My head sank into the pillow.

I was feeling defeated.

What if Cara cut her arm off while trying to slice the rhubarb? Okay, that was the flu talking, I’m sure.

I closed my eyes, feeling unbelievably weary. Mama Rizzo had come into my room a few minutes earlier, with a bowl of steaming eucalyptus water.

She had draped a damp towel over my head, and then made me sniff the fumes.

Surprisingly, my sinuses had been blasted clear by the minty smell.

I pulled the blanket up to my nose, burrowing into the warm covers.

I tried squeezing my eyes tighter shut and picturing my family’s house.

I tried imagining sitting outside on the porch on a summer’s day, eating sweets and having fun with the cats.

The fever didn’t really help; it was making me shift around constantly.

Soon, the aroma of baking pie reached my nose, and I inhaled gratefully.

That smells really good…

I turned on my other side, and flipped over my pillow to get to it’s cool side.

I let myself slowly drift off into sleep.