Lucy had been a good girl all day.

While her parents did all their work, she'd sat in the break room and stayed out of everyone's way. She'd sprawled out over the utilitarian chairs with her back to the wall until it started to ache. Every fun thing she'd planned to do at home today, gone, all because her parents had to bring their daughter into work with them. And why? Babysitter number twenty had to cancel at the last minute.

Lucy would have been fine, normally. She understood her parents were busy, especially these days—they co-owned and ran their own automobile parts business, now. She knew when to be quiet and just read magazines while the adults did their thing. But Lucy needed her days to recharge. And spending a whole day of her summer break around the odor of machine parts and oil was exhausting.

Even now, when it was all over and she could slump into the comfy back seat of the car and feel the A/C wafting over her, Lucy still felt bone-deep tired. What was she gonna do when she got back home? Why did she care? This. Sucked.

"Hey," her mom spoke up from the front seat. "How about... we go get pizza?"

Pizza. Followed by ice cream, most likely. That was an apology, or she'd never heard one. "Pass," Lucy said back in monotone.

A long, uncomfortable moment of silence stretched out. She could tell mom was looking at her from the corner of her eye, probably also glancing over at dad in the driver's seat.

Lucy did her best to give a polite smile. "It's okay," she continued, “just… I wanna go home. Please?"

They didn't fight her. Which she was very glad for. Lucy didn't want to argue, and she did get it, but it still sucked. The drive home was mostly quiet after that, with her parents talking about random goings-on she didn't really understand or care for. Lucy's head found a cozy nook between the backrest of her seat and the door, and she just shuttered her eyelids and dozed, waiting for it to be over.

They turned the corner to her house before she knew it. That was a great mercy for the day. Theirs was two stories, but the top floor was essentially the first, and they had a great 'basement' floor just as large because it was set to face the opposite end of a sloping hill. Old trees rose up around it, and grass bowled gently all over in a carpet of green.

By the time they pulled up in the driveway, Lucy was so tired that she didn't even stick around to hear what supper was gonna be. Probably just burgers and frozen french fries, she guessed. Even when she tried to smile and thank her parents anyway, her lips felt numb. She hugged them both like a robot on autopilot, and as soon as she could, made a beeline for her room downstairs.

The cool darkness within was like a balm to her soul. Her bed was still a little ruffled, since she hadn't expected to have to leave so early in the morning, but Lucy didn't care. She flopped onto the messy sheets, and buried her face in her pillow.

"Rnnnhh!…" Lucy groaned plaintively, finally letting out her suffering.

Why. Why? Stupid, stupid babysitters! What was the reason, again? Grounded? Number Twenty caught sneaking out of her bedroom window with her parents' car, all to see some boy? Lucy was guessing on the last part, but her feelings were usually right. She should have said something. Should have pressured mom and dad to pick someone else! No, no, Lucy, it'll be okay, there's no way someone entrusted with responsibility over someone's house and children would go off the rails!

Her fist pounded the mattress. Again, and again. Each thump was punctuated by a sharp exhale of breath into her pillow, the heat from it backfiring across her cheeks.

She was twelve! Come on! Lucy was more responsible than some older kids, and sure as heck better than Babysitter Number One, who got fired after the first day 'cause she kept spacing out on her phone and forgetting to make dinner or do the dishes! Why couldn't mom and dad just let herself look after everything? 'Not until you're thirteen', that was the rule. Stupid rules. Stupid everything.

A couple strained minutes later, Lucy rolled over. Her eyes blinked groggily around at the cool mint green walls. The windows were, thankfully, still drawn with her favorite sky blue curtains; she didn't think she could handle the summer sun right now. Forget the big, wide world. She needed her… what was it called? Her 'bubble'. Fluffy blanket bubble.

Huffing through tight lips, she tucked herself beneath the soothing sheets. Bath could wait, jammies could, too. She just had to get rid of the hard lump jabbing her in the waist. Lucy dug her fingers through the pockets of her shorts, and pulled out her cellphone.

Cellphone.

She blinked in realization. Oh. Yes. That would definitely help.

Lucy popped it open, squinting at the blue backlight, and speed-dialed her closest friend.

Riiiing!

Riiiing!

A pause. ”Lucy? Hey!” chirped a bright voice on the other end.

Lucy immediately smiled. "Hi, Judy."

”...You sound... really tired. What happened?”

She sighed. "Mom and dad took me to work with them."

Judy audibly winced. ”Ouch. Boh-ring!” she drawled. "Why, though?"

"Babysitter couldn't make it," Lucy answered automatically. Her free hand rose to her forehead, absently sweeping aside her midnight blue bangs. "Was her own fault, I think. Told us she was grounded." And she was almost certain said sitter's parents had made her take responsibility to call, too.

”Oh, no!” Judy whined. ”So you had to wait all day for them?”

Lucy turned over, curling her legs up underneath her in a fetal position. "Mmhmm… and they didn't want me around the paint or the power tools, so I just hung out in the offices and break room. Staring at the calendar pictures and magazine articles got old real fast."

Judy tsk'ed. ”Yeah, I'll bet. Could have at least let you use a spare computer! Businesses like that are supposed to have real fast internet!”

"Hff," Lucy huffed in agreement. "I'm back home now, though. How was your day?"

"Great!" came the jovial reply. "I hung out with my sister, and we went to the library! They were doing live readings of books!"

Lucy perked up at that. "Oh! Karina?" she asked intently.

”Yeah!” Judy affirmed. ”Kari even got to DO one of the readings herself! Totally surprised her! And everyone! She has a really good voice!”

Memories of the tall, beautiful young woman flashed through Lucy's mind. Luminous, silky amber-blonde hair. Warm and kind blue eyes that always put her mind at ease.

"So… wait, if she was around people, did anyone try to…?"

”Touch her wings or something?”

Lucy hummed affirmatively.

”Oh, yeah. People try, Lucy, but they give up pretty quick. Kari might be an angel, but she doesn't like everyone mobbing her and trying to feel her feathers.”

"That makes a lot of sense, actually. Do they know she's… y'know, not from heaven?"

A very unladylike snicker broke out from the other end. Lucy blinked.

”Heh!... Oh, man. You're right, there's still people who want her to give sermons at church and stuff. But the worst part is when they start asking how they can get wings, too. That's… a really, really personal thing with her.”

Lucy had always made a point not to ask why Karina had them, and her younger sister by about eight years did not—and neither did their parents. She followed her own advice to this moment. So instead, Lucy smiled a little wider, subtly tightening her grip on the phone. "So, uh, you said stories? What story did she read?"

A long intake of breath came from the other end. "It was one about… I don't remember the name, but it was this lady who had balloons to bring to a party, but she kept giving them away across town on her way 'cause people needed some bright colors in their life! Like one guy waiting at a train station, she gave a big red one to hold over his head so the lady he looked for could find him in the crowd!"

"That's so generous of her!" Lucy beamed.

”I know!” Judy squealed, followed by a bright laugh. "But when Kari tells it, you can hear, right, you can just tell she's excited! She wants to tell it, loves seeing—oh, jeez, Lucy, she had everyone just staring at her smile! It was awesome!”

"Her smile, huh…" Lucy trailed off with a murmur. She'd seen the one, too. The bright and happy smile that always touched her eyes. When Karina came to pick Judy up from school, or checked in on them when Lucy visited, it was always there. Honest, pure, and safe.

”Lucy?” Judy asked. Lucy blinked, realizing she'd spaced out.

"H-Huh? What's up?"

”Are you sure you're okay?” There was a brief pause. ”I don't mean to change the subject, but...”

A quiet huff left Lucy's lips. She snuggled in deeper into the bed, and tucked the sheets around her legs. "Eh… it's just, you know... " Lucy murmured, ending with a ragged sigh.

”Irresponsible?” Judy supplied. ”That's what Kari calls people who don't care when their job's taking care of people.”

Lucy closed her eyes. "Yeah," she answered. "It sucks. They—my parents, I mean—can't leave me at home 'cause of 'The Rules, ™'," this got a tiny snicker out of Judy, "so it's always something or other with the sitter not being able to make it, or just screwing up like they've forgot they're supposed to take care of stuff."

”We never get that!” Judy piped up. ”I mean, my parents don't really need to call a sitter.”

"Oh, right, because Karina…?"

”Uh-huh!” she responded brightly. ”I mean, usually mom or dad's home, but since Kari's around, too, they get to go out more and have fun together and not worry!”

"Really?" Lucy blinked. She'd never really asked what their overall home situation was, but… that actually sounded lovely! "So no hanging around records books and empty card tables?" she muttered ruefully.

”Nooope!”" Judy drawled back, chortling at the end. ”Mom's a hairdresser, dad's a carpenter, remember? They sorta make their own time… uh, I mean hours!”

Rustle. Lucy's head nodded, sliding quietly over the bed. "And that means you and… well, what do you and Karina usually do together?"

A quiet hum sounded from the other end. The pause gave Lucy a moment to realize a smile had snuck up on her face without her noticing. She glanced over at the mirror across from the bed, then, and winced at the bedraggled girl who stared back at her lumpy form.

”Well,” Judy began, ”We usually take a walk and chat about stuff, and sometimes she drives us to the park! She's got her own car, y'know? And she likes picnic lunches, and… Oh! We read books together in the afternoon, and if she feels up to it, she takes me flying!”

Lucy's eyes widened. Her other hand gripped the blanket around her. "Fl… Flying?"

”Yeah! She's an angel, remember? Her wings are really strong! She can carry me and zip around the house, sometimes she even carries tools up to dad when he's working on the roof!”

"Heh…" Lucy huffed back, awestruck. "Wow, she really is…"

She'd never really thought about anything but what Karina's feathers felt like, honestly. It made sense that if angels were magic like she thought, things like weight wouldn't matter as much to them. And if the wings were like that, then… what about…?

Belatedly, Lucy realized Judy had gone silent. She thought she heard a quiet intake of breath from the other end of the phone, though.

Before she could say anything, her voice came again. ”Lucy…” Judy began in an arched tone, ”you've got a crush on my sis, don't you?”

The tease sent Lucy into a fit of sputtering. Cheeks flushing red, she exclaimed, "What?! N-No! I just think she’s—!"

”Ehehe!" Came the insufferable giggle from the other end. "I'm just teasing, relax! Though I can't not think about how cute you two'd be together, now.”

"Hey, don't be mean!" Lucy whined plaintively. "I mean… I think she's really pretty, and kind, but…"

Out of her league. That was the term. She winced, unable to say it out loud.

”Y'know, I think it'd be great if you two could just, like, really talk. You're really mature, and so is she, and...”

"Judy, please," Lucy cut her off, her voice flat.

Judy didn't answer for a long moment. "Hang on, that gives me an idea! Lucy!"

The rushed exclamation made her blink. "What?"

”Okay, hear me out! Karina babysits me sometimes, and we know she likes you,” Lucy's teeth clenched at that, "so why don't we ask, or… or no, you ask, and get your folks to have her come watch you?”

Her cheeks went slack. "Wa… Wait. Are you serious?"

”Dead serious! She won't be irresponsible like other stupid babysitters! You know I'm right, don't you?”

Lucy thought. Really thought. Heart thumping loudly in her chest, she rolled over, lying on her back again. Karina… Lucy hadn't really spent that long with her, because it was just in passing or when she was with Judy. But everything she knew about her, and felt deep down from just looking into her eyes those few times, all of it added up.

She swallowed hard. "You really think that's gonna work? I mean, it's not gonna be a problem for your sis?"

”Just give your folks her number!" Judy said brightly. "They can work out details and schedules with her; Kari's smart about that, too!”

Lucy's lips pulled up in a growing smile. This just might work. No, this had to work!

"Okay, what… uh… what's her number, again?"

----------------------------------------

"Mom! Dad!" Lucy exclaimed. She flew up the stairs two at a time, excitedly waving her phone in the air.

"No running in the house, young lady!" her mother called out from the kitchen. She was busy flipping burgers; the sound of them sizzling was clear and loud.

Lucy grinned. 'Called it.'

Ignoring the warning, she burst onto the upstairs landing and dashed through the living room. She swerved around the couch, in and out of sunlit spaces on the carpet from the bay window facing the downward slope outside. All the open space and doorless frames between the living room and kitchen felt free, like she wasn't as hemmed in—unlike her own room.

She burst into the kitchen, and finally skidded to a halt, arms pinwheeling for balance. Lucy paused for breath, but the grin on her face stayed put.

"What did I just say?" Mom muttered, and turned away from the stove. She was wearing a clean kitchen apron and two mitts, and her dark hair was still up in a bun, professional as ever.

Lucy quickly shook her head, staring right back into those unimpressed amber eyes of her mother. "Sorry, I...! But… hff… I have great news!"

"What is it, Lucy?" came her father's voice, with a curious lilt.

Lucy glanced over. Dad had changed out of his work clothes already, now in a cozy set of house slacks with a thin shirt on top. A newspaper was in his hands, but he'd lowered it down as soon as she came in.

She sucked in a quick, steadying breath. "Okay… So, I was just talking to Judy, y-you know, my friend who comes over and hangs out?"

Dad nodded amiably. "I do."

Lucy presented her cellphone, cradling it in both palms like a treasure. She beamed at him from above the screen. "And I told her, you know, about the babysitting thing… N-No, no blaming! Promise!" she said quickly, noticing the pained look that crossed his eyes. "But get this! She told me her big sister, Karina, might want to c—"

"Wait, wait." Mom turned around, looking over with genuine interest this time. "Judy's sister? Karina? Wasn't she a..."

"Angel!" Lucy chirped, grinning ear to ear. "Yeah! Yeah, yeah, the wings and everything! Really! I've seen them!"

Mom fell silent. But she was blinking, and her lips were parted just so; she was considering something, Lucy could tell. She turned back to the pan, checked it and the oven timer right above, then looked back. "Sorry for interrupting, honey," she said in a softer tone. "Please go on."

"Hey, I'm 'honey'; she's 'sweetie'." Dad pouted teasingly at her.

"No, I'm sweetie," Mom riposted swiftly. "And if you forget that again, no pepper jack cheese on yours."

A throaty grumble arose from the sitting man. Lucy giggled.

Straightening up proudly, she did a single happy bounce on her heels, and continued. "Judy said that Karina sits for her at home, especially so her parents can go hang out and have fun together! Also, she's really good at it, and doesn't mess around! And she has her own car, too, so she can go anywhere, unlike the last one!"

"Sold!" Dad burst out, playfully pounding a hand against the table. "Last time we ever hire that particular bimbo."

"Hey!" Mom snapped, glowering at him. "Don't you go teaching her bad words!"

Lucy blinked, dumbstruck. Her cheeks flushed scarlet. "Huh? Bi…? U-uh, Mrs. Ross down the street says that about you, mom..." she said carefully.

The prim, composed woman gave a long-suffering sigh. Slowly, she lifted out one of the finished burgers, setting it aside to drain on a rack. "I'm not surprised. She ran out of gossip a long time ago, so she's gotta make stuff up about my supposed blonde hair dye jobs or otherwise." Mom clapped the lid back on the pan, letting the rest cook a bit more thoroughly.

"More importantly," she said, "what's this about Karina sitting? You thinking we could call her?"

"Yes! Yes yes yes! Judy gave me her number!" Lucy beamed, leaning forward on the island with both hands. Her pleading doe eyes gazed between both her parents' faces. "Will you please call her? Pleaaase?"

Finally, a beatific smile appeared on her mother's lips. She gave a bemused huff, and nodded. "Yes," she said—then immediately lifted a hand to silence Lucy's exuberant squeal.

"After. Dinner." She punctuated each word with a wag of her finger. It did nothing to dampen her mother's smile, though. "I'm honestly impressed you'd ask yourself, sweetheart. I promise we'll give it a real shot, okay?"

A real shot. Impressed! She did it, she did it! Her phone fell nervelessly from her hand onto the table. Lucy closed her eyes, then dropped her face into her palms propped on her elbows. "Yesss…!" she cried out softly, huffing and giggling into her hands. "Thank you so much!"

----------------------------------------

To Karina, driving around the bowling hills always felt even more like the countryside than truly going out of town. Proud oak and hickory trees stretched eagerly into the breeze, turning the morning sun into dapples of light playing against the road and tall grass like a thousand dancing fairies. Every so often, she exchanged a wave and a smile with a friendly jogger. When her route took her by one of many outlooks onto the farmland and treelines below, she even spotted some white-tailed deer nibbling at a blackberry bush!

The cool kiss of air on her wing feathers was easily the best of all, though! For the hundredth time, her foresight in getting a sedan with a convertible top had paid off. Karina wasn't some fledgling anymore, but still she let her imagination roam wild, towards the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily overhead. Raw instinct whimpered pleadingly in her heart to just fly. To lose herself in the air and feel the sun's warmth unchecked. Thankfully, she'd learned by now to keep the more playful side of her angelic form docile and gentle—especially when it came to times like this, when she got the chance to look after one of her sister's friends!

The conversation had gone smoothly. Lucy's parents didn't need any convincing—they were already looking for a new babysitter, and one that their daughter hand-picked went right to the top of the list. All it took was one quick conference over the phone to discuss dates, and Karina was set to mind the whole house and all its contents. That, of course, included one very excited young girl she could hear squealing from the other end of the line.

It was an easy drive, since she already knew where the house was from taking Judy there to hang out with her friend. Karina arrived on time, pulling her sedan up into the expansive driveway.

Just looking at Lucy's house put a smile on her face. All of the property looked very well-maintained, and the lawn, despite being very large and sitting on a hill, was freshly mowed. Her own father, as a builder, would be proud of the work. The porch was a raised wooden structure with granite steps leading up, and a white awning canvassing the entire top.

Leaving her car in park, Karina stepped out and walked up to the door. Her hand raised, fingers poised as she walked up the few steps.

'Let's see… knock? Oh, doorbell!'

Ding-dong!

A tall, well-built man who had to be Lucy's father arrived before long. Karina smiled proudly, and as soon as his eyes found her, she picked up the edges of her skirt and did a little curtsy. "Hi, there!"

The man gave an amiable chuckle, standing up a little straighter. "Well, hello to you!" he returned in a boisterous salesman's voice. "Are you Ms. Michaels?"

She nodded perkily. "I am! First names are welcome, too."

A broad smile rose to his face. "Alrighty. You can call me John, then, or Mr. Taylor if that don't feel right."

He extended a hand out to shake, and Karina took it gladly. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Taylor!"

Another throaty chuckle. "Likewise. Polite, I like that. You'll go far out there. Kinda wish we'd have known you sat on people sooner."

Karina smiled thinly at the tease, and shook her head. "Sit for."

"Nothing gets past you, huh? Good." He released her hand, then stepped aside. "Here, come on in!"

He stepped aside, and Karina eagerly followed his lead. "Thank you, sir!"

Cool, fresh air from the interior washed over her cheeks. She had to turn herself a bit sideways while walking so as not to knock the doorframe with her broad wings, but she was well used to that by now.

The house was clean and lushly carpeted, with white fluff everywhere around the floor, including an L-shaped stairwell to her right that led down into darkness. Ahead, a three-person couch faced away, though it looked very soft and inviting.

"You just make yourself right at home, okay?" The tall man stepped forward, waving his arms randomly at the furniture, and one towards openings in a retaining wall a few steps off that seemed to lead into the kitchen. "TV remote's on the couch. There's tea, coffee fixings, all kinds of stuff in the fridge."

Karina gave a pleasant hum at that, and nodded. She kicked off her shoes one by one, and left them neatly by the door. "Anything I should know, be careful of, so on?"

"Naw. A/C works, but you knew that. Dang if I don't keep the place insured." He chuckled. "Lucy's a good egg, just don't get that egg on your face. We work till five, sometimes a little over. You can take her out, just leave a note, and make sure she's back by eight, got it?"

"Okay!" Karina nodded, clapping her hands and rubbing her palms together. "So, where can I find my little charge?"

"Downstairs." He nodded towards the bottom floor. "Probably in her room. Straight ahead as you come dow—"

"John!" a matronly voice called from another room. "Where's the change jar? We said we were gonna use that so we didn't have to run to the bank, remember?"

John laid a palm to his forehead, sweeping back through his hair. He huffed. "You can go ahead; we'll be out real soon," he said quickly, giving Karina one last look before stomping off down a side hallway.

Silently, she waved a hand after him. Karina stayed just long enough to see his back vanish into a room, when she heard their voices briefly peak up before getting muffled by the door.

She headed down the stairs right after that, and she was not able to keep the excitement out of either her stride or her smile. Still, her socks made her descent as quiet as a cat. Lucy's bedroom turned out to be the only one on the outside edge, which made finding it quite easy.

The door was nondescript, which mildly surprised her; she would've thought Lucy would decorate it somehow. But maybe she just wasn't the kind for googly eyeball stickers on the doorknob or fake biohazard warning signs.

It was also unlocked, and just barely ajar. Even so, Karina gave it a polite knock.

The door nudged inward to the press of her knuckles. Through the opening, the subdued sound of music coming through a headset reached Karina instantly. No wonder Lucy hadn't noticed her coming in the house! With a smile, Karina slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The air was pleasant and cool, just like the rest of the house. Plenty of natural light made its way through two windows on different sides, illuminating the warm, mint green walls and the deep blue of the sheets on Lucy's bed. Interestingly, she noticed the curtains were curled back by hand, and kept tight by cords tied around them in bundles.

The girl herself was sitting relaxedly on the mattress, facing a full-length mirror on the far wall. Her left hand clutched a brush, which she slowly ran through her long, midnight blue hair.

Karina's lips opened to speak, but she paused. A quick glance confirmed the thin wires leading to earpieces tucked around Lucy's temples.

She grinned mischievously.

Her feet carried her silently over the floor, until she stood poised on Lucy's end of the bed, staring at the luminous locks of hair just covering her eyes. Karina tucked in her knees, and leaned over to the side.

The brush froze.

From behind her shoulder, the mirror offered a beautiful view of Lucy's face, and eyes flying open in shock.

"WH-WHOA!" Lucy exclaimed, whirling around. She frantically grabbed her earbuds and tore them out.

"Hi~ii!" Karina grinned brightly, waving her hand.

"Karina! I, u-uh, I-I—!" Lucy stammered out. She shimmied away over the mattress' edge, lips flapping and eyes blinking wildly.

Karina drew back at the same time, and plunked herself into a seat on the bed closeby, but not too close to be uncomfortable. "Whatcha listening to?" she asked, nodding down at the phone in Lucy's lap, and the earbuds stringing out from its side.

Lucy seemed to murmur something back, but her hasty breathing and quivering lips stole her voice. Lightning-fast, the girl shut off her phone and shoved it aside, then clasped her hands together tightly in her lap. Her emerald eyes—same as her father's, Karina realized—gazed sidelong at her from beneath her bangs.

"Oh, uh, ju… it's just music! Like, K-Pop and stuff," Lucy rushed out. She blinked, and gave a toss of her head to clear her hair away from her vision. A moment later, she continued. "N-Nothing in particular, I just have a station I like. It helps me think, and, and I like the singers even though I don't get what they're saying, and…"

Karina nodded, listening with a patient smile. Lucy's voice was changing, Karina could tell, gaining real depth whenever she reached a certain pitch. She was almost in her teens, so she was well into the transition from child-like to a more adult cadence.

Once Lucy trailed off, Karina gave an appreciative hum. "K-Pop, huh? Judy likes that, too! And I don't mind something a little jumpy now and then, either," she responded. "Though when I'm on the go, or need help thinking, sometimes I listen to books on tape."

Lucy blinked curiously. "Books on tape?"

"Yeah!" Her hands waved lazily through the air, one miming holding a microphone, the other cupping around her ear like a headset. "They're books narrated with voiceovers by someone who's reading the book."

A spark of understanding lit in the girl's eyes. "Wait, so… like dramatic readings, just recorded?"

Karina nodded. "Exactly!"

Now it was Lucy's turn to beam. She set her palms out over the bed to either side, and leaned in towards her. "Y'know, Judy said you did one of those at the library. And that it was amazing!"

"Did she? Oh, sis!" Karina clasped her hands together over her chest, her eyes fluttering warmly. "She's such a sweetheart!"

Lucy's lips parted, seemingly to say something; but a sudden shyness flashed across her eyes, and she paused. She still smiled, but all that left her mouth was a murmured "Yeah..."

Karina's wings fluffed quietly behind her. Normally, they were good about staying put, but too much excitement could make them flick. Suddenly self-conscious, she huffed quietly, and tucked them as well as she could back in.

The move did not go unnoticed. Lucy's eyes traced their way onto those feathered curtains, which seemed to shimmer a little even in the dim room with the windows drawn.

"Can I… ask you something?" Lucy murmured, shifting a little in her seat.

"Hm?" Karina blinked. She cocked her head to the side in curiosity.

"Where's… your halo?"

The angel's eyes flicked up towards her forehead. "Huh…? O-Oh!" she burst out, chuckling in realization. "You… well, it's there, but you can't see it."

"Oh…" Lucy murmured, disappointed.

An awkward silence stretched out. Karina's smile wavered, and she sheepishly rubbed her scalp with a hand. "I'm sorry," she tried. "It's something that, usually, only another angel can see."

Lucy absently swung her legs out one by one, and they quietly fell back against the mattress. "So…" she started, but abruptly paused, shaking her head and glancing away.

A sting of guilt twisted in Karina's chest. So… what? So Lucy was just a human? Not special? What was that look for? She worked her lips soundlessly for a moment, trying to think of what to say. Eventually, she just decided to focus on the here and now.

"Uh… Breakfast. Right," she said, nodding to herself. "Did you eat? I wanna make sure."

Lucy smiled wanly, seemingly grateful for the diversion. "Yeah. Oatmeal."

"Mmm," Karina murmured pleasantly. "Coffee?"

Lucy grimaced, sticking out her tongue. "N-Nooo... Ugh! Bitter!"

"Hehe, okay, fair enough." Karina snickered. She tilted her head, gazing just past Lucy's shoulders. "Your hair looks great, by the way!"

Lucy took a second to realize her brush was still caught, suspended in her locks. "Oh! T… Thanks!" She blushed and gripped the handle to tug it loose. "I was just about to put it up."

"In double ponytails? I always saw that as your signature." She gestured up to her own hair with a finger, waving it in the air where the tails would be.

Lucy murmured affirmatively. She deftly bunched up a sizable clump of her raven-like hair, then tightened one of her ornamental clips around it. It was clear she'd practiced this, as her moves were quick but precise.

Under that shy exterior, Karina could see the glimmer of excitement in her eyes. "You know," she noised, gazing at the beveled tip that reached a good few inches over the girl's head. "That looks almost like kitty ears!"

A nervous blush colored Lucy's cheeks. "Ehehe…" she giggled. "Yeah, that's why I like them."

"I should try something like that," Karina remarked. "I'm used to just leaving mine in braids."

"You still have plenty of hair left over, though," Lucy noted, already tying up her other side in the second ponytail.

"So do you," Karina noted archly. Her eyes traced the gently arcing lines of Lucy's hair from scalp to bow to the tips of each tail. Even with Lucy's back hair done up in the ponytails, her front still had enough to reach down easily to her chest. Although she made a point to trim away any that got to her face, sometimes her bangs still partially covered her eyes.

Karina's face spread out in a pleasant smile. "Maybe later, if you'd like, I could try something new with it? Ever imagined how you'd look with braids?"

Lucy looked away. A sharp breath slipped from her lips. "Nn, no… I dunno, I kinda like keeping it loose, if that makes sense?"

The rest of the conversation proceeded comfortably. Now that Lucy had finished her hair, the two of them talked about mostly trivial things, like their favorite colors. When Karina said hers was white, Lucy insisted that wasn't a color. And Karina playfully riposted that Lucy couldn't have both green and blue as favorite colors. Before long, they were both grinning and laughing together, and trading little stories and tidbits about each other's ongoing lives.

"Wait, you're gonna be a teacher?" Lucy's eyes widened in awe.

Karina nodded emphatically, drumming her fingers against the mattress. "Yes, and no! I'm actually learning to be a tutor. I prefer mentoring one-on-one, and getting to know the person involved. That way, I can think of it more as helping, not just teaching."

"Mentoring…" the girl murmured. Her eyes grew distant for a moment. Then, she blinked, slowly nodding her head. "I've heard of that, I think. But if it's tutoring, doesn't that mean you can't do much when it's summer?"

"Ho ho!" Karina gave a sagely chuckle. "Can't learn much in the summer? How about cooking something yummy?"

Lucy stared at her strangely. "Uh… what? Cooking?"

Without missing a beat, Karina upended one of her palms, and tapped her fingers onto it as though arranging chairs and tables. "Well, I was thinking of making a picnic lunch! It's such a nice day out. We might even see some deer! I noticed a few on my way to your house."

"A picnic?!" Lucy's eyes brightened instantly, as did her smile. "That's!... I-I mean, we haven't done one of those in a while! Not a real one! We just take our food to a bench or something, usually; I always wanted the blanket and basket, like, classy stuff!"

"Well, now you get the chance!" Karina beamed. "Would you show us the way to the kitchen?"

Lucy nodded briskly. She jumped down off the bed, stood, then skipped excitedly over to the door. "Come on!"

----------------------------------------

To Karina's delight, the kitchen turned out to be well-stocked with the essentials. Lucy's father wasn't kidding. The first thing she looked for was cheese—they had three kinds, lovely!—and a knife to cut it with. She went through her fourth drawer before Lucy helpfully pulled open one on the island behind her, where all the utensils were kept.

Karina wasn't sure if Lucy'd read her mind or not, because as soon as she'd opened her mouth to ask about the most important thing, she darted off to the pantry. Lucy came right back with a picnic blanket and an old-fashioned woven basket, a smile ever-present as she plopped them proudly down on the kitchen counter.

"You knew right where it was, huh?" Karina noted.

"Uh-huh!" the ravenette bobbed her head, grinning up at her.

Karina chuckled back, casting wondering glances at the basket while laying out the cheese on a cutting board for slicing. "Makes me wonder why your folks don't have picnics more often."

"We do, just…" Lucy shrugged. "Mom and dad are just busy a lot, so we go on a park bench or something instead of on the lawn."

Karina blinked. "I wasn't talking about the lawn. There's perfectly good woods out there, pine trees…"

Lucy let out a rueful huff. "That only happens when my aunt and uncle come down in their trailer to camp out for a week or so. My uncle Joe's a big outdoors type, so he always gets on my dad's back for not being out often enough."

The mental image of someone actually talking the big man John out of his own house made Karina chuckle. "That's a shame, though. This should be more of a tradition for you, I think; a good opportunity to bond and just have fun."

"Dad's usually on the move these days." Lucy shrugged. "He always wants to be doing something. The most he might do on his own is take us off-roading in the truck, and go wave hello to the neighbors."

Karina nodded. "Does the 'big job' have something to do with that?" she guessed.

"It's not like they could pass it up." Lucy huffed ruefully. "Running their own place together's like a dream come true for them. Dad loves talking to customers and fixing stuff, mom loves any excuse to keep him in line. I just… it's tough, sometimes. I don't like changing so much."

"Well, that's why we're here," Karina said liltingly. "To change in a better way!"

"Right!" Lucy grinned, doing a little bounce on her heels. She skipped over to the fridge, rummaged around for a moment, and pulled out—

"No."

Lucy froze at the sharp voice. Her hand clutched a packet of baloney slices. "Huh?"

"We aren't doing cold cut sandwiches." Karina favored her with a stern look. "And we're not doing chips, either, if you were thinking that, so put it back."

Lucy blinked. But she slowly, obediently set the lunchmeat back onto the rack she'd taken it from. She glanced between Karina, and the still-open fridge.

"What's wrong with…?"

"It's not that good for you, for one; but also, it's just not that special." She gazed around at the counter, swiveling to check over the island as well. "This is a picnic, after all! We should try to have some better food. Everyone has to have at least some… apples!" she exclaimed triumphantly, grabbing a nice juicy red one from a basket.

"Yeah, we have those to snack on," Lucy said, nonplussed.

"We're gonna mix those with nuts and cheese." Karina picked out several more, laying them close to the cutting board. "Crackers, maybe peanut butter, too! Oh! Do you have any craisins?"

"Craisins? Uh, I think… yeah, for salad."

"They're good for snacking on, too," Karina noted.

Slowly, a smile came back to Lucy's lips. "It sounds like we're making… trail mix, or something?"

"Kind of! A little fruit, some nuts for crunch, cheese for texture. Great to start, anything else just adds on! Anything to drink?"

"Uh, we have apple cider, I think?"

Karina's brow furrowed. "Cider?" she parroted. "Not the…"

"No, not the alcoholic kind," Lucy said. She glanced over, matching the grateful smile that put on the angel's face. "It's just stuff from the orchard. Where do you think we got the apples?"

"Wait, wait." Karina did a double-take. She checked the apple in her hand, peering at it closely. "Orchard? You mean these are organic?"

"Oh, is that the word for it?" Lucy smiled bemusedly at her, and shrugged. "Well, then, yeah. We just buy them from the family who owns that place. They keep plenty in reserve even out of season."

"I'm in heaven," Karina murmured. She turned the apple over in her hand, smiling ever wider.

Clink. The sound of a bottle landing on the counter made her look over. "Found it!" Lucy trilled.

Karina looked over at the murky brown liquid swirling inside the glass. Apple cider. Real, natural apple cider. The cause wasn't lost after all! She imagined heating up the cider on the stove to a pleasant warmth, tipping it back to let the rich flavor cascade through her senses...

She had a moment to notice the pleasant flexing sensation in her back, right before one of her long-feathered wings brushed up against Lucy.

"H-Huh?" the ravenette girl stammered, blinking up at her.

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Karina quickly pulled away, her feathers sliding lightly over Lucy's arm. "I, uh… they do that when I get excited."

"It's okay," Lucy assured her. But Karina didn't miss how her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "It'll... feel better once we're out in the breeze, though, I bet!"

"Right!" Karina chirped, recovering from the awkward moment. "Okay, food's here… we need bowls, napkins, and some spoons."

"Bowls?"

"Yeah, there'll be so much little stuff it'd just slide right off a plate."

Lucy nodded, then gave her a knowing smile. "You want a capped-off cup for your cider?"

Karina's eyes sparkled with a smile. "That'd be lovely. Thermos, if you have it; I like mine warm. But no biggie!"

"This is really coming together, huh?" Lucy remarked.

"Don't celebrate yet, little lady. Still gotta portion all this out!" Karina returned her attention to the counter, taking up the cheese knife in hand to begin slicing. "I saw you guys had almonds; grab those! Those and craisins, everything in baggies, go go go!"

Lucy snapped her hand in a smart salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

----------------------------------------

Karina led Lucy outside the lawn, away from the house. She wanted to find a better spot to do this than somewhere so close, that would just remind her of the same old place.

They found a secluded clearing on the crest of a small rise, which overlooked a scenic vista of both the grassy land and wooded hills beyond. Aside from birdsong, a few barking dogs and the distant sound of cars on the road, everything was quiet. The sun was bright, but the shady spot under the evergreen trees easily dealt with the worst of it.

There was no shade to hide Lucy's shining smile, of course. "This is like… like the perfect spot!" Lucy exclaimed. "Like the place the heroes go for a break in a manga or something!"

"Manga, huh?" Karina smiled. "Judy likes that, too, I think."

As designated blanket girl, Lucy happily flung the bright plaid square down onto the pine needles with a soft fwoomph. Then she got down on her hands and knees, smoothing it out with her palms. Karina quickly followed with her basket atop the comfy island of red cloth.

"You're pretty good at this, you know?" Karina remarked. Just to make her point, she dug her hand inside to pull out bag after well-stuffed bag of cheese, almonds, walnuts, grapes, raspberries, craisins… her mouth watered just looking at it! For all of Lucy's inexperience with picnics, she'd been wonderful preparing this one.

"You're the one who made me smell it all on an empty stomach!" Lucy chimed in playfully.

Karina chuckled good-naturedly. She produced a pair of bowls, as well as several baggies laden with lunch, which kept the former from getting blown away on the breeze.

It was right then that she happened to look up, catching Lucy's face—and she burst out laughing. "Pffft!" Karina grinned, covering her mouth with a hand. "Y-Your face!"

Lucy's goofy, hungry smile wouldn't have been complete without her tongue practically hanging out like a dog. It snapped back into her mouth quickly, and she gave the angel a glare. "I can't help iiit!" she cried. "It's like… uncharted territory, just for us! Like going to the secret hideout to plot!"

"Plot delicious lunches behind everyone's back!" Karina beamed.

A knowing snicker was her answer. "I mean, me and Judy go off with snacks to read manga or play something, sometimes, but this is…"

"More involved?" she supplied.

Lucy gave an emphatic nod. "Yeah! Like, like family dinner on Sundays. Everyone gets together, everyone brings something they made that everyone can eat. Like us, putting all this in the basket, but we're also not tied down by the house."

Karina blinked. "Oh, that's right… your folks don't have much time to go 'adventuring', huh?"

Her companion's only response was a plaintive murmur. Lucy wriggled into a cozy kneeling posture next to Karina, reaching out to take her share of lunch. She opened the bag with a snik, then let the mixed nuts and berries and cheese bits clatter into the bowl.

A frown touched Karina's cheeks. Yet she followed suit, settling down with her own bowl. Before she touched so much as a single almond, she reached back in the basket, taking out a hot thermos Lucy had so helpfully found earlier, and unscrewed the lid. The warm, sweet smell of apple cider wafted up lazily on trails of steam. Instantly, her lips reclaimed their peaceful smile.

"Can you not tell Judy we went out and did this?"

The sudden question gave Karina pause. She blinked, staring over at the ravenette. "Why?"

Lucy absently took a pinch of the craisins, and popped them in her mouth. "Becaush she'll jush tease me for it," she muttered around the fruit.

"Not like I might tease you for 'talking with your mouth full, young lady'?" She dropped her voice into the prim and proper drawl she'd heard earlier this morning.

Lucy chuckled, shaking her head. Her cheeks screwed up with the effort it took to stop laughing long enough to swallow. Eventually, she did, and looked up at Karina with a thin smile. "That's a pretty good impression."

Karina stared a little longer than she thought at that faintly wooden expression. After a moment, she thought better about calling her out on it.

An amused huff through her nose was her reply, instead. Then she tipped back the thermos that by now had thoroughly heated up her hand, and got her first taste of the cider swirling within.

'Oh… yes…'

The taste was full, and so rich. It hit her senses head on, making her eyes go almost completely lidded in bliss. It was perfect! The real thing! How had she not known about this before? Was Lucy's family really sitting on a natural orchard this whole time?

"Uh… Kari?"

The nickname tripped her up more than the interruption. She blinked, looking back over to Lucy.

"You're doing it again."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Startled, Karina realized the extended state of her wings. One had gone almost as far as the little ravenette's back, who seemed to be taking it remarkably well given her amused smile. Karina tugged her wings limply back against her sides. "Can't help it," she murmured.

"It's cute, though!" Lucy ventured. "Does it feel nice, at least?"

"It's like a good stretch," Karina admitted. "My body just wants to move those feathers sometimes. Especially when I can feel moving air like this outside. It's an instinct to take off and just fly."

"Sounds like you do that often. Like a stretch, huh? So it helps you relax?"

Karina nodded emphatically. "Yup! Even just flapping them helps, but right now, I don't want to do that or I'd blow the whole picnic over."

"Huh." Lucy nodded. "What do actual birds think of how you have wings?"

Karina cast a glance up at the tree branches high above them. "Birds? Well, some of them are curious. But I don't go up in trees very often, and I'm way bigger than any other bird, so a lot of the time, they just think I'm a big eagle or hawk that's gonna eat them."

"Ooh, I didn't think of that. I guess having wings doesn't mean you can talk to birds and tell them you're not a cannibal, huh?"

Karina huffed good-naturedly. "Cannibal? Seriously?" she drawled. "But no, you're right. I tried chirping at them once like I was talking to them, but they just stared at me funny and then flew off to find some berries."

"Hmm." Lucy nodded. Her lips quirked up at the edges. "Did Judy tease you about that, too?"

Karina gave her a dark look. "Not as much as she did when our dad built me a treehouse."

Lucy's eyes widened sharply. Her smile turned into a knowing grin. "No…"

"Yes," Karina droned. "Karina's birdhouse."

"Nooo!" Lucy cried, breaking off in a helpless guffaw, just barely muffled behind her palm.

The angel rolled her eyes, and her throat issued forth a long-suffering sigh. "I mean, I was grateful, don't get me wrong. I could fly up to it, land on the balcony and just go right in, but mom and dad never let me live it down when it came to family photo time with their neighbors."

Lucy barely managed to put her bowl down without spilling anything. She doubled over, grasping her heaving chest with her other hand. It took her several long seconds of laughing before she could say anything at all.

"Pfffha…! Ha… oh, gosh, no…!" she drawled, cheeks pulled tight as a happy squirrel stuffed with beechnuts. "How did you survive?!"

Karina calmly leaned back, propping one hand on the blanket behind her. She couldn't help but smile, too, even through the memories of all the terrible bird puns and the shadow of her 'proud parents'.

"I just had to keep finding new things for them to talk about. Nowadays, Judy's helped with that, actually. Her punk rock obsession and wanting to dye her hair blue has our parents in fits."

"Oh, no kidding?" Lucy chimed in. "I mean, I knew she was into that stuff, but…"

Karina placed her thermos in her lap. "Judy's starting to get into what we call the 'rebellious phase'." She flicked her fingers in the air to make a quote mark symbol. Her lips pulled into a conspiratorial smile, and she wiggled her eyebrows. "I wonder what yours is gonna be like? And I mean, what do you think you'll do that everyone's gonna talk about?"

Lucy's features slackened at that. She glanced away.

Karina tilted her head in askance. "Lucy?" she tried, her voice soft.

The ravenette shrugged, keeping her shoulders very tightly together. "I… dunno? I mean, I'm doing OK in school, I… read, and sometimes I do really good at Scrabble and teach my parents a new word, I guess."

Her eyes had become suddenly cloudy and unfocused. The tightness in her posture, the subtle way her throat swallowed with effort; she wanted to say more, Karina realized. But…

"You could try cooking for them, you know," Karina ventured, nodding meaningfully towards the picnic basket.

Lucy, to her credit, did follow her gesture and gazed longingly at the food. But then, she shook her head sullenly. "They wouldn't like it."

"Wouldn't like it, or wouldn't appreciate it?"

Lucy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Whatever you do, people can always appreciate the care and effort put into it, even if it's not one hundred percent to their tastes." Karina leaned in a little closer, and gave her a considering look. "I mean, are you worried they just won't care that you went to all that trouble for them?"

Lucy blinked. Her lips worked soundlessly, creasing further and further into a frown.

"Yeah," she muttered. "You… ouch. You kinda nailed it."

"We don't have to stop at just making glorified trail mix, you know," Karina pointed out. "It's nice to have quick options once in a while, but a little preparation makes all the difference. Maybe you could try preparing something for your folks to take to work?"

Lucy looked up at her. She wasn't frowning anymore, but she still looked a little confused. Slowly, though, her eyes widened. "Wait, like… like Japanese bentos or something?"

"Bentos!" Karina chirped. "That's a wonderful idea! How do you know about those?"

"I read about them in a manga once! Like, usually you take them to school for lunch, but they're great to bring anywhere."

"Does making some for them sound good to you?"

"Yeah!" Lucy agreed brightly. "I'd love for them to have something actually fresh so they don't have to get takeout so much!"

"Takeout?" Karina winced. "Oof."

"Yeah, 'oof'." Lucy chuckled. "I hate watching them just chew through stuff that's not that good for them."

"You know, if you did this, they'd probably brag about their amazing daughter learning to cook, too, right?"

Lucy flushed, but snickered. "O-Oh, you're right… wow, I'm so doing this."

"And why stop there?" Karina chimed in. "I can show you how to make some really nice stuff!"

The rest of the picnic proceeded comfortably. Lucy and Karina both ate while viewing the scenic landscape, occasionally calling out when they spotted a couple whitetailed deer or a flock of birds, or even an interestingly-shaped cloud. Karina regaled her with stories of the times she'd flown, and promised to take her flying, too, some day later when she wasn't full of berries and nuts.

Roughly an hour later—neither of them were really counting—they packed everything up, basket and all, and made their way back to the house. They picked off the occasional twig or stickerburr, too, Lucy especially helping get loose a gnarled bit of twig fetched up inside Karina's wing feathers.

Despite Lucy's smile, though, Karina didn't miss the lag in her steps, or the slack in her shoulders. She was clearly holding back a yawn, and there was a listlessness to her eyes.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

The ravenette blinked, turning to gaze up at her. "Uh… yeah? Why?"

"You look tired. Are you not used to being outside so much?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Karina didn't answer immediately. She made the last few steps up the now-familiar path to the porch, and opened the door for them both. "It's just that we've been out a while, and I noticed you were almost dozing on your feet."

"That's nothing," Lucy replied, and shook her head once. "I've been out walking before, so—"

"I almost took hold of your arm when I thought you were gonna trip down the hill on the way back," Karina pointed out.

"Hh… Hey, hold on a second." Lucy stepped ahead of her into the foyer, then turned around sharply. "I'm not that tired. I mean, sure, this has been a lot to take in, but I don't need a nap or anything, if that's what you're getting at."

One of Karina's eyebrows arched up towards her hairline. Calmly, she followed behind Lucy, tucking her wings together to get safely through the door, which she shut behind them with a profound click.

The momentary silence didn't sit well with her charge. Her cheeks quivered through a forced little smile. "It's okay," she tried again. "Look, just… w-what's next?"

Karina gave her a much more honest, and altogether patient smile right back. "I wasn't going to tell you to take a nap, Lucy." She inclined her head slowly side to side. Her eyes were attentive, without being patronizing. "Your heart's wanting to go two places right now. But you shouldn't have to feel bad about taking a little rest for half an hour here and there. I'm saying you can do both, and do the other better when your energy's back."

Lucy stared at her, long and hard. The defensive tightness in her shoulders settled a bit. "Wait. What do you mean, 'my heart'?"

"Angels can tell when people are feeling conflicting emotions," Karina explained; then, she immediately held up a hand when she saw Lucy's eyes widen. "No, it's not mind reading. It's empathy. I can't tell what those feelings are about, but I can make some pretty good guesses."

Across from her, Lucy's lips moved, slow and soundlessly. Wonder and awe glimmered in her eyes; but that light quickly began to flicker and darken. Her lids tightened, quivering faintly.

Suddenly, Karina felt a cold, disquieting chill sting the base of her neck.

She blinked. Twice.

Her lips parted to speak, but Lucy cut her off. "That's… kiiind of unfair," she muttered ruefully. A wooden, shaky smile appeared on her lips.

That was a troubling sight. But even worse was the gnarled icicles Karina could see just behind her eyes, like the twisted bars of a cage. It was all wrong.

"I'll… go get a n… a-a rest." Lucy awkwardly brushed a single hand against her shoulder. "Uh, what are you gonna do?"

"I'm… sure I'll find something," Karina replied, doing her best to keep her lips up, but unable to forget that unforgiving chill. Even so, she managed a wink. "Hey. It's not like this'll be our last day together, will it?"

That finally got her to huff, smiling wanly yet honestly back. "You're right," she said. "I've had so much fun with you, I don't wanna stop. That's… that's all."

Karina sucked in a low, deep breath. Yet the calm she expressed belied her focus on the girl's feelings.

Lucy was grasping. Desperate, even. For what? Her eyes were still faintly glossy, like she was swimming under an iced-over pond. Distant. Lost. It was so painfully easy to feel, but much harder to hold herself back. Karina's wings tingled at her sides, trembling with impotent energy.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. But doing anything now, when Lucy wasn't at her best, could just make it all worse—whatever it was.

"I feel the same way!" Karina beamed, soft and honestly. "And I wouldn't let your parents forget about me. I'm a keeper, and everyone knows it."

That tiny smile on the girl's lips didn't go away. She stood still for a bit longer, quietly rubbing her forearm. Her posture was much more relaxed now, though. "Okay," she answered. "I'll… go downstairs, I guess. Um… call me on the intercom if you need help, though, okay?"

Karina blinked. "There's an intercom system?"

"Yeah, mom and dad use it to ring me from upstairs, sometimes. Right on the wall as you head into the kitchen. It's hold-and-talk."

"Hm." She nodded bemusedly. "Okay, I'll keep it in mind! Go on ahead, I'll handle dishes and stuff."

It took Lucy a moment to realize she'd yet to take off her shoes; she fixed that with a sheepish blush on her cheeks, then all trace of her expression vanished behind her back, as she stepped down into the darkness of the bottom floor.

Karina watched her go, while dealing with her own shoes as well. Then she headed for the kitchen, rubbing her palms together in anticipation.

----------------------------------------

Lucy lay in bed, the sheets feeling warm and comfy against her skin. The air above was cool and crisp, and the bed still embraced her, keeping her in a pleasant, mind-numbing void.

It was exactly what she'd needed. Her soft, safe little bubble. Where she could just let the nasty, prickly stress and exhaustion slough off her body.

But admitting it had been painful.

She was ashamed to even think it, but… it helped to be here for another reason. She could keep her eyes shut without guilt. She could crack them open, and not see worried ones looking back at her. And not see the amber-plumed feathers sticking out mockingly to either side of those.

Lucy turned over, sinking her face deep into the lumpy bed. She became naught but a bedraggled mess of hair, its owner cocooned in an equally tangled pile of sheets. She would have liked to just stay there. An hour. All day, even…

'No.'

A twisting knot of shame seized up in her throat. She grimaced, and sat up, no matter how much the blankets rustled and seethed to keep her down. Quietly, she straightened her bangs back out by hand, as well as her clothes once she got back up on her feet once again.

The cool kiss of her room's A/C vent against her shin was the only thing waiting for her at the door; some spiteful part of her had wondered if her parents had come back early to surprise her, or something. She was glad to see nothing but pleasant darkness all around the bottom floor, and a veritable column of light to her left leading upstairs.

As she ascended the steps, though, something… felt off. The air above felt a tiny bit warmer than it should, but more importantly, she could smell… dough?

Lucy's face creased into a curious frown. It was fresh, with flour and sugar—she recognized the aroma right off. Was her mom back already and making cinnamon rolls, maybe?

Once she entered the kitchen, she saw it immediately.

"Wh… what?" she murmured, staring wide-eyed at the three bread pans—one large, two small—resting near the oven on hot pads. She could just see dough beginning to rise up over the edges, too.

"Heyyy~!"

Her head whipped around to the voice. Karina waved from a chair by the windows, a magazine clutched in her other hand.

Lucy bristled, gazing tensely at the angel. "What did you do?!" she exclaimed.

"I made bread!" Karina chimed back. "Well, I just mixed it up. It still has to rise, yet."

"Bread? You… you made bread?" Lucy clenched her teeth, bitterly swallowing the 'without me' that would have followed.

Karina nodded. "I was looking for something to do, and just happened to find a few bread pans that were sitting unused in a drawer. So that gave me an idea, and I just whipped up a simple recipe for it. I'm glad your folks buy flour in bulk, though, and… hey, what's wrong?"

Lucy blinked. Then blinked again. Warm… her eyes were stinging. Quickly, she shook her head. No way she was gonna break a tear over this. "Why didn't you call me?" she muttered.

Karina quietly set her magazine aside, and stood up. "I didn't want to wake y—"

"I didn't want to miss something like this," Lucy interrupted, trying to keep her voice straight.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Long enough for doubt to fester in her chest. This… stung. Maybe Lucy shouldn't have taken that nap after all. Being left out like this, especially by someone who seemed to want to include her in everything was not funny. Just like all the other adults who treated her like she was still a kid.

Finally, Karina smiled. It was such an insufferable gesture. Lucy felt a numb, disconcertingly familiar chill twist in her gut like an eel. Something she'd thought was gone. Agitated, she opened her lips—

Karina held up a finger, interrupting her thoughts. "It's only phase one of the grand master plan for supper," she said calmly. "Which I'm going to need you at your best for, Lucy. That's why I didn't wake you up."

Lucy didn't answer at first. Her head swiveled between her babysitter and the whole ensemble in the kitchen. Bread. She'd never made that before. Her mom hadn't made it in a while, either. And Karina had just gone and done it with her mother's pans. This crossed some big lines.

Then again, it was partly Lucy's own fault. If she'd wanted to bake bread, she could have asked. If she didn't ask, then she didn't really want it after all; story of her life.

Lucy folded her arms together across her chest; a habit she got chided for sometimes because it made her look defensive, but she couldn't help the tension in her chest. "What 'master plan'?" she asked carefully.

Karina walked briskly over to the oven. She rapped her knuckles on the lid of a very large metal pan, sitting on one of the back burners. Lucy frowned; she'd overlooked that before.

The answer to her unasked question came swiftly. "I looked around after I got the bread fixed, and I saw that your folks have everything needed to make a specialty of ours at my house."

Clank. Karina removed the lid, placing it aside. Her smile quirked up, in that conspiratorial fashion she used when they teased and joked with each other. "We're gonna make... beef arm roast stew!"

Roast. Stew? That all sounded pretty heavy. It also usually meant potatoes, and a lot of other things. "But… it's afternoon," she said lamely, giving the pan a skeptical look.

"I meant something that can cook until suppertime, Lucy."

Lucy took a quick glance at the electronic clock on the stove… and frowned. "The… roast has to cook for three whole hours?"

"Exactly!" Karina confirmed with a nod. "I have just the recipe in mind, and I saw the things for it in your fridge already!"

Things. Recipe. Supper. Lucy just… stared for a moment, not quite at Karina, imagining what all of that meant. It sounded involved. Big. It wasn't a snack or a dessert, it was a whole course meal.

A tenuous little warmth blossomed in her chest. She didn't fight it. Lucy slowly unfolded her arms, and felt her frown ebbing away like ice melting from a window in the morning sun. One hand found her opposite arm, and began gently squeezing away the tension she could still feel in her muscles.

She summoned a shaky, yet earnest smile to her lips. "You, uh… said you needed my help?"

----------------------------------------

Only a few minutes later, they had set up most of what they needed according to Karina's instruction. Potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, a cutting board; things Lucy usually didn't touch. Just looking at the knife gave her the chills. Her… track record with those wasn't so good.

Also, Lucy found herself wearing something she almost never did—a cooking apron. A white mat of thick cotton that fit snugly around her front, though it was very clearly not quite her size. Tying it around herself was like tying her shoes blindfolded, but she managed with little help; Karina herself had one on, too, though she wore hers a bit better thanks to her height.

These were old relics of ancient times past, but they were still in solid shape. Lucy had found them in the same drawer they kept the tablecloths and lace placemats. These all came from her grandma's place—a treasure chest's worth of old and unique stuff, that they sadly didn't open up that much anymore.

"Hey, Lucy?"

She blinked. "Hm?"

"Where'd all those little stains come from?" she asked.

Lucy looked down. There were quite a few brown or yellowish marks to mar the white. "This one right here," she pointed to a long streak of mottled brown, "is from when grandma was trying to electric mix while making cookies with me at her place. She pulled it out of the eggs and brown sugar and it went everywhere."

Karina sucked in a quick breath, which dispersed in a snorting chuckle. "Pfft…! Oh, no…"

"You should see what it did to the wall," Lucy snickered. "She had to hold me down from laughing long enough to clean my face, and she's laughing like crazy too, so she forgot about it and it just set forever."

Karina doubled over, eyes squeezed tight and chest heaving dryly. Through sheer force of will she kept her lips tightly shut, shaking her head in amazement.

Crunk. She opened the refrigerator, reached around inside for a moment, then pulled out a hunk of meat—Lucy saw 'beef arm roast' printed on the packaging.

"I think… heheh, oh, jeez…" Karina stood, lips strung out in a broad grin. "I think she'd be proud of you carrying on the tradition, really."

"I'd rather not put cooking oil and butter stains on my mom's wall," Lucy pointed out with a wry smile.

"No, no. I just mean, wearing her apron, and getting to cook, y'know? You're carrying on her legacy that way."

Lucy brightened up at that. She took in a long, slow breath. "You know, I think you're right," she answered, a note of pride in her voice. "Speaking of, what's the next step?"

"Grab the olive oil, splash some in the pan; I'll tell you when."

Lucy took up the nice glass bottle that held their oil, and began pouring it slowly into the large cooking pan. She glanced up at Karina every so often, and eventually stopped when she saw her nod.

One click later, and fire licked up underneath the pan. Once it heated up enough, Karina nodded over to Lucy's attentive face right next to her. "Do you want the dangerous part, or should I do it?"

Lucy glanced at her, then to the pan. "What dangerous part?"

"Searing the meat in the oil."

"I'll do it!"

The meat proved to be one hefty chunk. Thankfully, she had leverage; a long-handled skewer for picking meat off a platter, which Lucy held in both hands, hovering over to the pan. She shivered at that; if it slipped it would splash and hot oil would be everywhere!

But Karina waited carefully behind Lucy, guiding her arms as she lowered the meat into the pan. It roared with a mighty sizzle the second it touched the bottom, making her flinch; but her hand remained steady, keeping it firmly on the tines of her fork.

"Down the rest of the way," Karina encouraged. "Nice and slow."

Lucy nodded. She lowered the meat bit by bit, tip to middle, edge to edge… until it was all evenly set, fitting the pan almost perfectly. As if this had been planned. Maybe it had; Karina had probably measured it out to be sure it'd fit already.

"Very good!" came that familiar voice, right on cue. "Now for the cover."

Clink. Lucy covered the pan, muffling the popping and spitting noises within. A nervous breath blew out from her cheeks. "How long does that gotta sear for, again?" she asked.

"As long as it takes to make that side brown, which is usually just about as long as a burger takes to fry, so… eight, ten minutes-ish?"

"We'll check it regularly," Lucy noted. She went for the pantry, and came back shortly with a large can of tomatoes. "Can you flip it over?"

Karina nodded. Meat fork in hand, she opened the stew pot. The oil crackled and hissed angrily, spitting up from the bottom. She carefully held her head back to avoid getting splashed. The whole roast looked like it was cooking nicely, but she still had to put some real force in to lift the huge slab off from the bottom of the pan. This necessarily splattered hot oil everywhere—which was where her thick white apron and oven mitts came in handy.

As soon as she did, Lucy gave her a nearby pitcher of water, which Karina used to fill the pan up nearly to the top of the roast.

The oil let out a sizzling roar. However, the water overwhelmed it quickly, and the pan went silent. Karina poured the jar of stewed tomatoes atop the roast.

Next up was the vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, onions and a whole four cloves of garlic especially. She already had the cutting board and a couple knives ready. The only reason she hadn't done it already was standing next to her.

Lucy swallowed hard, staring at the sharp edges before her. "Are you sure you, uh… want me to cut?"

Karina paused, lips parted. She blinked. "Have you… used a knife before, Lucy?"

"Well, yeah…?" She glanced away in embarrassment. "But when I was trying to peel an apple one time, it slipped, and I cut my palm. Mom had to wrap it up in gauze. I didn't really want to mess with it ever since."

"Ahh," Karina murmured knowingly. "Don't worry. I'll show you how to do it nice and easy. Just think of how many barriers you're breaking today, huh?"

Lucy chuckled weakly. Her fingers trembled, holding the paring knife in hand. Karina's hand gently gripped her wrist, holding it steady.

"Like this," she murmured, guiding her blade to slice cleanly through a potato.

Shhnk.

It seemed so easy. One moment it was whole, the next it split into two neat halves. A little shakily, Lucy angled the knife to repeat the motion.

Slice. Slice. Two became four. Then eight.

"You're doing great, Lucy. Keep it up."

A tiny huff of pride blew from her lips. One potato down, and a few more to go, just the same way. "You sure these are supposed to be cut so big, though?" she murmured.

"Yes. We're not cutting for fried potatoes, after all." Karina nodded. "And even if we were, we'd still leave the skins on."

That made Lucy pause. "Wait, really? I always knew the skins were the best part, but my mom usually just trims them off. Or… just cooks frozen french fri—"

"Ouuuuch," Karina seethed, clucking her tongue in disappointment. "That's gonna stop. All the goody in potatoes is in the skins. Putting ketchup or something on fries doesn't make them healthier just 'cause it's made of tomatoes. It matters how things are made."

"Thank you!" Lucy exclaimed. "I want to tell them, just… no. Y'know what? Forget the past. I'm gonna show them what real food is! We'll knock some sense into them!"

"Now that's the spirit!" Karina smiled brightly. "But c'mon, back to slicing."

In short order, Lucy had a healthy-sized pile of potato cubes… oblongs…? Plus carrots with the nubby caps cut off, and more. Next came what was arguably the best part of the stew-making—tumbling in all of the vegetables into the pot at once. Lucy's careful strokes paid off here, as she only lost a single bit of onion while brushing everything off the board with the flat of her knife.

"Now it just has to simmer for three hours," Karina said proudly, clapping the lid onto the pan.

"And that's it?" Lucy chimed.

"That's it!"

"I'm... " She huffed, shaking her head side to side. Her lips spread in a grin. "Wow. I… thought there'd be more to it, but there was, just, I never heard of something you can just walk away from for that long."

An airy giggle next to her drew her eyes upwards. Karina leaned in, and laid a hand gently on top of her scalp.

That made Lucy flush. Whoa. And… it was just a pat. And there it was again, Karina took her palm up and back down… and tiiingle went her head.

It was more than that, too. Lucy's eyes could trace an unbroken line from Karina's wrist through her eyebrows, all the way up her top and onto her smiling face.

"Look at it this way, Lucy." Karina smoothed her hand slowly back, teased the edge of one of her cat ear-like hairclips, and then pulled away. "That means we can do whatever we want, now! Did you have any ideas?"

Ideas? She thought about it… but right now, it was hard doing that on the spot, with slightly achy limbs from all the standing and slicing… yee-he-heesh… she'd used a knife. A knife.

A sudden nervous chill buzzed through her body. That could have gone wrong at any second. She wasn't counting on her luck for a second miracle of not needing stitches. There could've been red on that cutting board all over again. But there wasn't. It had all been a bit much, really. Wow, though, was she proud of that!

"Can we just go read on the couch?" she muttered apologetically. Her fingers pinched the hard seam of her shorts—it almost felt like the handle of that knife. Which, strangely, now seemed almost comforting. "I kinda just want to rest, now."

Karina didn't even hesitate. "Sounds perfect to me! Let's go."

----------------------------------------

The living room couch was like a second bubble to Lucy. When her parents would watch TV and chatter after dinner, she could sit cozily against the armrest, and catch up on some of her favorite comic series. Maybe hear a little neighborly gossip if mom got it in her head to use the phone.

Now, though, everything was… quiet. Karina didn't turn the TV on, didn't take out her phone to call a friend or anything. Nearly every other sitter had done either or both of those.

It was odd. Not awkward, though, and the change of pace was really refreshing. Still, what did it mean? A sign that the angel was paying attention to her, or was she about to ask her to do something else? What was up with all these mixed signals?

The proverbial other shoe dropped a few minutes into Lucy's cozy slouch. Each of them had their own book in hand, though hers was propped up in her lap. The same nervous awareness that kept her from taking in the pages made her notice instantly when Karina's eyes slid over to her.

"What's your book about?" the angel asked.

Lucy felt her guts uncoil, tension fading away. Finally. "It's… uh, it's manga," she returned, glancing up at her face.

Karina hummed consideringly. "Why the pause? Is that something weird?"

Lucy huffed, and gave a conspiratorial smile. "It's one of those 'geek club' things. We keep our secrets."

"Ahhh." The arched note made the back of Lucy's neck tingle. Karina stuck a finger between the pages of her book, closed it around that hand, then leaned over and wiggled her eyebrows at the one in Lucy's lap. "Share them with me," she encouraged.

Gleeful surprise seized Lucy's features. "Uh…" She glanced down, suddenly very self-conscious about the moe expressions and over-the-top scenes laid bare. Wait. Was she serious?!

Karina's azure gaze was poised, curious and intent like a crow inspecting a shiny bead. Yep, dead serious. Lucy swallowed the hard knot in her throat.

"Right. S-So, it's about a girl around my age… who suddenly gains magical powers, and then she uses them to make friends and fight evil," she explained, tracing a finger meaningfully across the smiling face of a character with dark, shoulder-length hair depicted on the front page. She posed like a dancer, left arm crooked up towards the other side of her face and holding a card-like object engraved with a pair of kanji characters.

"This is Sayu Shizuma," she continued. "Her family's kinda traditional, so she carries ofuda talismans everywhere and her outfit is like a shrine maiden's robe, but it's okay 'cause red's her favorite color anyway!"

"She looks ready to throw down," Karina noted approvingly. "Gonna guess the talismans are her channeling focus?"

Lucy gave her a blank stare.

"What she uses to cast magic spells."

"Oh! Oh, yeah," she affirmed with a nod. Honestly, though, that… Karina was actually into this? Maybe she shouldn't be so surprised, but this was super top secret level geeky stuff! She'd only really shared it with Judy! Feeling an easy grin coming to her face, she continued, "Like, she can throw some of them like exploding bombs, and she holds one with the kanji for 'hope' when she sings."

Karina cocked an eyebrow. "Sings?"

"Yeah, she does what she calls 'Duet with Reality'—her special move where she can change almost anything around her to get an edge! Like turn water to ice, or eclipse the sun. All just by singing!"

"Sounds like the most overpowered Bard in the history of Bards, if I were thinking of this as D&D," Karina muttered sardonically, earning a chuckle from Lucy. "It almost looks cartoony, though. Why's everything in black and white but the cover?"

"Manga's usually that, but some of the illustrations are color."

"That seems weird. Why split the colors up? If it's like a comic strip, it could be all color."

"I like it better in black and white, honestly," Lucy commented. "Call it weird, but it just feels right."

Rustle. Karina shook her head back against the couch. "It's not weird at all. If the style works, then it works."

"Agreed." Lucy dipped her head in a sagely nod. "It's the characters and the story that matter the most, anyway. The one who gets magic meets others like her, like her friend Hifumi from the school volleyball team, and they take down a villain who'd turned a city hardware store into her lair, and was menacing everyone with living wires and duct tape."

Karina's eyes widened. "Yikes. That sounds pretty violent. Duct tape, though?"

"Yeah! She wasn't actually totally evil, just a girl who hated that no one cared about her inventions and gadgets. Her name's Aoi, and she loves putting things together, and when she got to use them in her fight, it made her realize she could be cool and useful and she should join the crew! She calls it 'crew' like 'work crew', too. Cool habit, if you ask me!"

"So it's all about magic powers and flashy stuff, then? Heroines going on adventures, swooping in to save the day and enjoy ice cream afterwards?"

"Yeah!" Lucy beamed proudly. Her finger smacked against the pages again, landing right on the equally smiling young heroine in the fore. "And the main girl, Sayu, she keeps on meeting other girls who can do the same thing. And they fight evil together, like superheroes!"

"Superheroines," Karina corrected.

"Yeah!" Lucy's head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, that."

"Well, it sounds like a lot of fun!"

"It's really fun! And I like how they all work as a team together."

"I can see that!" Karina trilled. Her gaze was intently focused on the open pages in Lucy's lap. "I wonder, though. This setting seems really ripe for some of them to see their partners as something more, don't you think?"

A crimson blush tinged Lucy's cheeks. "Uh… what?"

Karina reached over to lazily trace a finger along the pages, going from the posing magical girl over to the next set of panels, finally resting on the portrait of a girl with light, flowing hair with a butterfly clip on her temple. "This one here, and that one there look cute together…"

"No!" Lucy exclaimed, wide eyes burning with conviction. She smacked her palm over the offending picture, leaving one petite girl with goggles over her eyes and hair done up in a bun still showing. "Sayu's meant to be with Aoi, not Hifumi! They actually have chemistry! Sayu taught her how to carve ofuda out of wood and metal scraps, and Aoi gave her her favorite chunky katsu recipe! And Sayu prayed at the shrine for her work to get recognized, and then Aoi won the science fair, and..."

A good-natured chuckle rolled from Karina's throat.

Lucy's eyes narrowed, staring at the cheeky grin plastered on Karina's face. "Waiiit... you're teasing me, aren't you?"

"Not really!" the angel chimed back. "I'm just getting a look into your interests, is all. I was going to ask why you liked that pair so much together, though. After all, didn't Sayu meet Hifumi first?"

The last part caught her off guard. Liked the… pair?

...Oh.

Lucy's cheeks smoldered hotly. She pulled a tight face, chin drooping low. She'd... pretty much blown it, hadn't she?

"Why do you imagine two girls in love together, Lucy?"

The sheer force of the question set her face ablaze even more. Lucy's eyebrows knitted together sharply. Shoot. What did she do? Stupid perceptive angel! No. She had to own it. Karina didn't seem angry or weirded out. Getting defensive now wouldn't help.

But first, she had to untwist the knot in her gut. Lucy sucked in a breath through pursed lips, shrugged her shoulders, and tried, "Uh… because…"

"I like girls, too."

Lucy's head whipped up. She stared straight at Karina's gently smiling face, riveted in surprise.

"I think the first time I noticed was in high school." Karina glanced off to the side for a moment, wistfulness curling her lips upward. "We had a really great sports team, mostly guys, but we also had gymnastics and acrobatics too. I was pretty good at that, before my eye level went too high, and I got these heavy things to deal with." She stretched one wing out across the couch, just barely touching her soft feathers against Lucy's side.

Lucy didn't flinch. But her eyes did twitch.

Heedless, Karina gave an airy little giggle. "There was this one girl in my year, who didn't draw so many eyes, but to me, I couldn't keep mine off of her routine. One day, I just saw I was paying way more attention to her and barely cared at all about the jocks kicking the ball around and getting all sweaty. After thinking about it, I realized why that was."

"You… too?" Lucy blinked several times.

"Yes. And I'm pretty sure she was, too; she always seemed so happy and her movements had more energy when she knew I was watching." An airy little laugh trilled from her throat. Absently, Karina played with a strand of her hair between her fingers. "But she left town with her family to attend a different college, so it never turned into anything really serious. But that's okay. I owe her for helping me realize it."

"Um… w-wow. I… don't know what to…"

"It's alright, Lucy." Karina turned her chin up, a twinkle in her eyes. "Now you know you aren't alone, right?

She swallowed hard, yet the tension in her whole body didn't quite leave. "I haven't… I mean, I haven't t… talked about it with anyone but Judy."

"Oh?" Karina perked up, smiling wider. "She knows, too?"

Lucy nodded. Her eyes were downcast, but thoughtful. "It was when I was showing her my manga collection. She… I guess she saw how much I got excited over all the different girls. Of course… it's a magical girl thing, so that's pretty much all there is, these superheroines, doing stuff together, but… yeah."

"Judy's really good at keeping secrets, then. I mean, even I didn't have a clue, and I'm her big sister."

That got a little chuckle out of Lucy. Oh. Jeez, it felt good to laugh. So she did it again, and laid a palm flat against her forehead.

This… this was way too good to be true. Judy's sister? Her babysitter was just the same? All this time, too! No fair. No fair.

Lucy glared at her from between her fingers. "You're a munchkin," she grumbled playfully.

The statement brought Karina's eyes wide open. "Huh?"

"For teasing all that out of me! You were!"

"B-But not hurtful!" exclaimed Karina, throwing her palms up defensively. "I just had a hunch!"

"And you're a…! A-A literal and, and the other kind of angel!" Lucy fumed, cheeks puffed in exasperation. The disarming half-grin on the girl across from her did not help at all. She smacked her palms together, and began counting off fingers one by one. "Smart! Cute! Kind! And you cook!

Karina stared, sitting stock still in bemused awe. One moment her smile was tight, then her lips parted, holding soundless while Lucy rattled off her many qualities. "I… uh, thanks!" Karina chirped earnestly, then smoothed a hand over her skirt awkwardly. "Thought you were gonna ask why I…"

Lucy's eyebrow lifted through the pause. She leaned over, propping a palm against the cushions. "Why you… what? Don't have a girlfriend yet?"

The angel gave her a level look. She didn't even blink. "What makes you think I don't?"

"Judy," Lucy answered without hesitation.

"Ah." Karina huffed in faux-exasperation. "Little gossiper. But you're right. Even if I asked her not to, she'd probably at least tell one of her friends." She rolled her eyes. "I think she actually tries to 'hook me up', sometimes."

Lucy blinked.

That… rang a weird kind of bell in the back of her head. The rational part of her came running, but then there was that silly, stupid thought Judy'd teased and razzed her about non-stop.

For Lucy, this was babysitter number… twenty-one. None of them had really tried to—well, okay, they had, but Lucy was good at spotting the ones that were just doing it for the money. There was a kind of self-centered woodenness to their expressions that she readily picked up on. It wasn't like she was difficult, it was just that she craved actual closeness. That was really hard to find in people she only saw rarely, and who had other kids to look after besides her.

Slowly, Lucy realized she was smiling a little lopsidedly. Startled, she blinked rapidly and shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"Hey... Lucy?" Karina murmured softly.

She looked up. "Hm?"

The angel let a hand droop down to the cushions, fingers idly playing with a few of her wing feathers. "You really think I'm… all those things?"

Lucy's eyebrow arced curiously upwards. "Why do you ask?"

Karina shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "I… like hearing it."

"Well, of course you are, Kari," Lucy said without hesitation. "I can't even put you in the top ten sitters 'cause you're in a class of your own. You actually care. You put effort into things. That means a lot to me, you know?"

Karina's lips parted open. Her cheeks flushed bright pink. A proud twinkle glimmered in her eyes.

Lucy's smile broadened, lighthearted and honest. "So absolutely, you're all that and more. Why, do you not think so?"

"I'm just not used to it," Karina answered with a slow shake of her head.

"...Wait, why not? I thought you'd be getting compliments all the time."

"See, that's just the thing. I do, just… they don't always feel honest. Or, more like I haven't earned it, I guess? I don't mind if people want to compliment me, but it really doesn't help that I'm an angel. I told you about how I can sense emotions, right? That makes it a bit easier to tell when someone's just saying it because of what they see of me on the outside. I don't want superficial things like that. That's why I'm terrible in crowds or around people I don't know."

"...Wow, I… I hadn't thought of it like that. But wait, Judy said you told a whole story for a crowd of kids at the library earlier…?"

"With them, their feelings are always more honest. They wear their hearts on their sleeves. Come to think of it, that's probably why I get along so well with them. Maybe even part of why I want to be a tutor."

"You know I'm not a kid, right?"

Karina chuckled. "Of course. You're very mature, Lucy. And I look forward to seeing the young woman you'll become."

"My mom says that all the time!" Lucy chimed. "And, I mean… we're pretty similar, I think. I don't do well with people I don't know, either. Not until I know I can trust them."

Karina's only response was a slow widening of her smile. Then, she quietly fluffed her big, amber wing, and wrapped it tenderly around Lucy's back.

The profound move stunned Lucy into wide-eyed shock. She flinched, glancing at the fluffy coverts that hid where the wing connected between Karina's shoulders.

Warm, incredibly soft feathers glided over her arms and caressed the back of her neck. Every touch sent magical little thrills dancing across her skin! Lucy didn't say anything. Her eyes fluttered a moment, then her lids drew calmly together. She collapsed slowly backward into the wing, a light sigh leaving her lips.

She heard Karina chortle low in her throat. The sound sent a delightful shiver down Lucy's spine. This wasn't teasing munchkin Karina anymore. The wing didn't leave this time. It tightened down, gripping her shoulder in a powerful hug, pulling Lucy gently close.

"Thank you," Karina murmured.

It took a second for the words to reach Lucy's mind; being snuggled so warmly by that blanket-soft wing was… amazing. "...Huh?" Lucy noised back curiously. "For what?"

"For letting me be a bit selfish. I just... I was worried how you might react."

Lucy blinked. Selfish? "H-Hang on." She shook her head bemusedly. "Does that mean you actually want this?"

Karina gave her an embarrassed look. She smiled awkwardly, playing with her long, braided hair in her free hand. "That's what I mean. Yes. Is... that okay?" Karina asked, in a faintly worried tone.

"Yes," Lucy answered, staring curiously up at the older girl. "I'm just… surprised; I-I mean, I thought I was selfish."

"Huh?" Karina blinked owlishly.

"Well, I know you can't buy happiness, right?" Lucy said pointedly. "And I don't want to just—I, I… still wondered, like, what if…"

"What if you could be honestly close with whoever watched over you?" Karina supplied, a smile of dawning realization on her face.

Lucy flushed red. Stupid. Why'd she have to put it like that?!

"I… uh, y-yeah," she forced out. "Like… I worry that I'm too clingy, sometimes. My mom and dad give hugs, and sit next to me, and… bu-but, well, I want more, sometimes."

"Ahh…" Karina murmured, nodding. "But you don't want to feel like you have a monopoly on anyone's time."

Lucy blinked. But then, she realized she knew that word from playing board games with her family. She nodded to show she understood. "Mom and dad always pick who's gonna watch me. Some of them are decent. Others… Well, the last one got in trouble for taking her family's car out without their permission."

The angel sucked in a breath, and clucked her tongue carefully. "Mmn. Yeah, I can see that."

Lucy felt the urge to ask. "You wouldn't do something like that, would you?"

"Of course not." Thankfully, Karina didn't glance away or even try to laugh it off. "Once I got my license, I paid for most of my own car bit by bit, with money I made from part-time jobs, and even though my parents helped a little, I paid them back after. I don't need to use anyone else's car."

Lucy gave a lighthearted grin at that. "You're… a lot more responsible than most, you know that?"

Karina chuckled knowingly back. "I get that a lot, yeah. Wasn't hard, once I realized I didn't want to be the alternative."

Something about that intrigued Lucy. "Did you have bad babysitters, too?"

"Once or twice," Karina admitted. "One girl nearly caught the kitchen on fire for leaving oil in the frying pan too long."

Lucy winced. "Whoa."

"I was an only child for a while, but once Judy was born, I got to help take care of her, too. I like to think that taught me a lot about being a grown-up. It helps when you have someone looking up to you, because you want to be a good role model for them."

"Plus, you're an angel," Lucy chimed in.

Karina smiled lightheartedly. Her wings fluffed out behind her, one spreading wide to envelop Lucy's body. "That, too!"

Lucy shuddered at the soulful comfort of that simple touch. "Can you, um…" She swallowed. Her eyes peered shyly up at the taller girl. "Can you make it tighter... please?"

She got her wish almost immediately. The wing pulled firmly, tucking around her arm and hip so heavily it tugged her across the couch—straight up against Karina's side.

Lucy gave a light, airy gasp. Her eyes flickered, then slowly calmed to a dreamily content stare into nothingness. The sudden hug made her shoulders scrunch up—just in time for a blissful tingle to rush through her scalp, neck, and down her whole body.

"Huh…?"

"Shh, shh…" came Karina's soft, hushed voice. "You've earned this, Lucy."

The whisper alone set off another gentle rush. Her voice cracked, lips caught between confused words and pleasant murmurs.

Lucy's whole body went almost totally limp. The blanket-like softness of those angel feathers was...

It was comforting. But on another, deeper level. Reaching right down to the depths of her thoughts. She usually only felt like this when snuggled into her own bubble. Her bubble away from people. How was this happening now?

Before she could get very far with that line of thought, something new touched her head. Fingers. Five points of contact, brushing nail-first along her temple.

"Mmmnh…" Lucy crooned happily. Tingle. Sparkle. There it went again. Soothing calm wrapped up her thoughts and put them soundly to sleep. Lucy let her eyes slide shut, and surrendered her head to the simple pull of Karina's hand.

It found a home right against the crook of that firm shoulder. She felt the angel move, but only just enough to maneuver her securely against her body. Lucy's hands clenched out of sheer nerves, one slipping in amongst the downy feathers cocooning her, the other resting in Karina's lap.

"It's true… I don't let just anyone touch my wings."

Lucy's mind was already drifting, but her eyelids still quivered. She couldn't respond beyond a murmur here, a whimper there.

Thankfully, Karina didn't seem to mind, judging by her soft, throaty chuckle. "I trust you," she whispered. Her fingers splayed out, until her palm laid down against Lucy's hair. "You're precious to me, you know that?"

Instantly, Lucy felt her mind jump for the usual excuses—she wasn't special, or Karina shouldn't have to thank her for anything—and they all failed to find purchase. Her heart swelled with warm, beautiful pride!

She nuzzled her cheek to the side, straight into those cozy feathers. They welcomed her with their eager caress, smooth fluff against her skin.

This was… nice. And the throaty hum that answered from Karina's throat just made it all the better.

The world slowly shifted. Lucy felt Karina's legs nudge against hers, scooping them with gentle insistence up off the floor. A hand helped them along, bringing them up to lay...

...on the couch…

...with her.

Her eyes flickered open. A quiet, curious murmur was all that left her throat, and was instantly hushed by the angel's melodious whispers telling her to relax.

Long, steady arms bore her upper half down slowly to the couch. She couldn't feel Karina's shoulder anymore. When had her cheek slid off? When had Karina's other wing spread out, and… laid right on the cushion…

Pomf.

Her face, shoulders, and chest all fell easily into that feathery embrace. The wing instantly tightened, curling up just in time for its sister to snuggle right over her back.

Lucy's lungs deflated in a shuddering sigh. Those feathers were so soft, but the bones underneath them so deceptively strong. Just their pull alone nudged Lucy upward, smoothing out her hips and knees into a cozy sideways pose.

It was too much. She went completely limp. Her breaths came in slow, but focused and stable, every so often cracking with a happy murmur or quiet sigh.

"So… warrrrm…"

A rich, tender chortle rumbled out from the angel snuggling her back. "You like?"

Rustle. Lucy slid her cheek against the downy feathers cocooning her head, and let out an affirmative purr. "Mmhmm…"

How were they stretching this much? The wings were on Karina's back, but they flexed all the way around her sides to envelop her like it was nothing! She could probably push against one for hours and those flight muscles wouldn't even budge. Being caught in such strength might have been scary, if it hadn't been for how gentle and patient the wings' owner was with her.

"You... really think I'm special?" Lucy whispered hesitantly.

She felt something brush up against her shirt—Karina's hand. A ticklish thrill shuddered through her body, but thankfully, all Karina did was lay her palm on her stomach.

"Of course I do, Lucy," came her own soothing whisper. "You already know the reason why."

She took a second to think about it. About the deep, abiding sense of harmony that filled her up like a glowing light. "Because… I trust you?"

"Exactly," Karina answered proudly. "You let me in. I can be myself around you. I love giving hugs with my wings."

She could easily see why. They were silky smooth, almost impossibly soft, and so firm she already felt like falling asleep.

"Can…" Lucy swallowed. "Can we stay like this, then? Please...?"

"You don't even have to ask." The whisper came from right above Lucy's ear, sending a fresh tingle dancing over her skin. "As long as you want, my little moonbeam."

She froze. Her heart leapt into her throat, and she had to swallow again to get her lips to move right. "Wh… what'd you just call me?"

"I think it's a pretty nickname, don't you? Like the moon at night, shining bright when there's no clouds around. That's what you are."

A nickname. Her nickname. Lucy's lips spread into a goofy little smile. "Moonbeam." Just saying it made her feel so warm! She clenched her left hand in a fist, and brought it gliding along the underside of the angel's wing to pump playfully in the air. "Magical Girl Melodia Moonbeam, awayyy!"

A breathy chortle resounded through Karina's chest, rumbling out through Lucy's back. "Hehehe! Oh, I'd read that if you were immortalized in a manga, for sure."

"So what would you be?" Lucy asked pointedly. "The lovely sidekick? Big sis, mayb—oh, Judy could be the villain, but when I beat her she turns good again and joins the party!"

"Oooh! I love a good redemption story. And I could be the secret big bad villain, maybe!"

"Whaaat? How would that even work?"

Karina let out a deep laugh, gleefully hamming it up. "Why, to train my evil successor, of course! But you won't know it until later." Her wings subtly tightened, pressing in against Lucy's chest. "And in your journey, you find the secret power to warm my rough and prickly heart into fluff, like a piece of popcorn! Fwoof!"

Lucy's lungs blew out, seized in a helpless fit of giggles. She couldn't stop smiling! Her eyes slammed shut, and she curled in on herself—only to be caught by the sturdy wing shank, keeping her legs from sliding off the couch.

Karina angel laughed and chuckled right along with her. That did not help stop the rampant imagery of evil Karina's hair poofing out like cotton candy.

But she ran out of steam after roughly half a minute. Karina kept holding her tight, just letting her lay there.

"Will you… um, wake me up when it's time?" she murmured quietly.

A nod. She felt Karina's chin nuzzle against her scalp. "I'll stay right here with you, moonbeam. I promise."

Lucy's throat caught, twisting her breath into a low, plaintive whine. Saltless warmth stole its way onto her eyes. She shifted her cheek down, brushing the little tears off into Karina's feathers.

Soon, she went still. Her breathing evened out, and her eyes didn't open back up. Karina's own breaths and occasional whispers were like a lullaby, and her whole body was her blanket and pillows.

This… wasn't something Lucy had the chance to do often. At all. Even the few times she snuggled with mom or dad and fell asleep, it was usually to watch a movie, or something. And she got carried to her bed after, or had a blanket put on top and left lying on empty couch cushions. There'd always been a veneer of guilt to not wanting to wake up alone. Of being a bother.

But not with Kari.

Murmured words of soulful gratitude dropped from her lips. Her only reply was more calm, steady breathing. And that was more than enough.

Soon, sleep came with its own tender embrace, and she welcomed it with open arms.

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A car door slamming shut was all it took.

Karina's eyes shot open. She cocked her head to listen. Sure enough, she could hear two sets of footsteps coming up the porch just outside.

Curious, the angel flexed her wing muscles… and then smiled brightly. Lucy's warm shape was still snuggled against her chest, napping peacefully.

Her parents unlocked the door in merciful silence. "We're home!" the mother said aloud, making Karina cringe a little, but Lucy still didn't rouse; blessed thing, she was such a heavy sleeper!

A sniff. "Hey, wha… what's that smell?" murmured John's familiar voice. "Is something cooking?"

"Anyone here?" Lucy's mom stepped across the floor, into the living area. As soon as she entered Karina's field of vision, the woman glanced over—and gasped.

Only Lucy's head and part of her legs were visible outside of her feathery cocoon. A couple of her deep blue bangs had slipped down over her closed eyes and peacefully slack cheeks, flicking around in time with her steady breaths. Her cheek and temple were snuggled into the crook of the same wing she rested on, laying back against Karina's chest.

Karina met the woman's wide-eyed gaze with a warm smile, and a wink.

Almost on cue, Lucy's mom hastily took out her phone, pointing the camera at the couch. Her eyes pleaded with Karina to hold still, and she did. Several quick pictures later, and the woman was squealing in delight, covering her lips with a palm to muffle it as best she could.

"Hey!" a voice called from the kitchen. "There's dinner cooking!"

She flashed an annoyed glance to the side, then briefly took her fingers off her mouth to say, "That's nice, dear."

"No, no! I mean they did it! Look at this! Jeez, it smells good!"

Lucy stirred, frowning at all the noise. Only Karina was close enough to hear the tiny whimper that escaped her lips. She gently tightened her wings, jostling the girl's head and rocking her around on the cushions.

"Luuu~cy…" she sing-songed, then brought her hand up to draw a few bangs away from her face. "Wake up, moonbeam."

Another, subdued squeal came an arm's length from the couch. Karina could hear her mouthing the nickname, too, mixed with other awed and adoring words. But her own attention was more dedicated to the sleepy murmur of "five more minutes" that issued forth from within her own wings.

Her jostling grew more insistent. She cupped Lucy's chin in her fingers, brushing off a thin trail of wetness from her lips with her thumb. "Come on, Luuu~cy... don't you wanna show your folks what you did?"

Lucy snorted. Her eyes sputtered open.

She tilted her head up from beneath Karina's feathers, just in time to see her mother's face looking down, still half-hidden behind her palm and her eyes beaming with joy.

Then the girl turned into a rabbit-kicking flurry of motion, and Karina wisely pulled her blanketing wing and arm off to let her go. Lucy rocketed off the couch, arms milling and face split wide in a grin.

"Mom!" she exclaimed, doing an energetic little hop. Her hands flashed back to point at the couch, then across the room towards the kitchen. "W-We made supper! Karina taught me how, and, and we baked bread, too! Supper!"

Her mother blinked in surprise. "W-Whoa, wait, what?"

Lucy did another hop on her heels. "Food! Food, food! Cooked!"

"Come look at this!" John called out.

Finally, her mother went to go see the kitchen, Lucy following behind. Karina got up from the couch, taking a moment to stretch out her wings and arms of the kinks they'd inevitably suffered during the nap—but it had all been so worth it, she admitted with a smile.

On the stove was the still-simmering stew, with its cover removed and steam wafting upwards. Three loaves of bread, one large and two small, rested on the counter nearby. John laughed happily at it all, but Lucy's mother just stared, utterly dumbfounded.

"Look at all this!" He peered over into the stew pot. "That's that beef roast I picked up from the farmer's market, isn't it? Looks like taters, carrots, and I smell garlic… wooph! Man, that's good!"

"It should be done by now; it cooked for three whole hours," Karina commented. The man took her hint, and clicked the stove burner off.

"We baked bread, too!" Lucy exclaimed happily. "Well, Kari did most of the work, there, but still, fresh! Look, it's so pretty!" She ran up to the counter to stare straight at the lumpy brown loaves. Her mom followed, now beaming just as brightly.

"You mean to tell me you did this? And you taught her?" She looked over to Karina, who nodded.

"Lucy's a quick study!" Karina nodded down at her gleefully smiling charge. "I showed her how to cut vegetables safely with a knife, and we whipped up a little stew recipe my family uses sometimes!"

Mrs. Taylor looked over to the stove, appraising the bubbling, wholesome-smelling mix. She leaned in, taking a long breath of the heady steam… and her eyebrows lifted appreciatively. "This looks like a whole lot of work put in," she noted.

Karina nodded, letting out a sheepish chuckle. "It took a few hours to cook fully through, so we started early."

"Hey!" Lucy chimed in. "Can Karina stay for supper? Pleaaase?" She practically squealed at the last, beaming hopefully up at her parents.

The two adults looked at each other, unable to keep a smile off their faces. Her father cleared his throat. "Well, you made enough for the threshers…"

Mrs. Taylor playfully flicked John on the temple with her finger. "What he means is that if it's no trouble, then we'd love to have you, Karina."

Karina's face went slack. She blinked, glancing between them both… and the luscious food right behind them. Right then, Lucy burst out a triumphant "Yes!" and glomped onto her arm.

A glimmer of warmth rose in the angel's eyes. She smiled down at Lucy, then back over to her parents, and gave an emphatic nod. "I'd be honored!"

They set up for dinner in remarkably short order, with all four of them working together. Lucy insisted on helping, and mom and dad let her take the lion's share, as long as she'd stop excitedly bouncing on her feet. And so, Lucy relayed things from her parents at the counter over to Karina, who arranged them out on the table. She brought napkins, forks, plus the butter, and salt and pepper shakers, too. Before long, the table bore the stew pot, a loaf of bread that Karina cut a few slices off of, and four bowls plus four small plates.

Of course, her little moonbeam insisted on sitting together with her. Lucy's eyes were practically glued to her parents' faces, until the moment they tried the stew. Their intense croons and wide smiles of appreciation lit up the room! For Karina's part, though she'd made it before, she could never get tired of the way the flavors of garlic and all the different vegetables melded perfectly with the oil, completely permeating the meat that was so tender it fell apart on her fork. Lucy's face got splashed by the broth when a chunk slipped just like that, leading to a round of chuckles around the table, and an unspoken oath to stick to the spoons. Dinner was relaxed, with little conversation for some time, as everyone was focused on just enjoying the luscious stew and fresh bread.

Eventually, though, things picked up. Lucy's father was first, complimenting the scrumptious food, and exclaiming about how surprised they were. After all, no other babysitter had ever done anything like this!

Karina accepted the praise with a graceful smile. "I'm very glad to hear it! Lucy did most of the work once I showed her how, though!"

"Really, now?" her mother said archly. "I’m very proud of you, Lucy! I had no idea you had such an interest in cooking!"

Lucy blushed. "Well… I just really wanted to do something nice… I mean, you usually cook, but I'm getting older, now, and I want you to know I can eat fresh on my own."

"Nice?" her mom parroted. "Nice? This is wonderful! You know what this means, don't you?"

"...Huh?" Lucy blinked.

"We get to brag about you to everyone at work, now!" John exclaimed boisterously.

"And I get to show people how adorable you two were when we came home!" added her mom.

"W-Whoa, what?"

"Don't you know? You were cuddled up with her! I even took pictures!"

"M-Mom!" Lucy's eyes shot open wide, and her cheeks burst red like the tomatoes in her soup. Her hands kneaded the table's edge, bunching up the cloth.

"I'm so relieved that you trust her so much," Mrs. Taylor turned to Karina, nodding approvingly, "and doubly so that you're the reliable sort."

Karina smiled back politely. But underneath, she was still giddy at how right the woman was. Stars, they were already sharing nicknames! "I'm simply grateful you entrusted me with the care of your daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor," she said lightheartedly.

"Oh, yeah. That reminds me, actually." Clink. Mrs. Taylor's spoon touched limply against the rim of her bowl. "I don't usually talk business at dinner, but would you want to help us out again?"

Karina raised a curious eyebrow. Lucy sat up ramrod-straight.

"There's an event coming up we'll need a sitter for," she explained. "Every store in our region is having its management meet together for a convention, to discuss the future of the company, new expansions and product sales programs and all that. That means both of us will have to be out overnight to attend. If you could, we'd love to have you over to watch Lucy for as long as it takes."

"We did already have a sitter in mind," John supplied. He chuckled, indicating the spread on the table with a wave of his free hand. "But, seeing all this, I think we're gonna call and cancel them if we can book you instead."

Karina felt the urge to ask. "Is it the same one who got grounded? For... what was it, sneaking out?"

Mrs. Taylor nodded, her eyebrows creasing into a thin line. "That kind of behavior is completely unacceptable. We'd rather have someone actually responsible watching our daughter."

"Right?" Lucy immediately chimed in, a little pitchy, but nonetheless earnest. "I mean, she's not bad, but she's not great. Karina—you're great!"

"Case in point," John threw in, matching her grin.

"This is all a lot to take in at once…" Karina muttered, her own smile a little wan.

"You get out what you put in," said the big man. He waved his fork in the air for emphasis. "I've lived by that my whole life. You do good work, you get the chance to do more."

"Hear, hear," said his wife, smiling along with him.

A convention. Overnight. So that meant Karina could have even more time with the exuberant girl! She spared her a sidelong glance, noting both her rapturously grinning face, and the feelings of soulful joy she could feel ringing like music to her empathic senses. In fact, the entire mood around the table was just as lighthearted! It didn't take her long at all to make her decision. "Then I accept! Where's the dotted line?" she quipped, earning a chuckle from Lucy's parents.

Dinner finished up with plenty of pleasant, trivial conversation after that. Karina's lips were almost more tired from smiling than chewing! Lucy, especially, looked very proud, not holding anything back anymore.

But eventually, Karina decided it was time to go. She bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor both; but disentangling the little one who clung to her legs on the porch outside was a good bit harder.

"I'll be back, moonbeam, don't worry." She gently palmed Lucy's scalp, running her thumb just above her ear.

"I knowww…" Lucy droned plaintively, leaning faintly into her touch. "I can't help it. I had such a good time."

Karina shifted her wing around to her side. This made the girl shiver, seemingly expecting a hug; but instead, Karina slipped her hand in along her coverts, pinched one of them between her fingers, and pulled.

Her hand came away clutching a small, golden-amber feather; though for her angelic wings, 'small' was still quite longer than any of her own fingers. "I want you to have this."

Lucy pulled back, blinking in surprise. She reached up, and took the quill reverently from Karina's hand. "That… didn't hurt you, did it?" she asked worriedly.

Karina smiled, shaking her head. "Of course not, silly! I have hundreds more like it, and I lose them to preening all the time. More importantly," she winked, "if you're a good girl, I'll give you one of my primaries someday, too. Sound good?"

Said primaries easily reached from Lucy's hand to her elbow. More importantly, even after falling out they'd still have a good bit of the power left in them that had formed the angel's wings in the first place.

Lucy's mouth formed into a small 'O', as she glanced between Karina's wings and the feather she already held. Those bright lips quickly evened out into a wide, full smile.

Rather than answer immediately, though, she did something that left Karina utterly stunned.

Lucy brought the feather up, then took hold of a lock of hair on the right side of her head. With expert grace, she twirled the quill up until the warm amber plumage melded in with Lucy's cool midnight blue, and fastened it in a knot.

"There!" she announced proudly. Karina's feather jostled between her cheek and temple, dangling and spinning freely. "Now you're always with me. I'll be fine until—"

Karina sank down to her knees, and swept her arms around Lucy's back. She barely had time to squeak before being pulled into the fierce hug.

Words melted in Karina's trembling throat. She blinked, dispersing a growing tear into a fine mist over her eyes. Keeping her wings folded was torture, but if she embraced with them now, Karina wasn't sure she could ever let go.

Blessedly, her little moonbeam bore it all with the tender eagerness she'd come to treasure her for. She snuggled in, head pressing into her collar and arms wrapped up to her shoulders. Karina just held her there, basking in Lucy's warmth. And not just from her body. Her once-reticent heart was singing in harmony, now. Strong, and proud.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

Rustle. Lucy nudged her head up, though she couldn't see her face.

Karina kept up the hug a little bit longer. Then, with one last squeeze, she released, rocking back on her hips. Her eyes were still a bit misty, but a few good blinks took care of the worst of it. She could see her moonbeam's face, most important of all. "No one's ever done that for me, Lucy," she said. "No one like you, anyway… I mean, it just means so much that you care like that."

Lucy gazed back, a dreamily content smile on her lips. She nodded slowly. "I get it, Kari. Your wings are really important to you."

She huffed, a pleasant little sound that matched her growing smile. "They are, yes."

"You're looking forward to this just as much as I am, aren't you?" Lucy added, her eyes twinkling playfully. "You said it yourself. You love using your wings."

"D… Darn it!" Karina giggled helplessly. "Stop seeing right through me!"

"Because that's your job?" Lucy deadpanned wryly.

Karina barely had time to clap a hand over her mouth to muffle her burst of laughter. Her cheeks flushed red as strawberries, puffing out with breath. Somehow, Lucy was doing quite a bit better, though she still grinned and chuckled at her predicament.

"You'd better get going; Judy's probably waiting to pester you for stories." She rolled her eyes.

Awkwardly, Karina pushed herself back up onto her feet. "Yeah, you're right." She nodded, taking the first few steps to her car backwards. "I'll see you later, Lucy!"

"Bye!" Lucy waved her off, that feather still wobbling along with her bangs.

Karina left the house the same way she'd come. There was still a good bit of sunlight left, but the evening breeze was starting to settle in as well. She felt it on her feathers as she backed out of the driveway, but the sight of Lucy standing watch by the house was what really sent a chilly tingle down her spine. Lucy wasn't just another girl she minded for a day. She truly was a friend, now! The whole time back along the winding, hilly road, Karina's thoughts were abuzz with both happy memories of the time they'd shared together, and all that was to come.

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Later that night, Lucy gazed into her bedroom mirror, staring at the happy girl smiling back. For a long moment, she simply breathed. She even looked healthier, just like she felt deep inside.

What she'd done today was new. Different, in the best way. Fresh and clean like spring air. Her heart felt like it was glowing so warmly in her chest, and why wouldn't it? Everything that happened today had been pure. No guilt, no holding back. Lucy had been herself, and truly felt like she'd gotten something out of it. She'd learned new things, and even made a new friend.

Karina. Just thinking of her made her little heart swell. She brought a hand up to her chest, smiling even deeper. Karina had touched her heart. She'd given her the courage to be a better person.

One by one, Lucy took out her earclips, letting her hair fall in a curtain down her shoulders. Totally relaxed. Her throat tightened up in a yawn, and she let it loose, shutting her eyes to ride it out. Sleep was coming for her again. And tonight, Lucy wasn't exactly alone. She had a secret weapon!

Karina's feather hung over her bed, tied on a strand of her own blue hair Lucy had snipped off with some scissors earlier. During geography and history classes, she'd learned about how charms made with bird feathers were supposed to protect against bad dreams. But angel feathers had to be super extra powerful at that! And since the tie was a part of her own body, it was like they were still in contact even now.

Lucy tucked herself in, sighing in the softness of her fresh sheets. Her breath tipped the feather into a twirl, dancing right above her head.

She gave that amber plumage one last smile, then closed her eyes, and slipped deep into blissful slumber.