Isabella sat on the side of the bed drying her hair after slipping into her nightgown. It had seemed like she just finished getting ready before Violet emerged from the bathroom. “That was fast,” she noted as her head swiveled to follow her friend until it could turn no more. Then again, Violet was always fast. Fast and methodical.

“I didn’t wish to linger; you still need attending to.” Always so dutiful. Once the towel covering the doll’s body dropped away in Isabella’s peripheral vision, she returned her eyes to the front. Somewhat sluggishly if she was being honest with herself. She sat in silence then and tried not to focus too much on what was going on behind her. Thankfully, Violet reappeared in front of her a few moments later before reaching for the towel to take over. Which Isabella let her do without any fuss. Instead, she closed her eyes and enjoyed being doted on. When Violet finished, she turned to go but Isabella opened her eyes and reached out for the towel before it got too far away.

“Uh-uh, now it’s my turn. Come here and sit so I can dry yours.” No doubt Violet was about to go and do it herself but this was the least Isabella could do after everything her friend had done for her today. Not that repaying Violet’s kindness was the only factor. At the heart of it, Isabella simply wanted to, had wanted to for a while now. Eventually, Violet silently acquiesced and handed the towel over before returning to the bed and sitting next to Isabella. Permission granted, she shifted to get behind her and to that long, blonde hair. However, she moved so hastily that an uncomfortable jolt of pain shot up her leg, accompanied by a hiss of air as it passed through gritted teeth.

“Isabella, is everything okay?” After hearing the noise, Violet turned her head but Isabella rushed to place the towel atop it to keep any concern from derailing her mission.

“I’m fine! Just a little shock is all.”

With the towel on her head, and Isabella’s reply in her ear, Violet soon faced back to the front. “Very well, but please be careful.”

Which was easier now that Isabella didn’t need to move any further.  For a minute or two, the student performed her work in silence, eyes following along with the towel as it went. The reversal in their roles brought a smile to her face, spurred along by the memory of doing the very same thing for Taylor. It felt good to take care of someone again, especially Violet. Isabella quite liked the idea of them being equals in this space. Dropping titles. Helping each other get ready. Providing each other comfort. It was…nice.

“Violet, when we’re done, I’d like to paint your nails.” Again, the handmaiden’s head turned, but not enough to pull the hair free of Isabella’s grasp. However, before she had a chance to respond, Isabella continued. “And you paint mine, if that’s alright. It was your gift, after all.” She knew she could leave it a request and Violet would most likely comply but framing it as a choice and hoping Violet would agree was much more appealing.

“Students are not permitted to paint their nails.” Came the reply before Violet’s attention returned forward. “And I don’t think it would really work on me.”

“Right…” Isabella’s hands slowed momentarily as she silently scolded herself. She should’ve thought about the prosthesis before asking. Not to mention it was apparently against the rules? Isabella really should’ve paid more attention to that rule book. “Oh, wait! How about our feet then? Our toenails, to be more specific.” That seemed like a good compromise. The nails would stay out of sight of the teachers and keep them from getting in trouble and Isabella knew that Violet did, in fact, still have her feet.

“Yes. I suppose that would be alright.” When Isabella finished, Violet took the towel and hopped off the bed to hang it up. Subsequently, she went to her table and grabbed the little vial of nail polish and the brush before collecting a fresh washcloth from the laundry. Items in hand, she moved back to the bed and placed them in Isabella’s hands so she could sit once more. Facing her this time.

Isabella nodded her thanks and held the vial up to shake it and mix the contents. “I remember doing this a long time ago. It was a lot of fun…” That color had been a deep blue, not far from the purple she held now. After what had to be enough time, she lowered the vial and began to wiggle the stopper until it came free. Whereupon she reached over and deposited the cork on her bedside table.

The strong smell of the paint floated free and made her nose wrinkle at the first whiff. No matter though, it was a small price to pay and it would be dry soon enough. After grabbing the small brush that came with it, Isabella waved Violet closer before placing the washcloth halfway between them, where she wanted the handmaiden’s foot to land. “Come on, feet over here. The hero goes first.” While she waited for Violet to position herself, any lingering jealousy from the gift melted away. Which only made Isabella feel sillier she even harbored it in the first place.

After Violet complied, Isabella bent over, dipped the brush into the glass container, and then wiped any excess fluid off on the rim. “All right, here we go…” The first stroke covered almost half the nail with a thin coat before she lifted and did it again. As she worked, Isabella’s lips stayed in a near-constant grin, happily applying the polish in silence. Violet looked on with great interest, also choosing not to speak as she studied the technique.

Ten minutes (and two feet) later, Isabella sat back and admired her handy work in a state of semi-amazement. The color was so vivid and contrasted lovely against Violet’s pale skin. It was funny though, how the color stuck out and seemed to clash with who Violet was. Or more accurately, Isabella’s impression of Violet when she first arrived. Sure, the doll was very disciplined and wasn’t the most expressive person, but she shone brightly in her own way. Isabella just needed time to see it. With the paint applied, Violet took the opportunity to wiggle her toes while she continued to examine Isabella’s work.

“Be careful, you don’t want to smear it.”

Violet nodded her understanding before lifting her gaze and cracking a faint smile. “I like the color. How does it look on me?”

Isabella was pleased to hear that she thought it looked nice. So, she was even more ecstatic to offer her own opinion, which needed no real consideration. “It looks great on you! You should do it yourself sometime later and show your friends, I’m sure they would agree.”

“That’s a good idea. How long does it take to dry? So I can do yours.”

In response to the question, Isabella scooted closer and began to wave her fingers over the toes like a fan. Helping the drying process move along a little quicker. Not that it would take much time anyway. “Not too long. I only put a light coat on, so it should be fast.” Sure enough, after some idle chatter, Isabella tested the nail polish with a faint touch. “Feels good. You should be alright to move around now.”

As if to test the theory, Violet turned to hang her feet off the edge of the bed and then hopped down to walk around the room. Her head was downcast, observing her feet as she went. After a few laps, she returned to the bed and finally peeled her eyes away from the colorful toes. While she was up, the smile had grown until it was one of the fullest Isabella had seen yet. Which naturally caused hers to match.

Once Violet’s beaming smile calmed, she nodded her head down towards the container still in Isabella’s hand. “May I do yours now?”

Isabella nodded before handing over the small vial and the brush. She then placed one foot on the cloth between them, awaiting her turn. “It can be a little tricky at first to get the spread of the brush just right and not use too little or too much.” Isabella hadn’t considered how difficult the finer movements might be for Violet, but she seemed dexterous enough to handle it. Besides, Isabella didn’t expect anything professional and the appearance of her toes at the end of it wasn’t the true goal.

“Alright, I’ll do my best.” With a deep breath, Violet positioned herself and dipped the bristles into the vial before copying Isabella’s earlier movement to remove any excess polish. Then, she leaned down until she was practically hovering directly over the toes. The look on her face shifted to one of intense focus as Violet concentrated harder on the task. The first stroke landed right in the middle of Isabella’s big toe before Violet tried to work towards one edge. However, the brush spread too much and left streaks in its wake. The next stroke managed to cover the bare spots but also painted some of the skin next to the nail. Which finally caused Violet to pause and look up. “This is more difficult than I initially thought.”

The whole spectacle had Isabella nearly giggling to herself where she sat. It seemed that Violet wasn’t perfect at everything she did, not that she expected her to be. It was just a little refreshing to see Violet struggle with something and it only endeared her more to Isabella. “It is, isn’t it? Here, let’s just wipe this away…” Isabella wet her thumb with some spit and used it to swipe the errant polish away before wiping it on the cloth underfoot. “Just keep going, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

Again, Violet nodded to herself and refocused on the task at hand before finishing the toe in two more strokes. The next went easy enough except for more wayward polish. This time though, Violet simply used the cloth to wipe away the extra. By the time she finished with the pinky toe, no other mistakes were made. When Violet finished with one foot, she straightened up and placed her hands in her lap, which allowed Isabella to lean forward and examine the doll’s work.

“See?” Though not perfect, her nails were left covered with a fine coating of purple polish. “Just needed a little bit of practice. Ready for round two?” Isabella carefully lifted her foot off the cloth, only to replace it with the bare one a moment later.

“Yes,” Violet accompanied the single word with a brief, but fervent, nod of her head. Once she resumed her work, Isabella sat back and examined the doll’s features. There was concentration there, but she could’ve sworn there was something else beneath the surface. A quiet contentment. Happiness at being able to do this with her friend? With someone you cared about? That was certainly why it had been more enjoyable for Isabella. She cared for Violet and wanted to make her happy however she could. Even doing something simple like this.

It wasn’t long before the second foot was done and Isabella was shocked to find there weren’t any mistakes to correct. The polish even looked smoother this time around. Violet truly was amazing. While she sat looking over her toes, the handmaiden got out of bed and walked to the side table to replace the stopper in the bottle. Afterward, she went into the bathroom to rinse the brush before placing it, and the vial, on the vanity for safekeeping.

Isabella took the opportunity to scoot further up the bed until she met her pillows and the headboard. When Violet returned to the room, she reached out and patted the space next to her, inviting her to join. Which she did right away. After she sat, Isabella leaned over and rested her head on Violet’s shoulder before closing her eyes and letting out a long breath. The longer the two  were together, the more natural it felt for Isabella to touch her in some way. Like playing with the blonde hair in bed, for example. Or what she was doing in this moment.

“Violet, can I ask you a question?”

“You know you can. Anything you want.”

“Was it hard? To learn how to use your arms again. The brush was the first time I saw you have any kind of difficulty holding something.” Once she finished, Isabella also turned her head and cast her eyes up to watch Violet as she answered with more than a little nervousness blooming in her chest. She said she didn’t mind but this was no doubt a sore subject, right?

At first, Violet didn’t respond. Nor did she turn and meet Isabella’s gaze. Instead, she raised an arm so that she could observe it in quiet contemplation. Turning it over, this way and that. In the lingering silence, Isabella’s anticipation grew. Mainly from the worry that she had found the limit of what Violet might consider a polite question.

“Yes. It was very difficult. It took me years to get to the point where I could use them for anything I required. And, as you saw, some things are still difficult for me.” Violet’s answer made her feel a little better. Or that at least the inquiry hadn’t been too taboo. After another moment, Violet turned to match her gaze. “In time I know I can become proficient in anything I set my mind to. However, there is one thing I’ll never get back…”

The hand that was held aloft slowly crossed the distance between them, eventually landing on Isabella’s cheek. Once it was there, the fingers lightly caressed the skin in soft, slow strokes. “The warmth and softness of my touch. It’s something I’ll never be able to give.”

Isabella’s eyes opened wider, completely stunned. Her mind raced as competing feelings swirled about, made worse by the sudden uptick in her heartbeat from the gentle caress. At the same time though, her heart felt an immense weight from the sadness the truth the words carried. What should she say? What could she say? The truth, perhaps.

“I like it.” Isabella paused and brought a hand up to lay across the back of Violet’s where it sat on her cheek, encouraging more contact. “I like your touch and, while I may not feel the heat from your skin, your warmth is there. Even now, it reaches me.” Isabella leaned further into Violet’s hand until it fully cupped one side of her face. “So, please let me continue to feel it in the time we have.” If she was honest, Isabella didn’t even know what she meant by the request. However, she did know that any opportunity to be close to Violet was precious.

In response, Violet’s usually stoic expression softened until a smile shone through. “Alright, if that’s what you want.” Another moment and the handmaiden ran her thumb over the now flushed skin, before slowly pulling it away so she could move on the bed. Shifting her legs, she grabbed the blanket and pulled it back for both women to slip beneath. Once Isabella realized what the doll was doing, she likewise shifted where she sat, moving out of the way. Before slipping underneath the covers, Isabella took the time to check her polish to make sure it was dry. Satisfied she wouldn’t dirty the bed, she turned back to find Violet had extended an arm in her direction. Making a place for Isabella to lie at her side.

“Come here and I’ll tell you a story.”

This brought a smile to Isabella’s face and she quickly scrambled to join her friend. Of course, she lay in the space Violet provided and cuddled close, head on her shoulder. Another touch. Another special moment. “Really? You will? What’s this one about?”

Violet’s gaze moved from Isabella to the window where the stars could be seen in the night sky. “A story about the constellations. You know, I went to an observatory on an assignment once and learned all about them.”

“You did?” That seemed like an odd place for a doll to go, but then again, they traveled the world over, right? Either way, Isabella didn’t belabor the point, not wanting to delay whatever it was Violet had to say. Instead, she closed her eyes and prepared to let herself become absorbed in her friend’s words…and her warmth. “Tell me all about them, please.”