Winter was alomost over and spring sun was shining. Sarah tought the time of winter jackets, scarfs and woolen hoods was over. Boy was she wrong…As the days went on, Rachel noticed that Sarah had been feeling under the weather. Sarah had been coughing and sneezing, and her nose had been running non-stop. Concerned for her friend, Rachel asked if there was anything she could do to help. Sarah,was happy to accept her friend's offer. Rachel went into full caregiver mode, just like Sarah had done for her. She brewed some herbal tea and made a special remedy to help soothing Sarah's cough. She brought Sarah a warm blanket and made sure she had plenty of tissues to blow her nose.After two days, Sarah's condition worsened.Her cough became more persistent, and she had trouble sleeping at night. Rachel stayed up with her, holding her hand and offering her comfort. One night, Sarah's fever spiked,and Rachel became concerned, so she fetched the thermometer to take her temperature. However, as Sarah suggested that her friend should take her temperature rectally, Rachel hesitated. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that," Rachel said, looking uneasy. „I’ve never done that before“, she explained. But Rachel didn’t want to let her friend down, since she knew how well Sarah had cared for her when she was sick. „Hold on, I’ll be right back“.She went to the living room and took out her phone to search for articles on „how to take a rectal temperature“. She was a little embaressed infront of Sarah, that she didn’t know how to do this. Soon she found some articles and even a video.„Ok Sarah, I think I know how to do this.“ She helped Sarah pull down her pyjama bottoms and asked her to lift up her legs. Even tough Sarah felt horrible a little smile came accross her lips. She complied and let Rachel take her temperature. She was very careful and used a lot of vasline. Just like they had shown in the video, Rachel held the thermometer while it registered. Rachel did everything step by step and just to be sure she left it in for full 5 minutes. Slowly and very carefully she withdrew the instrument. „Oh honey, you do have a fever of 103!“, she exclaimed.Over the next few days, Rachel continued to care for Sarah, making sure she was getting plenty of fluids and rest. Sarah slowly began to recover, and Rachel was overjoyed to see her friend feeling better. As Sarah's strength returned, Rachel noticed that she was looking at her with a tenderness in her eyes. Rachel's heart skipped a beat, and she wondered if Sarah was feeling the same way she did when Rachel was sick.After a week, as Sarah was feeling well enough to sit up in bed, she took Rachel's hand and looked at her with a soft smile. "Thank you for taking care of me," she said. "I don't know what I would have done without you."Rachel smiled back at her, feeling her heart swell with affection. "I was happy to do it," she said. "I care about you, Sarah."Sarah's eyes lit up, and she leaned in to give Rachel a soft kiss on the lips. "I care about you too," she whispered.„And Rachel, I have to tell you something else. The way you took my temperature, that’s the baby way, you know.“ Rachel blushed immediatly and didn’t know what to reply. „Or when you wanna play doctor“, Sarah continued and winked.Rachel felt her face turn bright red as she tried to compose herself. "Uh, I didn't know that," she stammered, feeling embarrassed. "I just wanted to make sure I did it right." Sarah laughed softly, seeing the flush on Rachel's cheeks. "It's okay," she said. "I thought it was cute, actually." Rachel smiled sheepishly, feeling a mix of emotions. She was happy to have helped Sarah, but she also couldn't ignore the fluttering in her stomach at the thought of Sarah's kiss and playful comment.Rachel found herself more and more drawn to Sarah. They spent a lot of time together, talking and laughing and enjoying each other's company. Rachel found herself thinking about Sarah all the time, and she couldn't deny that she had feelings for her.One evening, as they sat together on the couch watching a movie, Rachel mustered up the courage to speak her mind. "Sarah, there's something I need to tell you," she said, turning to face her friend. "I think I'm falling in love with you." Sarah looked surprised but also touched. "Rachel, I had a feeling," she said softly, taking Rachel's hand in hers. "And I have to admit, I feel the same way." Rachel felt her heart swell with joy and relief, and she leaned in to kiss Sarah deeply. They both knew that their relationship had changed, and they were excited to explore what lay ahead. From that day on, Rachel and Sarah were inseparable. They continued to take care of each other and support each other through thick and thin. And they knew that they had found something special in each other, something that would last a lifetime.