Sister Floriana

The Cold

"Listen. Whatever you do, don't bring her any flowers, or tell her any jokes. Just trust me, okay? Sister Emmie told me this. And don't pat her on the head either. Leave everything to me."

The other novices didn't look sure, but Floriana had a certain look in her eye. They decided to trust her, making some chicken stew, getting a bag of ice from the icebox, and getting a picture book instead of a joke book. Then they set off to Sister Diana's cottage that she shared with Sister Emmie.

Emmie answered the door and smiled.

"Sister Diana? You've got visitors!"

"Let them in," Diana sighed. "It's not as if you could keep them out anyways."

Sure enough, Floriana, Eulalia, and Pacifica all came right into the room, with Benita and Marisol following behind them. Floriana carried the stew, Eulalia the book, and Pacifica her own helping from the stew, slurping on it as they sat down around her bed. 

Pablo wandered in as well, putting his head on the covers and staring sadly at Diana. She patted his head once or twice.

Diana took the thermometer out of her mouth. 

"Come to cheer me up?"

"Of course!" said Floriana. "Now open wide!"

She blew on the chicken stew to cool it down, blowing little specks of it onto Diana's nightgown.

"Can I just eat it myself?"

"After the first bite," Floriana told her. Diana reluctantly let Flori spoon stew in her mouth, which she chewed and swallowed.

"Well?" said Flori, eager to hear her reaction.

Diana was genuinely surprised.

"It's... not bad. I like it."

She grabbed the bowl and started helping herself to it. 

"You really didn't have to do this," she said. 

"Of course we did!" said Eulalia. "Now, this is the story of a duck named Ignacio..."

Diana listened to Eulalia read to her, and relaxed as her friends doted on her. She even let Pablo climb up and snuggle up to her. 

Her friends.

Had she ever called them that? Hadn't they always been "the idiots" or "the novices?" 

Once Eulalia closed the book, Floriana said she had one more thing to share.

"A get-well poem!" she said.

Sister Diana, a gracious nun

Worried about many things

It seems to your Sisters you don't have much fun

And you never sing any hymns.

But you have such talents that all of us lack

You're smarter than most of us here

We know you're the first one to have all our backs

And we've never known you to show fear

Even in hardship, even in pain

Even when things don't go right

You remember the purpose for which man was made

You'll never give up the fight

All of us wish we could be more like you

And also that you'd be more like us

That you would take on a happier world view,

And that we could hope to be so just

Sister Diana, please get well soon

We'll stay here as long as you need

The Sisters are praying for your health each moon

And so are the Saints and me!

Diana didn't react for a while after the poem was finished. Floriana clasped her hands behind her back, steeling herself for criticism.

"If it's too much, I understand," she said.

"No," she replied. "I'm just so tired. I liked it."

"Thank you!" said Flori, beaming. Eulalia hugged her and shook her. 

Diana was fighting to keep her eyes open. Emmie urged them to leave, to let her get some rest. Diana asked Floriana to stay, and for Emmie to step outside for a while. Emmie did so, concealing her surprise.

Floriana knelt next to Diana, listening close.

"Emmie told you what my mother would do when I was sick, did she?"

"Yes," said Floriana. "So I made sure that everyone came up with something on their own."

"Thank you," said Diana softly.

She closed her eyes, as they were starting to water.

"Do you know how your mother is?"

"Better. Papa wouldn't give me any details. And she hasn't written to me in so long." 

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Diana opened her eyes.

"I want to thank you for this. All of it. I don't deserve any of it."

"Nonsense," said Floriana.

"But-"

"I don't want to hear anything else about it."

"Okay."

Floriana reached out and took hold of Diana's hand.

"You'll be alright. Get some rest."

"I will. Can you close the blinds for me?"

"Sure."

Floriana did so, blocking out all the light into the room. Diana closed her eyes again, beginning to breathe more rhythmically. Floriana went to the door to leave.

"Good night Sister Diana," she whispered.

"Good night mama."

It wasn't until she'd stepped outside and eased the door shut that Floriana realized she was shedding tears of her own.