All is well As the sunlight came through her curtain windows, Valerie stirred and opened her eyes. Everything seemed...normal, or rather what would be normal for other people. The second year was rather accustomed to feeling awful all the time but this morning she...wasn't. This wasn't something she'd experienced for at least three years during the holidays. Last year, she'd had the flu, the previous year, bronchitis (which had later became pneumonia) and the year before was...an ear infection? Oh, who, could remember it all perfectly when it happened so often like that! What mattered was that this year, Valerie was well . Or what passed for it for her but still.
Despite her growing excitement, the second year still got out of bed carefully. It wouldn't do to overexert herself now and make herself sick again. She didn't want to ruin anything. Just because she didn't feel too badly right now didn't mean she wouldn't feel bad again. Valerie knew that was inevitable. She was still as susceptible as ever to illness and today, she did not want to wear herself out too quickly. Exerting oneself could lead to exhaustion which could wear down her already poor immune system and make her sick again. Plus, she didn't really want to be too tired to do anything, to participate in any holiday festivities. She didn't want to miss a thing.
The Crotalus dressed, took her potions, and was just sitting down at her vanity to brush her hair with her antique silver brush when there was a knock on her door. "Come in." Valerie said.
Her younger sister walked in. "How are you feeling?" Melanie asked. She was concerned, she was always concerned. She noted that at least Valerie was out of bed, which was a good sign but Melanie felt like she should ask anyway. Just to make sure.
Valerie slowly turned to face her younger sister . It wouldn't do to whirl around and possibly make herself dizzy. "I'm...okay." She said, with a big happy smile. She still couldn't believe it. Yes, the second year had had days where she wasn't sick before but that it was the holidays made it just all the better. It was so difficult to be stuck in bed at what was supposed to be the most joyous season of the whole year, to have it ruined time and time again. To ruin it for others as well.
The look on the younger girl's face mirrored that of her older sister's. She couldn't have asked for a better holiday gift. Melanie walked over and hugged Valerie as tightly as she could without hurting her. The twelve year old wasn't any less fragile just because she didn't happen to be ill right now. "Let's go downstairs and get our presents." They would be having it down there this year, instead of in Valerie's room.
She knew she'd be ill again, but for today, Valerie was going to try to forget about it and enjoy herself.