"Isn't it good to be back home?" Lycoris asked as she helped Cattleya get out of the car and back inside the house where she belonged.
After Anemone had noticed that change in her eye, she'd been immediately examined, and after a few more days of being kept under observation just for safety she'd finally been allowed to go back home, and spend the rest of her recovery days in the place she was comfortable and familiar with.
Finally…
She wouldn't lie that she spent those last few days in a much better mood, and also pretty impatiently. She wanted out from that nightmare, and her home, her room, her own bed sounded like heaven compared to that little room in the hospital.
She hadn't recovered entirely yet, but there was no longer the possibility of relapsing, mostly she still felt her legs a bit weak, though she could walk for short distances, and she still saw red spots in her eyes from time to time.
They still had yet to turn back to their original color entirely, but eventually they would.
They were mostly blue again.
Amaryllis had joked how red didn't suit her too much except hair or dresses, back when she was still more sick, and in fact she would agree.
"Yes, it's great." she didn't hold back the smile that forced its way on her face.
She was home, and soon enough she could start doing what she loved most again too.
It was so relieving.
As Lycoris aided her to walk in, Freesia and Amaryllis brought her stuff inside as well.
Cattleya let her eyes linger a moment longer, taking in the familiar ambient of their living room, the kitchen and most importantly, the room she shared with Lycoris.
Her side was still tidy, compared to the raven's one, just how things had always been.
Despite Lycoris sleeping on the redhead's bed during all this time.
She watched as Freesia took her clothes and started putting them away, as Amaryllis disappeared in the other room to prepare lunch, while Lycoris sat her down on the bed.
"I can take care of my things you know?"
She still didn't love when others aided her too much, part of feeling like a weight for an entire life, it came with it.
"We know, we know." Freesia replied. "We know you love taking care of us more than the opposite, but, so do we. It's not a burden for us, no matter how much society drilled that into your head."
It was never the truth, that didn't apply to them.
They would always be looking out for her like she did for them, especially now after such a tough moment for all of them, but for her in particular.
Though they assumed she soon wanted to return to be able to do normal things again too.
She did the same after the assault, and was pretty restless not being able to, distracting her had been no easy task, and Cattleya was in a constant annoyed state.
And now due to the virus she couldn't even do that, probably fear took over.
But it didn't win.
Actually, probably best not to talk about it anymore, it was over, Cattleya would soon fully heal and everything would be back to normal, and they could forget this awful thing ever happened.
"Do you think I never saw you stay awake at night so you could watch over me or whoever else when we are sick?" Lycoris asked with a grin. That was especially true for her, for some reason it was easy for her to get colds and flus more than the others.
She knew well that during feverish nights Cattleya would be awake to wipe at her forehead with a wet cloth, and even aid her to take cold baths if she needed, no matter the hour.
She'd fuss over whenever Amaryllis' carelessness would get her cut or burned as she cooked something.
And she'd worry over Freesia's long established scars, to make sure she took care of herself, and took her medicine always on time, or if she felt any phantom pains.
So why shouldn't they do the opposite?
Caring went both ways.
But they understood well where this will to prove herself more came from, for as sad as it was. So when something happened they would indulge at times, so she'd worry less.
Also Cattleya was always sweet and gentle with them.
However it was fair she received her own share of care and gentleness, even though lately she received it most in the form of Anemone.
Lycoris hadn't been lying to her when she said that Cattleya deserved someone that loved her, kindly and unconditionally, because she deserved someone that gave her what she'd been denied since childhood from the people she met that weren't them.
They had already proven that Anemone was reliable and genuine in her affection even before this all started, and this only further proved it.
They had to get them together.
Before either of them suffered too much for it.
Hadn't this been enough?
If they were to be honest, all the girls including Rose's group couldn't wait to watch them get together, and see their reactions when they realized that their crush wasn't just a one person thing.
They were especially curious about Cattleya, given how she didn't know how to deal with certain things.
Hopefully it wouldn't be too overwhelming, but something told them Anemone would know how to deal with it, she seemed to always know what the redhead needed out of instinct.
And that was probably the biggest positive trait she had.
Amaryllis barged in the room with her phone all of a sudden. "Daisy says she wants all of us at the bar for dinner tonight, now that Cattleya is feeling good she wants to throw a party, if she wants, otherwise she says she will wait until she feels like it, to not to stress her too much."
But there wasn't a way to say no to this woman, or any of the girls really.
"No, it's fine." Cattleya didn't hesitate in answering. "I may still be a little weak, but I feel having a taste of normality again will do me good."
And what better way than with the people she loved and that cared for her?
She still wanted to thank them for all they had done for her. She didn't know if she was all alone if she could have pulled through, it was to live with all of them again that gave her the will to fight back against the illness.
Because she had a reason, they gave her more than one.
"All right, then maybe you would also like to take a warm bath?" that sounded very nice, she hadn't had the occasion to wash herself too well, it'd be nice to feel clean again.
"I'll take on the offer." and also…
Cattleya took the long strands of hair in her hands, they had grown a lot, way past her neck, they were too messy to be kept like this, and she had no way to fix them the way they had always been.
So…
"Would you also cut my hair by chance?" she asked, since she wanted normality, she may as well cut away everything regarding this experience that had been negative.
In a literal sense.
"Of course." Amaryllis grinned.
"We'll see you all later!" Lycoris yelled so Daisy could hear her on the other side of the phone.
Yes, this would do all of them good.
As promised, they all found each other at Daisy's place at the perfect time, because none of them wanted to miss this, not after they risked losing a friend.
Immediately Cattleya found herself in the arms of Lily, and swarmed from familiar faces.
So much love, so much affection.
She couldn't get enough of it.
"It's good to see you back on your feet again." even though she still needed aid sometimes, Rose was right.
"It feels good too." she replied.
Anemone came over smiling at her, and taking her hand. "You look radiant today." they sat next to each other.
"And very elegant too."
She had chosen to wear a pink dress whose skirt was longer on the left side, after having to stay in comfy clothes and pajamas all the time, she wanted to feel pretty again. Not like Freesia and the others were any less elegant than her, probably they wanted to follow her example.
Or maybe they too wanted some normality back, actually she believed they all did.
"I just wanted to feel normal, for once, leave all that I suffered behind me for good." she admitted.
"I managed to finally take a bath, and Amaryllis cut my hair the way they were before, but, things I thought were mundane and trivial such as those were what I missed the most." a sigh.
Just thinking about the warm and relaxing sensation of the water on her skin, the nice smell of her favorite soap and shampoo, and her friend's careful hands, and the sound of scissors as she snipped the much too long red locks.
Looking at herself in the mirror after choosing that pink dress, and feeling good about herself once more.
To feel like a person, and not a spectator in her body because of a virus…
It felt good in ways that were too hard to explain with words.
"You never know what you truly have until you risk losing it. And I was reminded how little things like these are the most important."
As was the presence of her loved ones, and every day interactions.
"Lily felt the same when she was hit by the virus too." Anemone says, recalling how she felt the same.
And returning to work at the bar had been one of the things she had wanted to do the most.
So she could do what she loved.
And now Cattleya could return to do what she enjoyed too.
Anemone couldn't wait to hear her sing and play again, she was sure she still had something to tell people about this experience she lived through.
"It'll be the message I want to give people, when I will return out there to sing." and she wouldn't lie about being eager to do so.
She had much to tell.
So were her companions, she was told they hadn't touched their instruments much during this time, without her they had little reason to.
She hated that she worried everyone this way, though she knew she couldn't help it.
That was why she wanted to be back as soon as possible, for herself and for them, their mental health depended on it, even though just the fact that she was back and pretty much good now helped lots in increasing their mood.
It was hard to stop smiling.
"I, we can't wait to hear what you have to say." Anemone caught herself, she wasn't the only one that wanted to hear her sing again.
Her and the others.
And also, from this next concert, whenever it would be, their contracts would be in order, so they were allowed to follow the girls.
She'll protect her from fans that could be too excited or rowdy.
She didn't need that stress after what she'd been through, she said she wanted to leave everything behind, so best not to speak about it much anymore and look forward.
"I just want to look at the future that awaits me now." instead of thinking about the past.
It was looking so much brighter than the dark hole she had fallen in.
And the brightest light was the woman sitting before her.
She smiled at the fact that those last days she had actually managed to write something down for her.
It wasn't good, it wasn't perfect, but it was positive.
Her companions had seen a glimpse, and with their aid she felt that she could finally complete this song.
Freesia and Amaryllis were willing to share their own opinions since they had experience, they hadn't had the time for that before Cattleya fell ill.
And Lycoris was a master at improvising random rhythms, many of the songs they made started like that, with few words on a theme and a lot of improvisation from their drum player.
After all it was that instrument that was at the base of everything, even though she didn't sing solo she was so much important.
They all were.
Anemone wrapped a hand around her, allowing her to place her head on her shoulder, and Cattleya could smell the scent of her soap.
Calming, soothing, as usual.
"Then let us look at a brighter future."
