, Lottie who loves her so deeply, Lottie who feels nice and soft against her. Those are the last thoughts in her mind as she allows herself to finally fall asleep.
Lottie, on the other hand, stays awake, gently rubbing Natalie’s back as she recalls the first time Nat was this clingy. It’s a rare occurrence, but when Natalie isn’t feeling good, for any sort of reason, the woman wants to hold Lottie or be held, and Lottie is always happy to comply. The first time was when Nat had a migraine, and she begged Lottie to stay in bed with her and slept with her head on Lottie’s chest the entire time. Lottie would never say no to her, but the fact that she was begging for her to stay so she could sleep with her made Lottie’s heart melt. They had only been together for a month at the time, so it meant so much to her that Natalie wanted her around.
Before she realizes it, Lottie is drifting off, her eyes growing heavy and the memories of Natalie turning into her dreams instead. They sleep peacefully together, still tangled up within each other, and neither wakes up when the front door opens and Lisa delivers the items Lottie requested. Lottie had told her she would keep the door unlocked so she could bring the items in without interrupting them, so Lisa sets the small bag on the first counter she finds and slips out of the cabin, not wanting to disturb their sleep.
A few hours later, Natalie stirs from her sleep and throws the blanket off herself once more. The action wakes Lottie, who pulls away when she realizes Nat is getting warm again. This time, Nat doesn’t pull her back, so Lottie knows she really isn’t feeling well. She immediately stands from the bed and goes to switch out the washcloths she had set on her earlier, wanting to do everything she can to help Natalie. Lottie glances at the time and realizes Nat can have more medicine, so she rushes back over to the bed with the damp cloths and swaps them out before grabbing the pill bottle beside the bed.
When two pills fall into her palm and the bottle is empty, Lottie curses. She has to send Lisa out for more so she can make sure Natalie has them in time for her next dose, which means she has to leave the cabin again to go find her. Giving the girl her phone for the day is likely going to be the best move so she can communicate their needs to her without leaving their quarters, and it’ll also allow her to check in on Lisa throughout the day to make sure everything is still going well.
“Take this, baby,” Lottie says softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I have to go tell Lisa to get some more for you, but I’ll be back.”
Nat whines, genuinely whines, at the thought of Lottie leaving again and she mutters, “Give her her phone.”
Lottie sighs and runs her fingers through Natalie’s hair as she nods at her, “I will, baby. But, I have to give her my card too.”
The second Nat takes her medicine and finishes her water, Lottie picks up the glass and promises to be back in a few minutes, kissing the side of Natalie’s head as she stands to get dressed once more. She’s out the door in record time, having tossed the sweater and jeans she left by the bed back on and slipped back into the shoes she wore previously. She made sure to grab her wallet on her way out, as well as the keys to her office so she could go get Lisa’s phone.
As she walks to her office, Lottie realizes she should probably reevaluate the no-phones policy. She had originally started it to help people unplug and remain invested in their treatment, but it isn’t practical for those that plan to stay long-term, like Lisa. It’s a different conversation for another day, one when Natalie isn’t sick in bed and waiting for her return, so she picks up her pace and focuses solely on getting to her office and finding Lisa.
A few minutes later, Lottie is looking through the collection of phones and personal items when she hears a knock at her door. When she turns her head, Lisa is standing in the doorway, looking at her curiously.
“Hey,” Lottie smiles, nodding at the door for the girl to close it. When she does, she continues, “I need you to get some more medicine for Nat, and I was going to give you your phone back, but I don’t really remember which one is yours.”
Lisa laughs and walks further into the office until she reaches the basket Lottie was sifting through. She spots her phone immediately and grabs it, slipping it into the back pocket of her jeans as she looks up at Lottie, waiting for her to tell her exactly what she needs to get for Natalie.
Lottie writes down her phone number on a nearby sticky note and hands it to Lisa as she tells her the medicine she was giving Nat, and relaxes when the girl nods and says she’ll go immediately and leave Todd in charge while she’s gone.
“And get yourself a treat or something nice while you’re out, for helping me,” Lottie says softly, handing her card and a few folded bills to Lisa. “Use my card, but if it gives you any trouble there’s some cash.”
Lisa starts to shake her head, but when Lottie glares at her, she nods and asks, “How’s Natalie?”
Lottie sighs, “She’s okay for now, but she has a fever, and her body aches, which is what the medicine is for. She just took the last two pills, so I want to make sure she has it when she’s due for her next dose. I’m gonna try to get her to eat something when I go back. Thank you for bringing everything and for doing this. I really appreciate it, Lisa. We both do.”
The girl beams at the gratitude Lottie shows her, “Of course, I’m happy to help. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Same deal as last time, I’ll leave everything on the counter?”
Lottie nods and grabs a phone charger from the shelf to hand to the girl. Her phone has been locked in a cabinet for months, so she knows she’s going to have to charge it before she can even use it.
“Hold onto it, even after you bring the stuff. We’re gonna revisit it later, but I want you to have it,” Lottie nods. “I’m gonna go back to Nat, but call me if you need me.”
After handing the girl the keys, Lottie leads her out of her office and tells Lisa to text her as soon as her phone is on so she can have her number before making her way back to her quarters. She tries to avoid people as much as possible, which seems to be an easy task as there aren’t many people just wandering around. She’s back to her cabin without anyone stopping her, and she finally feels like she can relax now that she’s with Natalie again.
The woman is sleeping again, sprawled out on the bed with her head once more buried in Lottie’s pillow as she seeks the comfort of the woman’s presence in her illness-induced haze. The sight fills Lottie with a mix of emotions, part of her loves that Natalie is clinging to her pillow while she sleeps, but she also hates the fact that Nat is sick. She wishes she could take it away, she would in a heartbeat if she had the opportunity. But she can’t, so she takes care of her instead, doing whatever she can to bring her Natalie back.
When Lottie is slipping her jeans off, Nat quickly sits up in bed and Lottie immediately realizes what’s happening so she rushes to her side and helps her to the bathroom as quickly as possible. She kneels down behind Nat, supporting her frame and holding her hair back as she empties what little is in her stomach into the toilet. Lottie’s heart breaks at the sight, and she gently rubs Natalie’s back, hoping to provide some comfort in the moment. There’s not much she can do beyond this, so she puts all of her effort into it, making sure none of Nat’s hair gets in the way and trying to keep her calm in the moment.
Finally, Nat weakly reaches up to flush the toilet, and Lottie carefully removes herself from Natalie so she can go run to grab her glass of water for Nat to rinse her mouth out before she brushes her teeth. She helps Nat clean herself up before offering to run her a lukewarm bath to help soothe her body aches and to try to combat the fever still coursing through her body.
“I’ll be right here the whole time, baby,” Lottie says softly when Nat hesitates to agree to it. That gets a small nod out of her, so Lottie closes the toilet and carefully sits Nat on it so she can start the bath. She leaves the woman with a fresh glass of water to sip on as she prepares the bath, making sure the temperature isn’t going to be too warm for Natalie.
Once the bath is filled, Lottie turns to Nat and helps her out of her tank top and underwear before helping her settle into the bath. Lottie pulls off her sweater and tosses it on the floor with Natalie’s discarded clothes, not wanting it to get wet as she sits with Nat. She makes herself a place on the bathroom floor, right by the tub, gently rubbing Nat’s back as the woman settles into the water.
“My sweet girl,” Lottie whispers. “I’m sorry you’re sick. I would trade places with you in a heartbeat.”
Lottie’s soft words bring tears to Nat’s eyes, and she curses herself for being so soft when she’s sick. She loves the way Lottie’s kindness makes her feel, but she hates that she’s instantly in tears after she says one nice thing to her.
Of course, Lottie notices her tears, because Lottie notices everything, and she’s quickly leaning over the edge of the bathtub to pull Natalie into her arms. She soothingly whispers in Nat’s ear, pressing soft kisses to the side of her head as she holds her.
“Will you get in?” Natalie weakly mumbles, clinging onto Lottie.
Lottie feels her chest tighten at how meek Nat sounds, and she nods her head, “I wanted to give you some space, but of course I will, baby.”
She stands slowly, pulling off her underwear, the last remaining clothing item on her body, before gesturing for Natalie to sit up so she can slide in behind her. She knows this probably isn’t best, that she should be trying to keep Nat’s body temperature down, but she knows her girlfriend needs the comfort. She’s never seen her like this, and she doesn’t want to be the one to tell Natalie no in this state.
Lottie alternates between holding Nat in her arms and washing her body, using the opportunity to gauge Natalie’s temperature as she does. She seems to have cooled down a little bit since this morning, but Lottie still wants to take her temperature when they get out so she can properly continue to monitor it. If it continues to rise, they’ll have to go to a doctor, and she wants to avoid that as much as possible because she knows Natalie doesn’t want it.
They sit in the bath for another ten minutes after Lottie has finished washing Nat, trying to enjoy it as much as they can given the fact that Natalie is sick and utterly exhausted. She’s sitting between Lottie’s legs, with her side pressed into Lottie’s front as she curls up against her, and Lottie’s hands carefully massage her limbs, wanting to bring Nat as much soothing as she can. This is the first time she’s ever taken care of someone like this, and she just hopes she’s getting things right with Natalie.
“Are you ready to get out, baby?” Lottie asks softly when she realizes Nat is starting to fall asleep against her chest.
A slight nod comes from the woman and Lottie smiles as she carefully moves Nat so she can get out of the bath first. She grabs the towel she had set out for Nat and uses it to dry herself before she walks to grab another one for Natalie. Lottie secures the towel wrapped around her frame, then holds the second one open for Nat to step into. She knows Nat could do it herself, but she wants to continue to take care of her, so she slowly dries the woman off, making sure she gets every drop of water off of her skin. Natalie hates it when she misses a spot and is still damp somewhere, and Lottie knows this, so she does her best to ensure it doesn’t happen.
When they walk into the bedroom, Lottie goes to find clothes for them both, but Nat’s hand on her wrist stops her, so she kisses the side of her head and tells her she’s at least going to get them underwear before they lay down. Natalie doesn’t even let go of Lottie’s wrist as she steps away, instead holding her towel up with one hand while her other is clasped around Lottie’s wrist.
It only takes Lottie a few seconds to find what she needs, and she quickly slips on her own before she turns to Nat to help her. She bends down as Nat slowly lifts each foot, allowing Lottie to slide the fabric up her legs with ease. Her hands move to hold on to Lottie’s shoulders as she does so, steadying herself with the support of her girlfriend’s sturdy frame. Natalie doesn’t have it in herself to get annoyed with herself at how clingy she’s being right now, or how weak she seems, too exhausted from the illness that has taken its toll on her body.
Once both women are clothed, or as clothed as they want to be, Lottie leads them to the bed, and Nat all but collapses onto the surface with a hum. Lottie bites back a laugh and crawls in beside her, happy to be able to hold her once more. There’s an urge in her chest that forces her to want to just hold the woman, to protect her from everything even though the sickness is coming from within her. She wants to do what she can, even though she knows it’s little compared to the work Natalie’s immune system is putting in. But she does what it can’t, providing the woman her comfort, her soft kisses, and firm arms to lie in.
Natalie’s eyes are closing as soon as her forehead drops to rest on Lottie’s chest, and Lottie wraps her arms around the woman, pulling her close so they can go back to sleep. Honestly, Nat being sick happened at the perfect time, because it’s allowing Lottie to just stop for a little bit and not focus on anything that normally plagues her thoughts. All she has to think about is Natalie, and even with that, they’re sleeping for half of the day, which Lottie is in great need of.
Lisa comes and goes just as quickly this time, leaving the medicine, Lottie’s card and cash, the keys, and a sweet note on the counter beside the other items she had dropped off earlier in the day. She slips out of their cabin, making sure to lock it behind herself, and runs off to go find Todd to relieve him of his duties for the day.
Lottie reads it a few hours later, when she grabs Natalie’s medicine, and a wide grin forms on her face. She already plans to put it up on the refrigerator in her cabin later, but she wants to at least show it to Nat before she does. Her fingers trace over the heart doodled beside Lisa’s name, and Lottie realizes just how close the three of them have become over Natalie’s time at the compound.
Lisa is practically their adopted daughter at this point, having been the one person Nat immediately connected with at the compound and clearly Lottie’s favorite. The feeling is mutual, Lisa adores them just as much as they adore her, and she’s happy to have people who genuinely care about her wellbeing here.
Natalie wakes up a few hours later, her stomach starting to rumble with hunger as she stirs in Lottie’s arms. She feels significantly better than she had when she first woke up this morning, and she knows she has Lottie to thank for it. The last time she was sick, she had to deal with it on her own, and she decided to just wing it and sleep the entire day. Of course, she lived alone and didn’t have Lottie there to take care of her. Lottie would refuse to let that happen.
She tries to remove herself from Lottie’s arms without waking Lottie, and she thinks she’s almost successful until she feels Lottie’s arms tightening around her. Nat looks up at Lottie to see if she woke the woman up, and, of course, when she looks at Lottie’s face, dark eyes are staring back at her.
“Hi, baby,” Lottie whispers, her voice raspy and filled with sleep.
Nat smiles up at her, “Hey, Lot.”
“Trying to escape?” Lottie asks with a slight chuckle.
Natalie scrunches her nose and shakes her head, “I’m hungry so I was going to find something to eat.”
Lottie nods her head and kisses the top of Nat’s head as she says, “Lisa brought some soup earlier, I’ll go heat it up for you.”
It takes a few moments of back and forth until Natalie ultimately agrees to it, as long as Lottie lets her move to the couch now that she’s feeling a little better. She needs a change in scenery, and the couch is as far as Lottie will let her go while she heats the soup, so Nat takes what she can get and slips on the t-shirt Lottie offers her, one of Lottie’s that smells like her, before allowing Lottie to lead her to the living room.
She plops down on the couch and sets the throw blanket in her lap, reaching for the remote as she listens to Lottie moving around the kitchenette. Nat wanted to help Lottie with it, it was the least she could do after the entire day of Lottie taking care of her, but Lottie refused to let her. Instead, she told Natalie she could sit on the couch and they would eat there together, and Nat didn’t want to argue with her, so she agreed to it.
The soup Lisa brought was pretty much just broth, but Natalie knew it was probably for the best, so she didn’t complain. She knows it would be likely that she wouldn’t keep it down, that she would likely feel worse if she tried to eat anything solid, so she takes the bowl gratefully and pats the cushion beside her for Lottie to sit down.
Lottie tucks her legs underneath herself as she sits down, watching the bowl to make sure none of the soup comes spilling out of the sides. She observes Natalie first, watching as she tastes the soup to make sure it is okay for her. If she didn’t like it, Lottie was ready to go searching for something else for her. But, thankfully, Nat hummed and sipped on the soup, blowing on each spoonful as she brings it up to her lips.
Nat had turned off the TV when Lottie walked back over, so the two are speaking softly between their mouthfuls of soup, with Lottie checking in on how Nat is feeling now. She feels Natalie’s forehead, and she’s grateful to feel that she’s dropped to a relatively normal temperature.
They finish their bowls easily, and Lottie takes Natalie’s and sets both on the coffee table before turning to Nat, “Do you want to watch a movie, baby?”
A small smile grows on Natalie’s lips and she nods her head, “Can I pick?”
“Of course you can, baby,” Lottie chuckles.
The remote had been discarded on the coffee table when Lottie brought the soup over, so Lottie reaches for it as she sets the bowls down and hands it back to Natalie as she sits up. While Nat is searching for a movie to watch, Lottie lays down on the couch, stretching her legs and pulling Natalie to lie on top of her.
With a smile, Nat shifts so she’s lying directly on top of Lottie with her head resting on Lottie’s chest. Her legs settle between Lottie’s, and everything just feels right as she feels Lottie pulling the blanket over her. Even though she’s sick, Lottie has been absolutely perfect, taking care of her and making sure she has everything she needs. And now, as she feels Lottie’s arms wrapping around her body, Natalie can feel just how loved she is.