Stef Adams-Foster was lying peacefully asleep in her bed next to her wife, Lena, when she heard a soft knock at their door. Her eyes fluttered open as she sat up in bed and looked over to Lena, who had also woken up.
"Come in," she said, expecting a complaining Mariana to walk through the door talking about a party she wanted to go to that night.
Instead, her eldest daughter, Callie walked in looking pale and afraid.
"Hey baby," Stef said, greeting the teen. "What's up?"
"Um, well, Mariana and I woke up with bad sore throats and cold symptoms," she said shyly.
"Oh, love, I can hear that you're sick in your voice," Lena said, getting up to feel Callie's forehead. "My God and you're very warm too."
Stef jumped out of bed and took a thermometer from her bedside drawer and gave it to Callie.
"Stick it under your tongue, sweets," she said with a loving smile.
Callie nodded and did as she was told. After a moment, the thermometer violently beeped, which let Sted know to take it from her daughter's mouth.
"Wow," Lena said. "103.1." She shot a concerned look at Stef.
"Um, it's ok, love, but I think we have to go to the doctor."
Callie nodded and smiled a bit at her moms to let them know she was doing alright.
"Someone should go check on Mariana, too," she said.
"Oh, right," Lena laughed. "I'll go."
Lena departed and left behind the two girls. Stef wrapped her arms around Callie's body and brought her to sit down on the bed with her. They snuggled up and Callie rested her head on her Mom's warm and soft chest. These were the moments she lived for, where she was able to feel comforted and loved.
"Mom?" She half-whispered.
"Yes, love?" Stef responded.
"Thank you for doing this. I mean, being there for me, and hugging me when I'm sick. It means the world. I love you."
Stef's heart immediately melted and tears formed in her eyes. She loved all of her children equally, but had felt a special bond with Callie since the moment they met.
"Of course baby. I love you too, more than you could ever imagine."
Just then, Lena walked in the room again.
"Ok," she said. "Mariana has a fever as well, so let's head over to the clinic."
Callie and Stef got up from the bed and made their way downstairs. Whenever someone in the Adams-Foster family was sick, they always went to the Dr. in pajamas. Mariana soon joined them, looking as bad as Callie.
…..
"Adams-Foster?" A nurse called into the crowded waiting room.
Lena, Stef, Callie, and Mariana stood up from their chairs and went down the hallway as they followed the nurse.
"Dr. S will just be a few minutes," she smiled.
Stef smiled back and thanked the woman, as she left and shut the door behind her.
Callie took a seat on the table next to Mariana, who seemed very worried.
"Whats up Mari?" Callie asked.
"Nothing," her sister replied. "I just hate being at the doctor's. They make me anxious."
Callie nodded. "It's ok, we're all right here."
The girls smiled at each other just as Dr. S walked in.
"Hi, Dr. S," Stef said shaking the woman's hand.
"Hi Adams-Fosters!" The doctor greeted in return. "What brings you in today?"
"The girls woke up with sore throats, headaches, stuffy noses, and fevers. Callie's temperature was 103.1 and Mariana's was 101.8."
The doctor nodded, and took the girls temperatures again. She also looked in their ears, noses, and throats.
"So," she said. "Both girls have mucus in their noses and red, swollen tonsils with white spots on them, which most likely means strep throat."
She did a quick throat culture, and told the family to wait fifteen minutes until the results come back, and left the room.
While the doctor was gone, Mariana and Callie napped on each other's soldiers, clearly showing how terrible they both felt.
Their moms felt terrible for them, but couldn't help but smile and the bond that the sisters shared.
There was a knock on the door, and Dr. S came back in.
"Well, they both have strep throat. I've called in a prescription for antibiotics to your local pharmacy, which will be ready in about an hour."
"Thank you, doctor," Lena said, putting an arm around her daughters.
"Of course," Dr. S responded. "Feel better, girls!"
Callie and Mariana smiled back and waved, and the family left the clinic and headed back home.
Stef and Lena looked back at their sleeping children and smiled genuinely, not knowing of the horror that was about to strike their family.